1 . When someone tells me that they’re going to spend just 3 days in Paris, I feel like they’re most likely not going to love it. I mean, it’s possible to have a great time if you do it right and put what you want to see at the first place. During such a short visit most tourists head to see the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Louvre and some other tourist attractions, and therefore experience crowds, long lines and not the real local Paris.
Take your pick and spend some time actually enjoying these things instead of rushing through everything. I’m not telling you not to see these famous landmarks, but in order to fully feel the Paris atmosphere, you need to stay in the city longer. A stay in Paris just for a weekend seems far from seeing all the great things.
Almost everyone is dreaming of getting to the top of the Eiffel Tower. But the moment you start approaching the tower you might realize that it’s not very romantic, as it’s surrounded by a ton of visitors and annoying vendors (小贩). The place is crowded, and lines take forever no matter when you visit it.
It’s hard to find a romantic spot unless you book a dinner on top of the Eiffel Tower. It’s something you will only do once, as it’s not the best fine dining you’ve ever had — you’re doing it just for the experience. However, if you climb the stairs behind the Croatian Embassy you may be able to find a quiet spot overlooking the tower. The view is wonderful and definitely worth it, especially at night when the tower starts blinking!
I recommend you to see the city from up high from the top of the Tour Montparnasse, Arc de Triomphe, or even a carousel (旋转木马) in Tuileries, and actually have the Eiffel Tower in your view.
1. What can be inferred from the first paragraph?| A．You can only see crowds at tourist attractions. |
| B．He who has a short visit doesn’t love Paris. |
| C．Visitor can have a good time traveling in Paris in three days. |
| D．It takes more time to experience the real Paris. |
| A．Fully feeling the atmosphere of the city. |
| B．Only visiting the famous landmarks of the city. |
| C．Seeing the whole city at the weekend. |
| D．Rushing through all attractions in the city. |
| A．Delighted. | B．Sad. | C．Exhausted. | D．Romantic. |
| A．The atmosphere of Paris. |
| B．The tips of visiting Paris better. |
| C．The view of the Eiffel Tower. |
| D．The tourist attractions in Paris. |
2 . Language clubs are friendly and supportive places where like-minded students can learn and practice a different language.
Chinese Club
The Chinese Club offers chances for you to appreciate the most widely spoken language in the world. In the club, we not only have conversation hours to practice speaking Chinese, but also watch films and listen to music.
French Club
Russian Club
It is a club for both knowledge exchange and personal growth to students who want to learn about Russia. We offer a chance to discover Russian culture and history while making new friends.
Italian Club
It is a club for those who share a strong interest in Italian culture and language. Join our extra-curricular activities to meet native Italian speakers, make pizzas, and host opera workshops! We meet every Monday from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Overseas Student Center.
Make new friends and join us today! For more information about the latest activities, please feel free to contact languageclubs2023@gmail.com.
| A．If you are interested in museum visits |
| B．Here are some clubs that you need to know |
| C．Moreover, we also celebrate traditional festivals |
| D．It is a club for those who long to learn cooking skills |
| E．Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced speaker |
| F．Besides cultural events, we also run many weekly lessons |
| G．It is a club offering group events about language and history |
3 . Many teenagers care about helping other people. Few turn their concern into a career (事业). But that’s just what Tom Wilson did. At 12, he started volunteering. Now as the Youth Program Officer at the Connor Foundation, he leads national charity programs and helps the organization decide which projects to support.
“I learned about service by watching my parents.” Tom grew up in a town where people enjoyed helping others. His parents set an example for him with everyday acts of kindness. In 2002, Tom moved to another small town and decided to carry on volunteering. However, he found that there aren’t many choices for teenagers. So he started a nonprofit (非盈利) group, helping them lead their own service projects.
“I turned my love for service into my career.” Tom worked on his nonprofit in middle school and high school, and then one of his teachers advised him to make a career out of helping others. This led him to start a company that provided low-cost camps and educational programs for children. He learned it was possible to make a career out of helping others.
When Tom began his work, he found that some adults didn’t believe teenagers could make a change. Luckily, he was encouraged by his parents and other supportive adults. It was their support that gave Tom courage. Now he works to show teenagers that they can make positive changes. “We want teenagers to know it’s possible for them, their friends, and their generation to make a difference,” he says, and he has always believed in the power of youth to accomplish amazing and meaningful things. Tom advises that teenagers be creative as they look for new solutions to problems. He believes in the power of imagination. “Teenagers are so imaginative,” he says. “They don’t see the same difficulties as adults do.”
1. How did Tom know the value of service at an early age?| A．He joined a national charity program. |
| B．He discovered it through service projects. |
| C．He was chosen to be a Youth Program Officer. |
| D．He observed his parents’ daily acts of kindness. |
| A．He needed to enrich his volunteer experiences. |
| B．He wanted to join in the educational programs. |
| C．He hoped to offer chances for teenagers to volunteer. |
| D．He wanted to make new friends with other teenagers. |
| A．Pressure from his parents. | B．His teacher’s suggestion. |
| C．A need for low-cost camps. | D．His desire for a new career. |
| A．Teenagers should start their own careers. |
| B．Teenagers have the power to make a difference. |
| C．Adults are always supportive of youth projects. |
| D．Adults should help teenagers deal with problems. |
4 . When Kelvin Kiptum lined up for his first competition in 2018, the new marathon star of Kenya did it in borrowed running shoes, because he could not afford a pair of his own.
At the Chicago marathon of October,2023, as Kiptum set an amazing world record of two hours and 35 seconds, the story of his rise in marathon running is just as unbelievable as the long steps he takes. “It has been a long journey for me,” the Men’s World Athlete of the Year told the Sports Channel.“It has come true, and I am really happy.”
The father-of-two is among a new group of Kenyan athletes who began their careers on the road, different from the past tradition of athletes starting on the track before shifting to longer distances. Kiptum says his unusual choice was simply decided by a lack of resources (资源).“I had no money for track trainings,” he explained. “So I started training with road-running guys, and that’s how I got into marathon.”
Kiptum’s love for running arose from watching his cousin running as a top marathon athlete, but he had to make his family believe that he could make it in athletics. “My father wanted me to be an electrician but I was saying that I needed to be an athlete-I had that eagerness,” Kiptum recalled. “That period was very hard for me because I trained for four years, yet there were no successes and they were disappointed in me. But I kept on pushing.”
Kenya is home to some of the world’s greatest marathon runners, but Kiptum has qualities that make him special, says reporter Martin Franklin. “The level of fearlessness that Kiptum shows in his race is what is needed to rise to the top,” Martin adds. “Although his lightning-fast speed will lead to injuries in the future, Kiptum has made up his mind to become the first man to break the two-hour limit in marathon.”
1. What was Kiptum’s unusual choice?| A．Starting with road training. | B．Seeking training resources. |
| C．Mixing road and track training. | D．Running with others on the track. |
| A．He runs at a great speed. | B．He holds more world records. |
| C．He has greater courage to face challenges. | D．He has a good plan to avoid possible injuries. |
| A．From Electrician to Top Marathoner |
| B．From Borrowed Shoes to World Records |
| C．Kelvin Kiptum: A Tough Fighter for National Honor |
| D．Marathon: Life- changing Career for African Athletes |
5 . Graham Dugoni was sick of seeing smartphones everywhere when he lived in San Francisco in 2014, so he decided to create device-free spaces for people who wanted a digital break.
The result is YONDR, a physical way to disconnect at concerts, schools, and private events. If a touring musician decides to use it, for instance, the audience are told ahead of time that when they arrive, they’ll drop their phones into a small case that locks when it’s closed. The audience keep that case with them but can only access their phones when they go to a particular area away from the crowd. When they leave, the cases are unlocked.
“A lot of what we hear is that the show is just better,” Dugoni says. Some people report that, except being anxious for a while, the experience proved rewarding. “People walk out saying it’s unbelievable not to see a single smartphone out. There’s more energy, and it makes everything more noticeable.”
YONDR’s presence suggests that many people have become overly attached to their phones and shows the importance of finding solutions.
Research links smartphone overuse to a wide range of physical and mental (心理的) health problems, including tiredness, depression and anxiety. It is also connected with shorter sleep time, as well as reduced quality of sleep. Plus, smartphone addiction can occupy too much of your time and attention, leaving less to spend on healthier activities.
One of the best ways to disconnect from your phone is to get some physical distance from it. “Let’s say you have a little workstation at home - try to keep your phone behind you on the shelf,” advises Olson, a researcher at McGill University. Much of our phone use is mindless, so “putting up some ltte barriers (障碍), like keeping it behind you and face down, can be effective.” Keeping your phone in another room while you sleep is another particularly helpful way, he adds.
1. What do we know about YONDR?| A．It made people feel disconnected. |
| B．It was created to stop phone using. |
| C．It was helpful for taking a break from phone use. |
| D．It led to inconvenience for concert ticket holders. |
| A．The effects of overusing smartphones. |
| B．The solution to mental health problems. |
| C．The reasons for phone-related problems. |
| D．The commonness of people using phones. |
| A．Put the phone on the worktable. |
| B．Turn off the phone while sleeping. |
| C．Make it hard to reach for the phone. |
| D．Surround the phone with small barriers. |
6 . Gently holding a baby hummingbird, Catia Lattou f says, “Hello, cute little guy. Are you hungry?” It’s the newest patient at her apartment in Mexico City, where she has nursed hundreds of the tiny birds back to health over the past ten years. Under Catia’s gentle touch, the bird relaxes little by little, allowing her to examine it. This is often how Catia’s days have gone since she turned her apartment into a home for sick, injured or baby hummingbirds.
Catia began caring for hummingbirds a year after surviving colon cancer in 2011. It started with one hummingbird that had an eye injured by another bird. A friend encouraged her to try to help it. She named it Warrior after the brand (品牌) of the glasses case she kept it in. The bird became her inseparable companion, resting on her computer screen while she worked. “It wrote me a new life,” she said of the nine months the bird stayed with her. It helped pull Catia out of the sadness and loneliness she had experienced after her husband’s death followed by her cancer.
Later, friends began bringing her more hummingbirds, and the need for her services has jumped since last year. She began studying how to better care for the tiny birds that are native to the Americans. Someone put a video about her work on the social platform TikTok, which has been viewed more than 1.5 million times.
Catia says she never turns away a bird. She cares for the birds from 5 a. m. into the night. Most of the hummingbirds stay in Catia’s bedroom until they are strong enough to fly and feed themselves before they are finally freed.
The city is filled with menace to hummingbirds. There are other birds that attack them and destroy (毁掉) their home as well as modern building projects that replace flower gardens. But Catia remains positive and is certain that other bird lovers will plant more flowers to feed the birds. “Nothing is ensured,” she said. “But we do everything possible.”
1. What can be learned about Warrior?| A．It survived for only nine months. |
| B．It made Catia’s cancer disappear. |
| C．It became well-known for its name. |
| D．It helped Catia through tough times. |
| A．Warning. | B．Noise. | C．Pollution. | D．Danger. |
| A．By growing more flowers. | B．By introducing more birds. |
| C．By freeing the injured ones. | D．By putting up more buildings. |
| A．Selfless and honest. |
| B．Kind and hard-working. |
| C．Sociable and humorous. |
| D．Knowledgeable and frank. |
7 . With growing awareness of the gender gap in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) fields, where women hold only 27% of jobs, Chinese researchers have explored a cause influencing women’s participation in STEM careers. They studied how teen girls can be influenced by their own peers who believe the inaccurate stereotype (刻板印象) that boys are better at math.
The study found that when surrounded by peers holding this stereotype, middle-school girls scored lower on math tests. This influence even persisted into college, impacting women’s math performance and self-confidence. The researchers suggest dealing with this issue during the middle school period to reduce the negative impact on women’s long-term STEM engagement.
Middle school is considered a critical developmental stage where teens are forming a stronger sense of self separate from their parents. This change often makes teens more likely to be influenced by the opinions of their peers. It’s also a period when, objectively measured by standardized tests, girls on average have better math skills than boys. However, teens may not realize it.
In some middle schools in China, the researchers studied the potential role of peer-pressure beliefs of the gendered math stereotype. In classrooms where the belief that “boys” natural ability in studying math is greater than that of girls” was significantly higher than the standard, girls’ later performance on math tests was lower than the results for boys. Moreover, girls in these classrooms were less likely to participate in math-related out-of-class activities. They were also less likely to feel that their teachers paid attention to them and offered praise, leading to lower math-related self-confidence.
The researchers conclude that preventing the harm from gender math stereotyping requires a change of the social environment for children and young adults, in addition to focusing on changing girls’ attitudes and choices.
1. What is the focus of the study?| A．Inaccurate stereotype of STEM. |
| B．Women’s participation in STEM. |
| C．Teen girls’ academic performance. |
| D．Gender stereotype’s influence on girls. |
| A．Girls do better in math than boys. |
| B．Teens have strong self-confidence. |
| C．Teens are experiencing a key stage. |
| D．Girls are easily affected by their peers. |
| A．score high in standardized tests |
| B．be often praised by math teachers |
| C．show low confidence in math tests |
| D．take an active part in school’s math club |
8 . When Laura Smith was 14 years old, she volunteered at a nonprofit food community organization. As she was filling bags with donated (捐赠) food, she noticed something that didn’t seem right: Canned and packaged goods were plentiful, but she saw nothing fresh or green to give to families in need. She thought it would be great to change that. She wanted to start a garden on part of her parents’ farmland to provide families with home-grown produce.
While being proud of her, Laura’s father expressed worry about the workload involved. Laura had raised rabbits and lambs before, but she had never tried growing vegetables on such an extensive level. However, he soon realized that his daughter was ready. Laura did a lot of research online to find out what worked and what didn’t, which plants needed shade, which needed more water, and when was the best time to harvest each crop.
In spring 2021 Laura planted 15 types of vegetables on a land of 5,000 square meters. When the first green shoots appeared, it was an exciting feeling. Yet, that’s where the real work began. “Our summers are very hot and dry, so I had to water every day,” said Laura. Throughout the summer, she checked her plants daily for weeds and watered them by hand, using two water tanks attached to a farm vehicle to continually refill her watering can.
Laura was soon ready to harvest and weigh her first crops-the first batch weighed 40 pounds. She then packaged them and donated the products to eight local groups. “It felt really good to know that anyone who wanted fresh vegetables could get them,” Laura said.
Over the past two years, Laura has donated more than 8,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables. “Laura’s confidence and generous hand in helping those in need have made a greater impact than she could have imagined,” said Remi Freeman, an official from one of the charity groups. “It helps our mission to end hunger, and also demonstrates the selflessness and kindness that is so wonderful to see in younger people.”
1. What inspired Laura to start a garden?| A．Her interest in gardening. |
| B．Her parents’ expectations. |
| C．Lack of fresh produce in the donated food. |
| D．Poor quality of canned and packaged food. |
| A．The money needed. | B．The amount of work. |
| C．Her farming knowledge. | D．Her working experience. |
| A．Laura’s hard work. | B．Laura’s ambitious plan. |
| C．The poor weather condition. | D．The skills needed for farming. |
| A．A Great Gardening Dream |
| B．A Journey to Green Living |
| C．A Close Study on Organic Food |
| D．A Harvest of Growing Kindness |
9 . How would you feel if moving to a new town meant losing track of your friends? What if the only way of getting news from far away friends was writing letters that took ages to be delivered?
Nowadays, we can move around the world and still stay in touch with the people that we want to remain friends with.
This doesn’t mean that we should throw the baby out with the bath water, though. Technology has changed the way we make friends, but the meaning of friendship and our longing for friends remain the same.
| A．The Internet helps us make more friends. |
| B．But smiling photos can hide real problems. |
| C．This was how things worked not very long ago. |
| D．However, does the Internet really bring people closer? |
| E．However, are the “friends” you make online really your friends? |
| F．No one would choose to live without friends, even if he had all other good things. |
| G．Social media lets us see what our friends are busy with and maintains our friendships. |
10 . Four ideas for the best Easter holidays
When the kids breakup from school it can be difficult to choose what to do. With the Easter holidays just around the comer, here are four different ideas to inspire you to make the most of the break, whatever your age.
York
Bursting with museums, attractions, and events for everyone, York is the perfect Easter holiday destination. Going with grandparents? They’ll love walking the cobbled streets for sweet treats or stopping for an afternoon tea at one of the many historic hotels. Or learn about the diverse history of this amazing city at one of the museums. There really is something for everyone in this attractive city.
Botany Bay
Botany Bay is a great spot to spend a day relaxing and playing on the sands. Located in Kent and with lifeguards on duty, it’s a great spot for surfing, exploring the rockpools, and hunting for fossils. For a longer stay, why not hire a car for the Easter holiday and take a road trip along the Kentish coast British seaside break?
Bristol
Travel to the southwest to explore bustling (熙熙攘攘的) Bristol. Bristol is full of amazing restaurants housed in warehouses that remind you of the city’s maritime history. There are also wonderful museums, amazing parks for picnics and games, and even a surf centre nearby. Shop. eat, play — whatever you fancy doing, Bristol has it all.
Snowdonla
Head to North Wales if you’re after some wild adventures. There are plenty of hills, lakes, rivers, and benches to explore, but if your kids have a lot of energy to burn, then Mount Snowdon should be your choice. Standing 1,085 metres tall, it’s sure to provide an exciting adventure for the whole family. Local guides are available to lead you to the top, if you wish.
1. Where will a family with grandparents choose to go?| A．York | B．Botany Bay. | C．Bristol. | D．Snowdonia. |
| A．Parks. | B．Restaurants . | C．Fossil museums. | D．Surf spots. |
| A．Have a picnic. | B．Play games. | C．Look for fossils. | D．Climb mountains. |
