1 . There tend to be two types of teachers when it comes to poetry: Ones who love it and bring it into the classroom freely and often. Then, others stay clear.
Build Reading, Speaking & Listening Skills
Children need to learn to read various texts, and poems are one of those forms. They learn to attend to the words they hear and think about what they mean together. Children strengthen their reading skills and build reading fluency through repeated reading. The dots connect in a child’s brain when they see, hear, and say it aloud.
Inspire Poetry Writing
Teach how poems are constructed and the words they contain. It is the first step to writing.
Poetry is a form of expression. Writing lets us express our feelings and thoughts on a subject, while reading encourages us to connect and find meaning in our experiences. Poetry can have a positive impact on children’s social and emotional learning. It may offer them a new way of thinking about something.
Build a Love for Reading
Expose children to various styles and types of text as they learn to read. As teachers, we want them to love the act of reading and what they read as they learn. Reading can be hard work, and the books children learn first often lack that unique ingredient. Poetry is different.
| A．Encourage Creative Thinking |
| B．Explore Language and Vocabulary |
| C．Poetry offers a memorable and motivational way to teach. |
| D．It has that special sauce that children long for and so much more! |
| E．Poetry teaches us how to combine words to form meaning and context. |
| F．This may be because they don’t think it fits with the curriculum and what they are teaching. |
| G．Reading comprehension also results in discussions about meaning, connecting, and visualizing. |
2 . Fifth-graders gathered around a large tank inside their school’s greenhouse. Plants hang overhead, and trays of seedlings (幼苗) fill the shelves. Small silver fish pop their heads out of the water as Blanka, 10 years old, holds out food. “If you put your finger in a little bit, they might bite it. It doesn’t hurt; it just feels funny,” explains Blanka.
At Manzo Elementary Schools in Tucson, raising fish at school was one small answer to a big problem faced by many people in the neighborhood — food insecurity. While the students could have breakfast and lunch at school, their families often struggled to provide dinner. The teachers came up with an idea: could the students raise food at school for the neighborhood?
It wouldn’t be easy. Being in a desert region, water was a scarce resource in Tucson. Apart from that, the soil doesn’t always have the nutrients plants need to grow, so the students would need to add a natural fertilizer. Inspired by the Aztecs’ ancient practice of chinampas, floating farms on lakes near Mexico City, Counselor Moses Thompson introduced an aquaponics (鱼菜共生) system where fish waste served as fertilizer for the plants, while the plants’ roots purified the water in the fish tank. Apart from fish, other animals played an important part in supporting the students’ mission to feed their neighbors. Chickens laid eggs, and visiting pollinators (传粉者) like bees and butterflies helped transform flowers into vegetables.
Once the students had harvested enough food, it was time for Market Day. They offered vegetables as donations to people in the neighborhood and sold eggs and fish to raise funds for fish food and chicken feed. “We can plant good food and have fun while we’re doing something important,” says Blanka. “I’m so happy to be at this school.”
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?| A．What the greenhouse ecosystem looks like. | B．How fifth-graders observe fish. |
| C．Whether feeding fish is funny. | D．Where plants are grown. |
| A．To teach students about fish. |
| B．To bring in income for the school. |
| C．To attract more students to the school. |
| D．To handle food shortage in the neighborhood. |
| A．Fish waste fertilized the plants. | B．Chickens helped purify water. |
| C．Plants provided food for fish. | D．Pollinators helped carry vegetables. |
| A．Tolerant. | B．Favorable. | C．Skeptical. | D．Uncaring. |
3 . Walt Disney: A Legacy of Dreams
The name “Disney” evokes a rush of images: from the enchanted kingdom of Disneyland to the heartwarming tales of Bambi and Simba. For almost a century, Disney, initiated by Walt Disney himself, has been synonymous with storytelling, imagination, and dreams-come-true. But what’s the journey behind this global empire of happiness?
Founded in 1923 by Walt and Roy O. Disney, the company started as a small animation studio in the back of a real estate office in Los Angeles.
Disney’s first full-length animated feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, premiered in 1937.
Disneyland, opened in 1955, was Walt’s most ambitious venture (经营项目).
With Walt’s death in 1966, there were doubts about the future of the company.
Walt Disney once said, “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.”
| A．The transformation from a humble beginning to a global business came with both achievements and challenges. |
| B．Each turn in the park promises a leap into fantasy, ensuring the magic is felt at every corner. |
| C．This venture greatly changed the landscape of cinematic history. |
| D．Though faced with initial skepticism, the park became an instant success. |
| E．Over the decades, it has redefined entertainment, proving that stories have no boundaries. |
| F．However, despite initial uncertainties in leadership and direction, the enterprise continued to grow. |
| G．It’s a universe of stories, where every character, every song, and every ride have a heart and soul. |
4 . 55-year-old Rob Kenney, who grew up without a father, has been doing his part to make a difference in the lives of kids today.
He created a YouTube channel, called Dad, How Do I, which aims to give youths the valuable lessons a father is meant to give. Launched only two months ago, his channel already has more than two million subscribers (订阅者). Rob teaches children and adults, many of whom are also without a dad, basic skills such as how to tie a tie, how to cook meals, how to repair a lamp and many more.
“I didn’t start this to make money,” Rob told his viewers. “I just thought I was going to help a few people... 30 or 40 subscribers... but it’s turned into a way more than that. And please don’t think I am only aiming this at young men. It is for anybody who feels that they need to learn something.”
Now that his channel has had such huge unexpected success, Rob plans to give his earnings to a number of international charities.
Many viewers have been touched by the warm words Rob shares in his videos. Such simple words, like “I love you”, “You’ve done a good job” and “I’m proud of you,” can have a deep impact on many children, even some adults. He starts each video with an enthusiastic “Hey, kids!” — but Keiha Danaher said that she was a 33-year-old woman, and she answered back crying, saying, “Hi, dad!”
Rob’s childhood story makes him a role for the kids who watch his channel. By the age of 14, his parents had divorced. He had to move in with his elder brother and learn from the tough life experiences without parents in his life. But that didn’t prevent him from being a good father to his children. His experience shows his viewers that there is always opportunity in the face of difficulties.
1. Why did Rob Kenney create the channel Dad, How Do I in the beginning?| A．To cheer up those who feel upset. |
| B．To make some money to support his family. |
| C．To teach children and adults some useful life skills. |
| D．To offer youths advice on how to get on well with others. |
| A．Rob’s videos are only intended for young men. |
| B．Subscribers are mainly made up of poor people. |
| C．The number of subscribers is larger than Rob expected. |
| D．Rob guesses there won’t be more people to subscribe his channel. |
| A．Make his videos more entertaining and instructive. |
| B．Help more children improve their intelligence. |
| C．Let more people have sympathy for him. |
| D．Donate the money he earns to charities. |
| A．They think Rob is just like their real father to take care of them. |
| B．The words in Rob’s videos are warm and encouraging. |
| C．Rob’s experiences remind them of their own. |
| D．Rob’s attitude toward life is always positive. |
5 . In order to survive trips to Mars, humans need oxygen. Now, a team of scientists has designed a robot that could extract oxygen from water on the Red Planet.
The robot, which is called “AI chemist”, used a machine learning model to find a compound that could ignite an oxygen-producing chemical reaction on Mars. The compound, known as a catalyst (催化剂), is made entirely from elements found in Martian meteorites (陨石) — which means, if such a system could work reliably, space travelers would not need to bring oxygen or even the catalyst needed to produce it.
Mars’ atmosphere contains only trace amounts of oxygen. But scientists have detected evidence of liquid water beneath the planet’s southern ice cap. To create the breathable gas, researchers wanted to find a way to break down this water into its hydrogen and oxygen molecules using materials found on Mars.
Their robot analyzed five meteorites that either came from Mars or had a composition similar to that of the Martian surface. Using a laser, it identified significant amounts of iron, nickel, calcium, magnesium, aluminum and manganese in the samples. From these six elements, the robot’s algorithm (算法) determined it could produce more than 3.7 million possible molecules to break down water and form oxygen on Mars. According to the researchers, finding the best one from this extensive list would take roughly 2,000 years of human labor, but for the AI chemist, it took only weeks.
“On Earth, we don’t use these six elements,” Yi Luo, a co-author of the study says. “They are not the best choices for catalysts, but it’s only what you’ve got on Mars.”
With its chosen catalyst, the system could produce oxygen from the Martian materials at around -37℃, demonstrating the chemical reaction could be possible on the cold Martian surface.
Notably, the robot was able to carry out the entire process — analyzing the rock samples, identifying the best possible catalyst and producing it without human intervention.
1. What does the underlined word “ignite” mean in paragraph 2?| A．Delay. | B．Limit. | C．Change. | D．Cause. |
| A．The oxygen that Mars’ atmosphere contains. |
| B．The scientists’ previous study on meteorites. |
| C．The existence of water and catalyst on Mars. |
| D．The amazing learning ability of “AI chemist” |
| A．The finding of six elements. |
| B．The advantages of the robots. |
| C．The formation of the meteorites. |
| D．The process of producing oxygen. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Favorable. | C．Unclear. | D．Indifferent. |
6 . Restrictive uniforms could be preventing primary school pupils, especially girls, from being physically active, research suggests. In countries where most schools require students to wear uniforms, fewer young people reach the World Health Organization’s minimum recommendation of 60 minutes of physical activity a day across a whole week, according to a study by the University of Cambridge.
There was a greater difference between girls and boys of primary-school age in countries where uniforms were common. The finding was not copied among children of secondary-school age. This may be owing to the exercise younger children get throughout the day — for example, through running, climbing and active play at break and lunchtimes. The findings confirm earlier evidence that girls feel less comfortable participating in active play if they are wearing certain types of clothing such as skirts or dresses.
Dr. Mairead Ryan, a researcher at the institute of education and MRC unit at Cambridge, said, “ Schools often prefer to use uniforms for various reasons. We are not trying to suggest a blanket ban on them, but to present new evidence to support decision-making. School communities could consider design, and whether specific characteristics of a uniform might either encourage or restrict any opportunities for physical activity.”
A 2021 study in England found the design of girls’ PE uniforms prevented students from participating in certain activities. Other studies have suggested girls are much shyer about taking part in physical activity when wearing uniforms in which they do not feel comfortable. Dr. Esther van Sluijs, senior author and MRC investigator (调查员), said, “Girls might feel less confident about doing things like cartwheels and tumbles in the playground, or riding a bike on a windy day if they are wearing a skirt or dress. Social expectations tend to influence what they feel they can do in these clothes. Unfortunately, when it comes to promoting physical health, that’s a problem.”
The WHO recommends that young people get 60 minutes of at least moderate-intensity (中等强度) physical activity a day. The Cambridge study confirmed previous observations that most children and teenagers were not meeting this recommendation — especially girls, who have a gap of 7.6 percentage points with boys.
1. What is the author’s purpose of writing Paragraph 1?| A．To state the findings. | B．To make a comparison. |
| C．To explain a phenomenon. | D．To justify an assumption. |
| A．They have less physical activity daily. |
| B．They have much labor work at school. |
| C．Certain uniforms limit their physical activity. |
| D．Certain uniforms make them act well in active play. |
| A．It’s better to restrict physical activity. |
| B．It’s better to support decision-making. |
| C．Uniforms should be banned strictly in schools. |
| D．Schools should think about the uniform design. |
| A．Proper uniforms can set students free |
| B．Schools are responsible for uniforms |
| C．Students can benefit a lot from uniforms |
| D．Uniforms may prevent younger girls from being active |
7 . A new study by a team of researchers shows that searching to evaluate the truthfulness of false news articles actually increases the probability of believing misinformation, not the opposite.
The reason for this outcome may be explained by search-engine outputs in the study. The researchers found that this phenomenon is concentrated among individuals for whom search engines return lower-quality information.
“This points to the danger that ‘data voids’ — areas of the information ecosystem that are dominated by low quality, or even outright false, news and information — may be playing a resulting role in the online search process, leading to low return of credible information or, more alarming, the appearance of non-credible information at the top of search results,” observes lead author Kevin Aslett, an assistant professor at the University of Central Florida.
To study the impact, they recruited participants through both Qualtrics and Amazon’s Mechanical Turk for a series of five experiments and with the aim of measuring the impact of a common behavior: searching online to evaluate news (SOTEN).
The first four studies tested the following aspects of online search behavior and impact:
◎ The effect of SOTEN on belief in both false or misleading and true news directly within two days an article’s publication
◎ Whether the effect of SOTEN can change an individual’s evaluation after they had already assessed the truthfulness of a news story
◎ The effect of SOTEN months after publication
◎ The effect of SOTEN on recent news about a key topic with significant news coverage
A fifth study combined a survey with web-tracking data in order to identify the effect of exposure to both low- and high-quality search-engine results on belief in misinformation.
Across the five studies, the authors found that the act of searching online to evaluate news led to a statistically significant increase in belief in misinformation. This occurred whether it was shortly after the publication of misinformation or months later. This finding suggests that the passage of time does not lessen the impact of SOTEN on increasing the likelihood of believing false news stories to be true. Moreover, the fifth study showed that this phenomenon is concentrated among individuals for whom search engines return lower-quality information.
“The findings highlight the need for media literacy programs to ground recommendations in search engines to invest in solutions to the challenges identified by this research,” concludes Joshua A Tucker, professor of politics.
1. What can we learn from the first three paragraphs?| A．The more you assess the realness of fake news online, the more you’ll believe it. |
| B．There is little low quality, or false news in the areas of the information ecosystem. |
| C．Evaluating online the realness of fake news would prevent you believing it. |
| D．Fake news and information usually can’t be found at the top of search results. |
| A．Knowledge level. | B．Time effect. |
| C．Web-tracking data. | D．News type. |
| A．Rely on. | B．Focus on. | C．Work on. | D．Hold on. |
| A．Economics | B．Entertainment | C．Science | D．Insights |
8 . Thailand is to ban smoking on some of the country’s most popular tourist beaches, with the prospect of up to a year in prison for those caught lighting up, according to reports by local media. The move follows a recent survey of litter on Patong beach, Phuket — visited by millions of foreign tourists each year — which found an average of 0.76 cigarette butts (烟头) per square metre in a sample area, which would amount to 101,058 butts on the 2.5km-long stretch of sand.
The survey was undertaken by the country’s department of marine and coastal resources, which described it as a “serious problem”. Discarded cigarette butts accounted for a third of rubbish collected by the department.
“Cigarettes have a direct effect on the natural environment,” director general Jatuporn Buruspat told the Phuket Gazette. “The butts clog (淤积) the drains contributing to floods. When the cigarettes stay under the beach sand for a long time, it also negatively affects the eco-system. And then when the chemicals from the cigarette butts reach the water, it also releases cadmium, lead, arsenic and some acid from insecticide which are poison to the natural food chain.”
The ban, which will come into play in November, will affect 20 beaches including Patong, Koh Khai Nok, Koh Khai Nai (Phuket); Hua Hin, Cha-Am, Khao Takiab; Pattaya, Jomtien, Bangsaen and Samila.
After a trial period, the ban is expected to be enforced on all Thai beaches, as well as on passenger and tourist boats, to deal with the problem of butts damaging the underwater environment. Anyone found to be breaking the law will face one year in jail or a maximum 100,000 baht fine, or both.
1. The underlined word “Discarded” in paragraph 2 means “________”.| A．grown | B．lighted | C．thrown away | D．cared for |
| A．Cigarette butts may endanger natural food chain. |
| B．Cigarette butts will lead to floods directly. |
| C．Cigarettes positively affect the eco-system. |
| D．Foreign tourists may not visit beaches with cigarette butts. |
| A．face two years in jail | B．face a minimum 100,000 baht fine |
| C．be in prison or fined | D．be educated in a training center |
| A．Cigarette butts damage the underwater environment. |
| B．Thailand bans smoking on 20 popular tourist beaches. |
| C．Smoking is forbidden on all Thailand beaches. |
| D．Thailand local media pays attention to smoking problem. |
9 . Beginning your journey abroad, you’ll witness excitement fill the air. Each step brings new experiences and adventures from busy streets to beautiful landscapes. Pack your bags and welcome the thrill of discovery that awaits. Here are a few things for you to get started with before you set foot.
Do thorough research on your destination.Conduct complete research about the country or region you plan to visit before your trip.
When packing for your trip abroad, prioritize essentials and pack light to avoid unnecessary weight.
Be alarmed and aware of your surroundings at all times. Avoid risky areas, especially at night, and keep your belongings secure. Familiarize yourself with local emergency contact numbers, the location of your country’s embassy (大使馆), and any specific safety precautions recommended for travelers in your destination.
Welcome new experiences that come your way.As your journey abroad comes to a close, memories of adventure and discovery will remain in your heart. Cherish (珍惜) the moments shared, the sights seen, and the lessons learned.
| A．Pay attention to safety at all times. |
| B．Respect local customs and traditions. |
| C．Learn about its history, culture, customs, and local laws. |
| D．Stay updated on travel guidelines issued by your government. |
| E．Traveling abroad offers access to new cultures and experiences. |
| F．Though your travels may end, the spirit of exploration will live on. |
| G．Consider the climate and your activities, and pack proper clothing and equipment. |
10 . When Howard Carter opened King Tut’s tomb (墓穴), it was full of gold and other valuables. When he and his team then attempted to remove King Tut’s mummy (木乃伊), they did a great deal of damage to the mummy while removing it.
Decades later, in 1968, experts conducted an examination of King Tut’s mummy using simple X-ray technology. Three important discoveries led to various theories about his death. First, the X-rays showed that bones in Tut’s chest were missing. Some guessed the damage was caused by a war injury or an accident. Plus, there was a small hole in the back of the skull (头骨), and pieces of bone inside it, causing many to believe that Tut was killed by a blow to the back of the head. Was he murdered by people wanting to take control of Egypt? Finally, a serious broken bone was discovered on Tut’s left leg. Tut was hurt a few hours before his death. This could have been the result of an accident. Could an infection from the injury have killed Tut?
In 2005, scientists under the direction of Zahi Hawass used new X-ray technology to study the mummy. They discovered that the damage to Tut’s chest was caused by Howard Carter, and the hole in Tut’s skull was made when the body was gotten ready for burial. While this ruled out the theory of murder, it still doesn’t tell us exactly how he died.
Then, in 2008, when Hawass and his team analyzed the DNA of the mummies and other tombs nearby, they made some shocking discoveries. They found Tut’s father and mother, who had similar DNA, were actually brother and sister. The DNA they passed on to Tut may have made it easy for him to catch a disease. Did an infection that started in his broken leg cause his death? No one knows for sure. But Hawass and his team hope they will someday have an answer to this age-old mystery.
1. Why was the examination of King Tut’s mummy conducted in 1968?| A．To determine the cause of Tut’s death. | B．To assess the condition of Tut’s coffin. |
| C．To discover the identity of Tut’s parents. | D．To study the treasures found in Tut’s tomb. |
| A．It was caused by an accident. | B．It was caused by a blow to kill. |
| C．It was caused by Howard Carter’s team. | D．It was caused during burial preparation. |
| A．Tut’s broken leg had little to do with his DNA. |
| B．Tut’s DNA features might have been common. |
| C．Tut’s death was closely connected to their DNA. |
| D．Tut’s health was probably affected by their shared DNA. |
| A．To analyze the cultural significance of King Tut’s tomb. |
| B．To entertain readers with tales of ancient Egyptian royalty. |
| C．To inform readers about the discoveries surrounding King Tut’s death. |
| D．To persuade readers to follow further research into King Tut’s life and death. |
