1 . Dementia (痴呆), a serious mental disorder caused by brain disease or injury, affects the ability to think, remember and behave normally. 160,000 people have some forms of dementia in Sweden, Alzheimer’s disease being the most common. At the same time, many new diagnostic (诊断的) methods and early-intervention treatment have been developed in recent years, which highlights the need to identify more risk factors for the disease.
Previous studies have demonstrated a possible association between depression and dementia. A present study now clearly shows that people who have been diagnosed with depression are more likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Unlike the previous ones, the study was conducted using Region Stockholm’s administrative healthcare database, which contains all healthcare contacts recorded by the region. It shows that the risk of Alzheimer’s disease was more than twice as high in patients with stress and in patients with depression as it was in patients without either condition; in patients with both depression it was up to four times as high.
“The reason for it is unknown,” says the study’s last author Axel C. Carlsson. “The finding is important in that it enables us to improve preventative efforts and understand links with the other risk factors for dementia.”
The researchers focused on patients between the ages of 18 and 65 and between 2012 and 2013. They identified 44,447 people with a diagnosis of depression and followed them for eight years to see how many of them were later diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. A comparison with all other 1,362,548 individuals in the age group showed that more people with depression had also been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
“It’s very uncommon for people in this age group to develop dementia, so we need to identify all possible risk factors for the disease,” says Dr Carlsson. “We show here that the diagnosis is more common in people who have suffered depression, but more studies will be required if we’re to demonstrate any reason there.”
1. What do the previous studies and the present one differ in?| A．The target. | B．The method. |
| C．The purpose. | D．The theory. |
| A．It clarifies the condition of dementia. |
| B．It makes clear the risks of depression. |
| C．It confirms the previous study finding. |
| D．It helps with the dementia prevention. |
| A．Its process. | B．Its background. |
| C．Its application. | D．Its assessment. |
| A．Why dementia spreads wide in Sweden. |
| B．What links exist among mental diseases. |
| C．How depression connects with dementia. |
| D．What other risk factors lead to dementia. |
2 . Fountains of lava erupted from the Sundhnúkur volcanic system in southwest Iceland on January 14th, 2024. Lava flows welled up from a new gap, attacking the suburbs of Grindavík with at least three houses in their path burnt down. Nearby, construction vehicles that had been working for weeks to build large earthen dams in an attempt to divert(使转向)the lava’s flow had to pull back.
Lava is subject to gravity like other fluids, so it will flow down along a path of steepest descent(斜坡). With the temperature of its molten rock often well above 1,000 degrees Celsius, not much can stand in its way. Humans have tried many ways to stop lava in the past, from attempting to freeze it in place by cooling it with sea water, to using explosive s to cut off its supply. However, no attempt was successful.
Most recent efforts have focused instead on building dams in an attempt to divert the lava’s flow toward a different path of steepest descent, into a different “lavashed,” where lava would naturally flow. Results have been mixed, but diversion can be successful if the lava flow can be clearly diverted into a distinct area where lava would naturally flow — without threatening a different community in the process. Many attempts to divert lava have failed, however. Barriers built in Italy to stop Mt. Etna’s lava flows in 1992 slowed the flow, but the lava eventually over topped each one.
Diverting lava in Grindavík is difficult, in part because the land around Grindavík is relatively flat, making it harder to identify a clear alternative path of steepest descent for redirecting the lava. Icelandic officials reported on January 15th that most of the lava from the main fissure had flowed along the outside the barrier, however a new gap had also opened inside the perimeter(外围), sending lava into a neighborhood. Unfortunately, that implies that Grindavík remains at risk.
1. What do we know about the lava erupting from the Sundhnúkur volcanic system?| A．It severely affected the downtown area of Grindavík. |
| B．It forced the construction of large earthen dams to suspend. |
| C．It was successfully redirected by the earthen barriers. |
| D．It completely buried a residential area. |
| A．Five. | B．Four. | C．Three. | D．Two. |
| A．the lava has destroyed many buildings |
| B．there is no suitable dam to divert the lava |
| C．the land around Grindavík is relatively flat |
| D．the lava has already entered a populated area |
| A．How earthen barrier functions. |
| B．What can be done to prevent lava. |
| C．Why volcanic lava is so hard to stop. |
| D．What lava has brought about in Iceland. |
3 . As technology continues to advance, the way we work will continue to develop. Here are some predictions for future work in a technology-driven world.
Remote work has become increasingly important. It allows for virtual communication and collaboration (协作). The worldwide health crisis forced many businesses to adopt remote work practices to follow social distancing guidelines.
Another benefit technology has brought us is e-commerce. The rise of online shopping and mobile technology has transformed the retail(零售) industry.
The future of work in a technology-driven world is uncertain, but it is clear that technology will play a central role in shaping it. As McKinsey &Company notes,“
| A．Every coin has two sides. |
| B．The pace of change has sped up. |
| C．Remote work offers many benefits. |
| D．Technology has shaped the world greatly. |
| E．This has significantly changed the way we work. |
| F．Technology at the same time makes life more difficult in some way. |
| G．It allows for greater convenience and personalized shopping experiences. |
4 . Lia Thomas, a student at the University of Pennsylvania, is an excellent swimmer. She often beats her rivals by tens of seconds, breaking records. Her success is based on three things. One is natural talent. Another is relentless training. And the third is biology. Although she identifies as a woman, Ms Thomas was born male.
On the eve of her biggest competition, Ms Thomas finds herself at the centre of the bad-tempered debate about whether trans women—males who identify as women—should compete in women’s sports. That, in turn, is part of a broader argument: should biological facts sometimes override people’s deeply held feelings about their identities? This newspaper believes it is almost always unfair to allow transgender women to compete in women’s sports.The advantages bestowed by male puberty (青春期) are so big that no amount of training or talent can enable female athletes to overcome them.
Florence Griffith Joyner’s 100-metres world sprinting record has stood for three decades. A male matching it would not even make it to the Olympics, let alone the final. Much of the male advantage is granted by testosterone (睾酮，睾丸素), a powerful anabolism steroid (合成类胆固醇) whose levels rise sharply in male puberty.For many years many sporting bodies, following the lead of the International Olympic Committee, hoped to cope with the issue by allowing trans-women to compete in women’s events provided they took testosterone- suppressing drugs. But the science suggests this does not level the playing field. Suppressing testosterone in adults, it seems, does little to undo the advantages granted by a male adolescence.
Sports must therefore choose between inclusion and fairness; and they should choose fair play. That does not mean that trans-women would be barred from all sport. One way to make that clear would be to replace the “men’s” and “women’s” categories with “open” and “female” ones. The first would be open to all comers. The second would be restricted on the basis of biology.
Sport is public, and results can be measured objectively. That means the argument that the material facts of biology should sometimes outrank a person’s subjective sense of identity is easier to make. But it applies in other areas, too.
1. What is the text talking about?| A．Men has many advantages over women. |
| B．Fairness should be guaranteed in sport. |
| C．Whether trans women-males should be allowed to compete in women sports. |
| D．How to dismiss the unfairness between trans women-males and women. |
| A．dampen |
| B．balance |
| C．increase |
| D．encourage |
| A．A man who doesn’t make it to the Olympic may set a record in women sport. |
| B．Transgenders should not be allowed in sports. |
| C．Fairness matters more than inclusion in the sport. |
| D．Many advantages of males are due to testosterone. |
| A．How to deal with the unfairness between transgenders and females. |
| B．Other factors that cause trans women-males’ performances to override women’s. |
| C．Other fields that is suitable for the argument that the material facts of biology should sometimes outrank a person’s subjective sense of identity. |
| D．Other authorities’ attitude to the fairness in sport. |
5 . Everything Everywhere All at Once won the best picture Oscar at the Academy Awards ceremony Sunday night in Los Angeles, California. The unusual movie about a Chinese- American immigrant (移民的) family won seven Oscars, including three acting awards for Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis.
The Malaysian-born Yeoh became the first Asian woman to win a best actress Oscar. In the film,she plays the laundromat (自助洗衣店) owner with superpowers in a different universe. “For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon (灯塔) of hope and possibilities,” the 60-year-old actress said. “And ladies, don’t let anybody ever tell you you’re past your prime (黄金期),” Yeoh added.
As a boy, Quan starred in the 1984 Indiana Jones movie and The Goodies in 1985. The 51-year-old said he quit acting for many years because he saw too few opportunities for Asian actors.On Sunday night, Quan won the best supporting actor Oscar. In the film, he plays Yeoh’s husband.Quan, who was born in Vietnam, cried as he gave his speech Sunday. He said, “My journey started on a boat. I spent a year in a refugee camp. Somehow I ended up here on Hollywood’s biggest stage. They say stories like this only happen in the movies. I cannot believe it’s happening to me. It is like a dream.”
The 64-year-old Curtis won Best Supporting Actress for her role as the tax agent in Everything Everywhere All at Once. In her speech, Curtis looked upward and addressed her parents, Academy Award nominees Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. Both of her parents have passed away. “I just won an Oscar,” Curtis told them.
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Schneider together won Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. Everything Everywhere All at Once was made with a small $14.3 million budget and has brought in more than $100 million so far.
1. What is implied in what Yeoh said in the second paragraph?| A．Young people should follow her example. |
| B．People should see hope and possibilities in life. |
| C．Women can succeed only at the golden age |
| D．Age doesn’t stop women from achieving success. |
| A．Immigrants succeed very easily. |
| B．Success never falls upon immigrants. |
| C．Immigrants struggle hard to survive |
| D．Movie actors stand out in the US. |
| A．Best supporting actress Oscar. |
| B．Best actress Oscar. |
| C．Best original screenplay. |
| D．Best Director. |
| A．People’s hope about life. |
| B．Superpowers in another universe. |
| C．Stories about an immigrant family. |
| D．Success of women in reality. |
6 . Everyone dreams of having a magical experience at Disney parks.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
This Disney theme park is located at Walt Disney World Attraction in Bay Lake, Florida, USA. They say that Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park is one of the most visited Walt Disney World parks. Animals in the Animal Kingdom will surely give you a great experience!
The price in Animal Kingdom for their 1-day ticket is between $116.09 to $122.48. The 3-day ticket is around $309.92 to $329.09.
Hong Kong Disneyland
Hong Kong Disneyland will not disappoint you if your family find enjoyment in a theme park. Expect to see all the Disney princesses (公主) and queens, Micky Mouse, and more!
A 1-day ticket for Hong Kong Disneyland park costs around $79 for grown-ups. For a kid, the ticket is about $58, while it costs around $13 each for old men.
Tokyo Disneyland
No matter how many Disney parks around the world you visit, the experience will not be complete without Tokyo Disneyland. This is one of the Disneyland parks which offer rides and attractions that will surely give you an unforgettable experience.
Don’t forget to try Splash Mountain, ride on a log (原木), and end up dropping over a waterfall!
Splash Mountain is a must-try too!
The ticket costs ranging from ¥4,700 — ¥7,800
Disneyland Paris
Disneyland Paris resort is one of the Disney parks you must not miss. There are two theme parks in Disney-land Paris resort.
You will see the Sleeping Beauty Castle, Tower of Terror, and Indiana Jones there.
1-park tickets cost around E59, while the Disneyland Paris 2-park tickets cost roughly f94.
1. How much will a child and his grandpa pay for their tickets to Hong Kong Disneyland?| A．$26. |
| B．$71 |
| C．$92 |
| D．$137. |
| A．Disney’s Animal Kingdom |
| B．Hong Kong Disneyland. |
| C．Tokyo Disneyland |
| D．Disneyland Paris. |
| A．Entertainment. |
| B．Education. |
| C．Science |
| D．Health |
7 . Four best photobooks in 2023
Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake
Following 2020’s smash hit Entangled Life, mycologist Merlin Sheldrake return s just in time for Christmas with an amazing illustrated edition. At over 240 pages, Sheldrake’s passion and knowledge leap off every spread. From the microscopic (微观) to the splendid, the colour images create an entertaining experience.
Anna Atkins: Cyanotypes by Peter Walther
Often copied, seldom improved on, the elegant cyanotypes (氰化钾照片) of Ann a Atkins are timeless. First created in the 1840s, cyanotypes use light-sensitive iron salt solution and exposure to sunlight to create beautiful Prussian blue prints. Peter Walther’s book is comprehensive, 660 pages long, and is perfect for Atkins’ fans or anyone keen to learn.
The Earth in Our Hands by Thomas Pesquet
Thomas Pesquet’s breathtaking collection of photographs taken from the International Space Station(ISS)follows in the footsteps of astronaut Don Pettit’s Spaceborne. Pesquet took more than 245,000 images over two missions, with his book including 200 of these. It is the closest most of us will get to being on the ISS — a really immersive read.
Looking at Trees by Sophie Howarth
Sophie Howarth’s absorbing book features 26 of the world’s leading photographers, including Nicholas J. R. White and Anna Beeke. From a framed Hollywood juniper in California to a surreal (超现实的) image of Halfway Gardens in Gauteng, South Africa, Howarth asks us to value trees at a time of environmental challenge. A book you will return to.
1. How many pages are contained in the book Anna Atkins: Cyanotypes?| A．Over 240. | B．660. | C．About 200. | D．Over 26. |
| A．Entangled Life. | B．Anna Atkins: Cyanotypes. |
| C．The Earth in Our Hands. | D．Looking at Trees. |
| A．Value trees. | B．Take pictures. |
| C．Go on a trip. | D．Maintain a good image. |
8 . Some bridges are suspended at dizzy heights, others stretch for miles. Take a look at some of the world’s greatest bridges.
THE MOST TERRIFYING——Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge
If you’re afraid of heights, you might not want to walk along the Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge in central China, which is the world’s longest and highest glass bridge. It is suspended 300 metres above the ground, and walkers can see the sheer (陡峭的) drop below as they walk over 99 glass panels. The terrifying structure was completed in December 2015and cost around £2.6 million to build. How safe is it? To test it, Chinese officials struck the bridge with hammers and drove a car over it.
THE TILTING (倾斜的) BRIDGE——Gateshead Millennium Bridge
The Gateshead Millennium Bridge in the north-east of England is the world’s first tilting bridge. A tilting bridge is a moving bridge that uses motors to lift the arching structure——rather than opening in the middle and lifting up like a drawbridge——to allow ships to pass underneath. It has eight motors and can tilt at about 40° in four and a half minutes, making it a most extraordinary one throughout the world. Opened to the public in 2001, the bridge spans the River Tyne.
THE LONGEST BRIDGE——Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge
At an enormous 102 miles, Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge in China is the world’s longest bridge. Its span is the same as the distance from Birmingham to London, and it took a workforce of 10,000 people four years to complete it. Around 450,000 tons of steel was used in its construction, and it is so stable that it can stand 8-magnitude earthquakes or being hit by a 300,000-ton ship. It can even cope with the power of a strong typhoon.
1. Why is Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge the most terrifying bridge?| A．It is made of glass. |
| B．It is the longest bridge. |
| C．It towers high in the sky. |
| D．It stands hammer-hitting. |
| A．It is the world’s first moving bridge. |
| B．It can open in the middle and lift up. |
| C．It costs tons of steel in the construction. |
| D．It uses 8 motors to tilt in a few minutes. |
| A．They took millions to complete. |
| B．They span an astonishing length. |
| C．They are the wonders of engineering. |
| D．They are the stablest bridges in the world. |
9 . At 102 years old, toy inventor Eddy Goldfarb is still going like freshly wound Yakity-Yak Talking Teeth, one of his more than 800 creations. Goldfarb also dreamed up the Bubble Gun, battery-powered Stomper vehicles and KerPlunk, in which hopeful players hold their breath as they strategically remove sticks without disturbing the marbles above.
“Being active and being creative is my secret, and I think it could apply to a lot of people,” the Toy Industry Hall of Fame inductee (新成员) says in an interview before singing the praises of his pair of 3D printers. “That’s the most wonderful machine because you start with nothing, and it goes layer by layer and builds something.”
The Chicago native still creates in his workshop and is the focus of Eddy’s World, a documentary that aired on TV. The 28-minute film is directed by his daughter, Lyn Goldfarb.
Goldfarb knew he was going to be a creator at 5 when his father invited an inventor to dinner. “That’s when I learned the meaning of the word,” he says, “and I knew from then on that I was going to be an inventor.” The designer couldn’t afford college and joined the Navy during World War II. He thought of the ideas for his first three toys while serving on the USS Batfish.
Goldfarb feels “very lucky” to still be alive at his age. He owes his longevity (长寿) to being creative and his optimistic personality. “During the war, I was on the submarine (潜艇) and saw a lot of action, and I think I realized what’s important and what’s not,” he says. “I found out that most things aren’t that important. I can overlook a lot.”
What’s next for the centenarian (百岁老人)? He’d fancy another milestone birthday. “Oh, I’d like to turn 105,” he says. “I’m fortunate that I’m healthy. I don’t have any of the aches and pains that I heard about all my life. So life is worth living. At 105, we’ll start thinking about what we should do.”
1. What does the first paragraph tell us about Goldfarb?| A．He is a highly respected toy inventor. |
| B．He is one of the oldest toy inventors. |
| C．He has invented less than 800 toys. |
| D．He is still active in toy invention. |
| A．He directed a short film. |
| B．He once dropped out of college. |
| C．He was not famous until he was 102. |
| D．He became the focus of a documentary. |
| A．At the age of five. | B．While serving in the Navy. |
| C．When dining with an inventor. | D．During his stay with his daughter. |
| A．Lucky and wealthy. | B．Greative and positive. |
| C．Determined and generous. | D．Ambitious and hardworking. |
10 . If sales generally feel hard to to resist, the sale in front of Aarron Schurevich was the ultimate test: new Kia Soul just like the one he’d had and loved, at a dealership he trusted, at a moment when he really needed a car. And it was priced $4,000 off more than a 20% discount. However, after he sped through paperwork and drove the car off the lot, the deal turned soul. Schurevich now jokes that he paid a tax for being a fool.
This big-ticket example shows vividly all the dynamics that play out in a sale. The discount itself often registers as a win, delivering the joy of both getting the product and the reward that we discovered something, and we’ve earned this extra thing. Thus, spotting something we’d like to buy on sale activates our brain’s reward system. Then there’s the fight in the brain between what can be described as its emotional and rational(理性的)parts. A sale lands like the thumb that tips our mental scale toward buying.
Stores, of course, know all this and try to push our buttons.
Experts say we often subconsciously believe popular things to be more valuable or more rewarding. Plus, there’s our urge to avoid loses — the fear of missing out (FOMO). So stores appeal to our crowd mentality: It’s Black Friday, ana everyone’s shopping, buying that thing you’d like. They create urgency: Your favorite car is on sale today only! And they create scarcity: Shop now while supplies last!
Stores also try various pricing tricks. “How do we make more customers go to the more expensive option? We add a decoy,” says Savannah Wei Shi, who researches pricing and decision-making. For example, picture s store shelf where a medium bag of candy sits next to a larger bag of the same candy. The medium-sized bag is much smaller than the other bag, but only slightly cheaper. It makes the big bag look like the best deal, so shoppers buy that one-the most expensive option on the shelf.
1. Why is Aarron Schurevich’s story mentioned?| A．To illustrate why we fall for a sale. | B．To present how our brains are activated. |
| C．To stress the importance of rational decision. | D．To prove the flexibility of marketing strategies. |
| A．FOMO postpones decisions. | B．Sales play on people’s fears. |
| C．Subconsciousness determines everything. | D．Scarcity promotion leads to wise purchases. |
| A．Using Pricing tricks. | B．Dealing with emergencies. |
| C．Creating scarcity. | D．Appealing to crowd mentality. |
| A．A candy. | B．A shelf. | C．A larger bag. | D．A medium bag. |
