1 . Styrofoam, or polystyrene, is a light-weight material, about 95 percent air, with very good insulation (隔热) properties, according to Earthsource.org. It is used in products from cups that keep your drinks hot or cold to packaging material that protects items during shipping. With the above good features, Styrofoam still enjoys a bad reputation. It cannot be recycled without releasing dangerous pollution into the air. The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency says it is the fifth-largest creator of harmful waste.
But now the common worms which are usually disgusting can come to the rescue, specifically, mealworms. Scientists from the U. S. and China have discovered that mealworms can digest plastic. One mealworm can digest a pill-sized amount of plastic a day. Study co-author Wei-Min Wu says that in 24 hours, the plastic is turned into carbon dioxide.
Since Styrofoam has no nutrition at all, are the worms hurt by eating plastic? Much to the scientists’ surprise, the study found that worms eating Styrofoam were as healthy as worms eating bran (谷糠). The researchers will study the worm’s eating habits and digesting system, looking to copy the plastic breakdown but on a larger scale. Once the way can be put into practice, it will make a revolutionary difference to the disposal of plastic.
“Solving the issue of plastic pollution is important”, says Wu, a Stanford University environmental engineering instructor. After all, our earth is small and landfill space is becoming limited with too much garbage waiting to be dealt with, he says.
About 33-million tons of plastic are thrown away in the United States every year. Plastic plates, cups and containers take up 25 percent to 30 percent of space in America’s landfills. One Styrofoam cup takes more than 1 million years to recycle in a landfill, according to Cleveland State University.
1. What do we know about Styrofoam?| A．It can be used to cool drinks. |
| B．It is a weightless material. |
| C．It is harmful when recycled. |
| D．It is usually used on ships. |
| A．Mealworms have amazing digesting power. |
| B．Mealworms are not bad in their nature. |
| C．Mealworms can rescue people’s lives. |
| D．People misunderstood mealworms in the past. |
| A．To find ways to help mealworms grow larger. |
| B．To imitate their ways of breaking down plastic. |
| C．To help develop their digesting ability. |
| D．To make sure of their safety after eating plastic. |
| A．by raising amounts of mealworms |
| B．by environmental engineering instructors |
| C．using a method inspired by eating mealworms |
| D．without sending out dangerous pollution |
| A．Styrofoam is widely used in daily life. |
| B．Mealworms are genius at eating plastic. |
| C．Plastic recycling may be no more a problem. |
| D．Plastic can be turned into carbon dioxide. |
2 . National Music Theater Competition
The 2024 National Music Theater Competition (NMTC) will be held. It was launched in 2011 as the first national competition for the emerging professional music theater soloist (独唱者). NMTC has provided industry connections for past competitors and winners that have led to their success on Broadway and other venues.
Prizes (each prize only for a person)
The champion: $5,000 plus a concert at the next national conference of National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), a $1,000 Gift Certificate from Hal Leonard, a Career Management Services package from Stage Door Connections.
The runner-up: $2,500 plus a $500 Gift Certificate from Hal Leonard.
The third place: Louise Lerch Prize; $1,000 cash prize.
The fourth place: Bill Hayes Prize; $750 cash prize.
Qualification
Singers aged from 20 to 28 as of September 15, 2023.
Entrance Procedure
Application requires a fee of $900, but for these students of NATS members the fee is $75. Application fees due to cancellation by the applicant won’t be returned. All application materials must be submitted by September 15, 2023. If you are planning to submit your application for the online round, you must complete the submission by September 15, 2023, but you’ll have 30 days after the deadline to upload your audition (试唱) videos. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.
Where to Audition
The preliminary (预选的) round
Live auditions: November 1 to 10, 2023 in New York City.
Online auditions: Video submission deadline is October 15, 2023.
Semifinal and final rounds
Live auditions: The semifinal round: January 3 to 9, 2024; the final round: January 15 to 20, 2024.
The semifinal and final rounds will be held in New York City as part of the 2024 NATS Winter Workshop.
1. Why was the National Music Theater Competition launched?| A．To make people like music. |
| B．To promote the leisure industry. |
| C．To popularize Broadway musicals. |
| D．To seek promising talents. |
| A．A $500 Gift Certificate and Louise Lerch Prize. |
| B．$2,500 in prize money and a Gift Certificate. |
| C．A Career Management Services package. |
| D．A chance to perform at a concert. |
| A．Being at least 28 years old. |
| B．Applying for membership of NATS. |
| C．Submitting application materials on time. |
| D．Uploading audition videos by September 15. |
| A．Competitors can enter the semifinal round on January 18, 2024. |
| B．Both online and live auditions are available in any round. |
| C．There are three rounds in the competition in total. |
| D．Application submission deadline is October 15, 2023. |
| A．To call on people to explore their potential in music. |
| B．To attract young singers to apply for the competition. |
| C．To appeal to young singers to become NATS members. |
| D．To encourage people to enter the musical industry. |
3 . Welcome to Olympic National Park!
The park is located in the western state of Washington and it is on the Olympic Peninsula, in the northwest part of the state. It covers more than 400,000 hectares. Each area of the park offers visitors something special. Here are some places to go.
★ Elwha Valley
The Elwha Valley is in the central part of the park. It is the Olympic Peninsula’s largest watershed(分水岭). Long ago, the rivers in this area held the most salmon(鲑鱼) outside of Alaska. In the 1920s, a growing community of settlers built two hydroelectric(水力发电) dams to provide energy for the local economy. The dams created many problems for the river. They decreased the water in the rivers, which caused the fish population in the area to decrease. This affected the other animals that depended on fish for food.
The community later decided to fix these problems. In 1992, Congress passed the Elwha River Ecosystem and Fisheries Restoration Act. Both dams have been removed. Today, the Elwha River is the site of one of the largest ecosystem restoration projects in National Park Service history.
★ Hoh River Valley
The Hoh River is on the west side of the park. The river is formed from melted glacial ice on top of Mount Olympus. The river is 80 kilometers long. It empties into the Pacific Ocean.
The area receives about 400 centimeters of rain each year. Because of the amount of rain, many different types of plants grow in the Hoh rainforest.
The Hoh River Valley is protected from any logging or development.
★ Hurricane Ridge
Hurricane Ridge is a mountain area in the northern part of the park. It is easy to enter, and provides incredible views of the Olympic Mountains.
The ridge has many hiking paths. In winter, people come here to ski. They also come here to take part in other fun winter activities, like sledding and snowboarding.
Hurricane Ridge usually has snow from December through the end of March. Visitors must be prepared for icy roads and severe weather.
1. What’s the purpose of the passage?| A．To attract visitors to the park. |
| B．To tell about the park’s history. |
| C．To show the variety of the park. |
| D．To stress the importance of ecosystem. |
| A．Local settlers had enough energy. |
| B．The Elwha Valley was formed. |
| C．The ecosystem was greatly affected. |
| D．Animals’ living conditions became better. |
| A．Through earthquake. | B．From sea water. |
| C．From rain water. | D．From melted glacial ice. |
| A．You will easily get lost. |
| B．You will have no fun. |
| C．You will slip over on the icy road. |
| D．You will enjoy fine sunshine. |
| A．Elwha Valley | B．Hurricane Ridge |
| C．Hoh River Valley | D．The Hoh rainforest |
At Manhattan’s PS 140 students in Tony Paulino’s middle school Spanish classes are exploring the geography, economics, and culture of South America, all without leaving their classroom.
They’re using the Internet to follow the One Road South team of adventurers on a 14-month bicycle trip around the continent. Through a program called Reach the World kids at 60 of the city’s elementary and middle schools are getting a taste of global citizenship by following the One Road South bikers, a family travelling in Europe, a bike trek (艰苦跋涉) in Africa, and a Harlem teacher working with scientists in Antarctica through online videos, journals, and field notes.
Sometimes, students even get to meet the travelers they are following online. Three of the four One Road South bicyclists recently visited Paulino’s classes to present a slide show about the place they plan to visit.
The students jumped in with questions, asking if the travelers were afraid of wild animals, running out of food or going for 14 months without having a girlfriend.
But Reach the World isn’t just for fun. The program aims to integrate (使融入) technology into the classroom, to bring subjects like science and social studies to life, and to encourage students to think of themselves as global citizens, according to administrators.
Their teacher, Tony Paulino, said his students are beside themselves with excitement about following the One Road South bikers. “I believe it speaks to the core desire we all share, to dream, to travel and to explore,” he said.
1. What is the best title for this passage? (no more than 7 words)2. How are the students in Tony Paulino’s class exploring the South America? (no more than 4 words)
3. What can students do through Reach the World program? (no more than 20 words)
4. Please explain the underlined words “beside themselves with excitement” in English. (no more than 2 words)
5. What do you think of Reach the World program? Please give your reasons. (no more than 20 words)
John and Bobby joined a wholesale company together just after graduation from college the same year. Both worked very hard. After several years, however, the boss promoted Bobby to the position of manager but John remained an ordinary employee. John could not take it anymore. So without hesitation, he presented a tender resignation to the boss quickly, complaining the boss did not know how to identify a good clerk and did not value hard-working staff, but only promoted those who flattered (讨好) him.
The boss knew that John worked very hard for the years. He thought a moment and said, “Thank you for your criticism, but I have a request. I hope you will do one more thing for our company before you leave. Perhaps in time you will change your decision and take back your resignation.” John agreed.
The boss asked him to go and find out anyone selling watermelon in the market. John went and returned soon. He said he had found out a man selling watermelon. The boss asked how much per kg? John shook his head and went back to the market to ask and returned to inform the boss $1.2 per kg.
The boss told John to wait a second, and he called Bobby to come to his office. He asked Bobby to go and find anyone selling watermelon in the market. Bobby went, returned and said, “Boss, only one person selling watermelon. $1.2 per kg, $10 for 10 kg, and he has inventory of 340 melons. On the table 58 melons, every melon weighs about 2 kg, bought from the South two days ago. They are fresh and red, of good quality.”
John was very impressed and realized the difference between himself and Bobby. He decided not to resign but to learn from Bobby.
My dear friends, a more successful person is more observant, thinks more and explores in depth. Chances exist in the daily details. For the same matter, a more successful person sees more and farther so that he can find out an opportunity and catch it to realize his aim. If a person sees one year ahead, while another sees only tomorrow, the difference between a year and a day is 365 times. How could you win?
1. After Bobby’s promotion, what did John do? (no more than 12 words)2. What’s the meaning of the underlined word “take” in Paragraph 1? (no more than 3 words)
3. What was “one more thing” the boss asked John to do before he left the company? (no more than 15 words)
4. What kind of person is Bobby? (no more than 12 words)
5. To be a more successful person, what would you like to do? Please tell your reason(s). (no more than 25 words)
6 . “I am truly frustrated by the way my teenage children behave with me. It is a roller coaster ride each day coping with their moodiness and argumentative nature. But I do appreciate the courage they project at times and the goals they undertake that make me feel that they really aim high in life.” This could be the feeling of most parents with teenage children.
I can understand and empathize with these parents, but they are not alone. Children start their journey into the broad world and are greatly influenced by what others have to say especially their peers that they consider more close than even their parents and family at times.
The brains teenagers or children in the ages of 13 to 19 undergo a lot of changes that bring about these effects that most parents like us fail to understand. One of the prominent changes is what takes place due to the beneficial pruning that takes place in the neutral branches of the prefrontal cortex. All these changes ultimately help build clear judgment, plan and control impulses skills.
It is best that we just recollect how we behaved as a teenager and you would definitely come across some of our mums that support their teenage grandchildren and say we were much worse. I can empathize with such parents as probably our parents are getting a chance to air out their feelings that they could probably never do when we were teenagers. (Taking a positive look by realizing that it is a part of the growing process would help.)
We may tell our teenage children to have confidence in their abilities and not be influenced by what others say of them, but this anxiety of what society says of them can be overwhelming. It could be real enormous pressure that teens can never come about telling parents, but it would pay to build up trustworthy relationships with them. This would help keep a watch and monitor some of their inappropriate activities and avoid their getting into trouble due to peer pressure and emotional vulnerability.
1. What is the best attitude for parents to treat children’s changes?| A．Leaving them alone. | B．Thinking them crazy. |
| C．Understanding them fully. | D．Separating them emotionally. |
| A．physical reasons | B．spiritual reasons |
| C．emotional reasons | D．courageous reasons |
| A．parents | B．teachers | C．friends | D．peers |
| A．Taking a positive view. | B．Establishing their identity. |
| C．Monitoring their teenagers. | D．Recalling their youth. |
| A．Understand Your Teenagers | B．Why do Teenagers Change? |
| C．Give Confidence to Teenagers | D．Learn to Love Your Teenagers |
7 . Fire ants are famous for their construction projects (as well as their burning bites). When they need to, colonies of these insects turn themselves into ladders, chains and walls. And when flood water rises, a colony can float to safety by making an unusual boat. The ants hold tightly to each other, forming a floating disk atop the water. The antraft may float for months seeking safe harbor. The ants on the bottom don’t drown, and the ants on the top stay dry. Working together, the ants float to safety — even though a single ant alone in the water will struggle to survive.
“They have to stay together as a colony to survive.” Nathan Mlot said.
Fire ants and water don’t mix. The ant’s hard outer shell, naturally repels water. A drop of water can sit on top of the ant like a backpack. When an ant does end up underwater, tiny hairs on its body can trap bubbles of air that give the bug a boost up.
To investigate the science behind the antraft, the scientists placed hundreds or thousands of ants at a time in the water. A group of ants took about 100 seconds, on average, to build a raft. The researchers repeated the experiment multiple times. Each time, the ants organized themselves the same way, creating a raft about the size and the thickness of a thin pancake. The rafts were flexible and strong, staying together even when the researchers pushed the rafts underwater.
The scientists then froze the rafts in liquid nitrogen and studied them under powerful microscopes to figure out how the ants kept everyone safe and the water out.
The team found that some ants used their jaws to bite other ants’ legs. Other ants joined their legs together. Thanks to these tight bonds, say the scientists, the ants did a better job at keeping the water away than any one ant could do on its own. By working together, thousands of ants can stay alive in the face of a crisis like a flood by using their own bodies to build a boat.
1. When flood comes, fire ants ________.| A．will run away separately | B．find a hole to hide themselves |
| C．combine themselves into a raft | D．climb onto boats on the water |
| A．Tiny hairs on their body. | B．Their hard outer shell. |
| C．Their slippery skin. | D．Their backpack on its body top. |
| A．built a raft in 100 minutes | B．organized themselves into a flexible raft |
| C．organized themselves in different ways | D．liked to look for the food of pancakes |
| A．practice | B．calmness | C．cooperation | D．speed |
| A．how fire ants react in face of danger | B．fire ants’ differences from common ants |
| C．fire ants’ ability to live underwater | D．the building ability of fire ants |
8 . One day, Jack threw some papers on my desk. “What’s wrong?” I asked. “Next time you want to change anything, ask me first.” he said, and left. I had made just one small change. But it was not that I hadn’t been warned. My colleagues had said he was responsible for the resignations (辞职) of the two previous secretaries. As the weeks went by, I came to look down on Jack.
After that another of his episodes (片段) had left me in tears. I stormed into his office. “What?” he said suddenly. “Jack, the way you’ve been treating me is wrong. I’ve never had anyone speak to me that way. As a professional, it’s wrong for me to allow it to continue,” I said. Jack smiled nervously, “Susan, I make you a promise that I will be a friend. I will treat you as you deserve to be treated, with respect and kindness.”
Jack avoided me the rest of the week, and never questioned my work again. I brought cookies to the office one day and left some on his desk. Another day I left a note, “Hope your day is going great.” Over the next few weeks, there were no more Jack episodes. One year later, I discovered I had breast cancer, and was scared. The statistics were not great for my long-term survival.
One day, however, Jack visited me in the hospital and silently handed me a bundle with several bulbs inside. “Tulips (郁金香),” he said. I smiled, not understanding. “If you plant them when you get home, they’ll come up next spring. I think you will be there to see them when they come up. Next spring you will see the colours I picked out for you.” Tears clouded my eyes and he left. I have seen those red and white striped (有条纹的) tulips push through the soil every spring for over ten years now. This past September the doctor declared me cured. At a moment when I was praying for just the right words, a man with very few words said all the right things. After all, that’s what friends do.
1. Jack became angry that day because ________.| A．he was feeling unwell |
| B．Susan had failed to keep his office clean |
| C．he felt Susan changed too much about the papers |
| D．Susan had changed something without his permission |
| A．he wasn’t worthy of respect |
| B．he should apologize to her right away |
| C．she would treat him the way he treated her |
| D．one should show others respect and kindness |
| A．Moody but friendly. | B．Shy and demanding. |
| C．Confident and friendly. | D．Tough and troublesome. |
| A．Jack cares about his employees |
| B．Jack gets along well with his employees |
| C．Jack is always particular about his work |
| D．Jack doesn’t care about the feelings of others |
| A．a friend in need is a friend indeed |
| B．a few words can be as meaningful as many |
| C．a friend who says little must be a good friend |
| D．we must treat disrespectful people with disrespect |
9 . Biking is an amazing family activity, but finding a route that can accommodate a wide-range of ages can be a challenge.
Lee McNeil and his family are crazy about biking. They have seven children, from 4 to 24 years old. When looking for a route, they look for enough protection from traffic, good surface condition, easy access and interesting views.
With that in mind, here are some great routes for biking with your whole family, as are suggested by McNeil.
Iron Horse Trail
This is the McNeil family’s favourite ride. The route is 26 miles and goes through the 2.1mile Snoqualmie Tunnel.
“Beautiful views, the thrill the tunnel, and places to stop and watch the rock climbers make it special,” McNeil said. “All our kids have taken their turn at braving the black tunnel bravely for the first time, which we celebrate it at the end of the ride.”
How to get there: If you prefer, check http://bit.ly/Mlt9y4 for more information.
Centennial Trail
The Centennial Trail runs for 23 miles from Snohomish to Bryant. The trail is wide and smooth, and is safe for kids as it is off the roads. A nice stop is Lake Cassidy east of Marysville. A dock on the lake is fun to explore. It also has picnic tables and washrooms for a convenient lunch time stop.
How to get there: The trail can be accessed from a number of trailheads. For a map, go to http://bit.ly/L5qCeY.
Cascade Trail
The Cascade Trail follows an abandoned Burlington Northern railroad grade for 23 miles between Sedro-Woolley and Concrete. Because it’s on a railroad grade, the slope is gentle and it makes for an easy family ride.
McNeil said it is a “beautiful ride up the Skagit Valley, with lots of places to watch wildlife along the river.”
How to get there: Go to http://bit.ly/PR4wOW to see a map showing the trail, parking areas and bus stops .
Other good choices
Snoqualmie Valley Trail: http://l.usa.gov/nWGWO
Guemes Island: http://bit.ly/LJ3RxL
Burke-Gilman Trail: http://l.usa.gov/s33li
1. We can learn from the passage that Lee McNeil ________.| A．has a large family |
| B．often travels with his family |
| C．teaches his children how to bike |
| D．spends lots of money on bike rides |
| A．Cascade Trail | B．Iron Horse Trail |
| C．Centennial Trail | D．Burke-Gilman Trail |
| A．see a small valley | B．go through a tunnel |
| C．have a picnic for lunch | D．watch the rock climbers |
| A．http://bit.ly/Mlt9y4 | B．http://bit.ly/LJ3RxL |
| C．http://bit.ly/L5qCeY | D．http://bit.ly/PR4wOW |
| A．ask people to learn from Lee McNeil |
| B．tell people how to make a family ride |
| C．introduce some routes for family rides |
| D．encourage more people to ride bikes |
One day I decided to plant a garden in our backyard, and my husband began to paint our fence. We’re renters, not owners, and were growing tired of waiting for the day when we would be able to buy something, so we began turning our house into a place we could call home.
We’ve also taken on new responsibilities: I started volunteering at the city’s animal shelter, and my husband has been volunteering for a nonprofit art gallery. Being involved in this way has given each of us an increased sense of purpose and strengthened our ties to the place we live in.
But it’s not just the things that you can add to your restart that matter. I’m happy to be able to help out an elderly woman I see struggling with her bag. I know I’ve done something good when I knock on a neighbor’s door and let her know her car lights are still on. I feel I’ve done my part when I find a lost dog wandering in the neighborhood and return him to his relieved owner.
No doubt it works the other way, too. As we come to care about the place we live in, the people here grow to know and care about us. It feels good to know that when we’re out of town, our neighbors are picking up our mail and keeping an eye on our house for us. We’re delighted when a neighbor congratulates us on my pregnancy.
This symbiotic (共生的) relationship we’re building with our community is exciting and inspiring. As I watch new life sprouting up in my garden, I think about all the possibilities for laying down more roots to this place and growing along with it. And as I think about the baby growing, I am knowing we will be bringing a new person --- a new participant --- into this community, a community he’ll call his hometown.
1. What new responsibility has the author’s husband been taking on? (No more than 10 words)2. Why are the writer and her husband rewarded in return? (No more than 10 words)
3. What does the underlined phrase “sprouting up” most probably mean? (No more than 3 words)
4. What is the best title of the text? (No more than 8 words)
5. After reading the text, if you want to have a life with your neighbors, what should you do? (No more than 20 words)
