1 . Limiting kids’ recreational (消遣的) screen time to less than two hours a day, along with enough sleep and physical activity, is associated with improved cognition (认知) , according to a study published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.

The study included about 4 ,500 US children aged 8 to11 and measured their habits against the Canadian 24 – Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth. It found that 51% of the children got the recommended (建议的) 9 to 11 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night; 37% met the recreational screen time limit of two hours or less per day, while 18% met the physical activity recommendation of at least 60 minutes of accumulated physical activity a day. Only 5% of the children in the study met all three recommendations; 30% met none at all.

The researchers found that as each recommendation was met by a participant, there was a positive association with global cognition, which includes memory, attention, processing speed and language. Those who met all three had the most “superior” global cognition, followed by those meeting the sleep and screen time recommendation and finally the screen time recommendation alone, according to the study.

Other organizations, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics – have guidelines in place to help with the management of children’s screen time. The organization suggests putting realistic rules or limits in place for how long your children are on their screens, knowing who they are talking to and what they are doing. The amount recommended screen time depends on the age of the child. Besides, parents should also make sure to encourage physical activity and have bedroom rules such as creating “ tech-free zones”.

Who are the target readers of this passage?

A．Researchers.

B．Teachers.

C．Parents.

D．Children.

2 . Humans have long gained pleasure from the smells of the natural world. For the most part, though, human beings are not their target market. For plants, fragrances are a way to interact with insects and other animals. Their attraction for people happens simply by chance.

In chemical terms, most natural fragrances are made up of volatiles — so called because of their tendency to change states suddenly. Volatiles evaporate easily, drifting into noses. In plants’ reproductive processes, smelly volatiles attract pollinators (授粉昆虫). But their natural applications are much more varied. If an insect chews through the leaves of some Bursera plants, out shoots a sticky, smelly liquid to trap it. Coyote tobacco plants are even more crafty: upon sensing the smell of hungry caterpillars, they produce volatiles that attract predators to kill the pests.

What is truly amazing is just how wily plants can be in using their scents for reproduction. White flowers often emit their scent at night to attract nocturnal pollinators such as moths. They produce a dilute nectar (稀释的花蜜) that encourages moths to keep moving, rather than linger at a single bloom—all the better to increase pollination. Other flowers change their fragrance after being successfully pollinated, as a signal for insects to go elsewhere.

But though “Scent” is a story of plants’ cleverness, it is also a tale of the human kind. People have long used fragrances for their own purposes, particularly for use in religious ceremonies: perfume recipes on the walls of an Egyptian temple in Edfu demonstrate just how long ingredients have been mixed in pursuit of the best blend. So highly prized were some scents that, to scare off competitors, Arab traders spread a legend about giant eagles that guarded cinnamon.

Eventually scientists no longer needed natural sources for fragrances. In 1866 a fragrance molecule was produced for the first time. Sixteen years later, Houbigant Parfum released Fougère Royale, the first “modern fantasy perfume” that creates an imaginary scent rather than copying a natural one. Nowadays fragrance–making is dominated by man–made compounds, which can be reliably and affordably produced in large quantities.

That has led to the mass production of smelly products, from toilet paper to toothpaste. Scent is accordingly big business. It is said that a world–famous fragrance and flavour manufacturer that claims people interact with its products up to 30 times a day, had sales of €3.8bn last year.

According to Paragraph 1 and 2, which would the author agree with?

A．Some plants might kill the pests with their smells.

B．Fragrance is a tool for plants to protect themselves.

C．People interact with nature easily through fragrance.

D．Fragrances are less important to humans than to animals and insects.

3 . Limiting kids’ recreational (消遣的) screen time to less than two hours a day, along with enough sleep and physical activity, is associated with improved cognition (认知) , according to a study published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.

The study included about 4 ,500 US children aged 8 to11 and measured their habits against the Canadian 24 – Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth. It found that 51% of the children got the recommended (建议的) 9 to 11 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night; 37% met the recreational screen time limit of two hours or less per day, while 18% met the physical activity recommendation of at least 60 minutes of accumulated physical activity a day. Only 5% of the children in the study met all three recommendations; 30% met none at all.

The researchers found that as each recommendation was met by a participant, there was a positive association with global cognition, which includes memory, attention, processing speed and language. Those who met all three had the most “superior” global cognition, followed by those meeting the sleep and screen time recommendation and finally the screen time recommendation alone, according to the study.

Other organizations, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics – have guidelines in place to help with the management of children’s screen time. The organization suggests putting realistic rules or limits in place for how long your children are on their screens, knowing who they are talking to and what they are doing. The amount recommended screen time depends on the age of the child. Besides, parents should also make sure to encourage physical activity and have bedroom rules such as creating “ tech-free zones”.

Why does the American organization suggest creating" tech-free zones "?

A．To make sure children have enough physical playtime.

B．To make sure children have enough sleep time.

C．To make sure children have recreational time.

D．To protect children against radiation.

4 . Humans have long gained pleasure from the smells of the natural world. For the most part, though, human beings are not their target market. For plants, fragrances are a way to interact with insects and other animals. Their attraction for people happens simply by chance.

In chemical terms, most natural fragrances are made up of volatiles — so called because of their tendency to change states suddenly. Volatiles evaporate easily, drifting into noses. In plants’ reproductive processes, smelly volatiles attract pollinators (授粉昆虫). But their natural applications are much more varied. If an insect chews through the leaves of some Bursera plants, out shoots a sticky, smelly liquid to trap it. Coyote tobacco plants are even more crafty: upon sensing the smell of hungry caterpillars, they produce volatiles that attract predators to kill the pests.

What is truly amazing is just how wily plants can be in using their scents for reproduction. White flowers often emit their scent at night to attract nocturnal pollinators such as moths. They produce a dilute nectar (稀释的花蜜) that encourages moths to keep moving, rather than linger at a single bloom—all the better to increase pollination. Other flowers change their fragrance after being successfully pollinated, as a signal for insects to go elsewhere.

But though “Scent” is a story of plants’ cleverness, it is also a tale of the human kind. People have long used fragrances for their own purposes, particularly for use in religious ceremonies: perfume recipes on the walls of an Egyptian temple in Edfu demonstrate just how long ingredients have been mixed in pursuit of the best blend. So highly prized were some scents that, to scare off competitors, Arab traders spread a legend about giant eagles that guarded cinnamon.

Eventually scientists no longer needed natural sources for fragrances. In 1866 a fragrance molecule was produced for the first time. Sixteen years later, Houbigant Parfum released Fougère Royale, the first “modern fantasy perfume” that creates an imaginary scent rather than copying a natural one. Nowadays fragrance–making is dominated by man–made compounds, which can be reliably and affordably produced in large quantities.

That has led to the mass production of smelly products, from toilet paper to toothpaste. Scent is accordingly big business. It is said that a world–famous fragrance and flavour manufacturer that claims people interact with its products up to 30 times a day, had sales of €3.8bn last year.

What can we learn from the passage?

A．Humans do not use fragrances as purposefully as plants do.

B．Natural sources for fragrances will be out of date in the future.

C．Plants use fragrances to both attract and send away pollinators.

D．Man–made fragrances have to be produced by copying natural ones.

5 . Rebel Talk
Jane Hutcheon

Journalist, author and former foreign correspondent (通讯员) Jane Hutcheon knows a thing or two about conversations, and in Rebel Talk she draws on her rich experience in the art of guided conversations to help us begin and nurture conversations. Rebel Talk looks at ways to: transform poor conversation habits; speak up about problems; generate energy, passion and optimism; stop lecturing and giving uninvited advice; and most importantly, learn by humble listening.

From Earth: Create Your Own Natural Apothecary (药剂师)
Charlotte Rasmussen

The makings for simple skincare and medicinal home treatments can be found in your own garden or kitchen. From Earth's recipes employ pure and natural ingredients such as lily and rose and will inspire you to enlarge your herb knowledge. Beautifully photographed, this step-by-step guide explains how to use carrier oils, butters and dried flowers and is the perfect guide for anyone wanting to find a more comprehensive way of life.

Burning Questions
Margaret Atwood

Fans of Margaret Atwood, the creator of The Handmaid's Tale and more than 50 other works of fiction, poetry and essays, will be interested in her collection of essays and occasional pieces from 2004 -21. Full of wit and wisdom, Atwood focuses on subjects such as the climate crisis, freedom, debt, tech, the rise of Trump and a pandemic. Other topics include: When to offer advice to the young? (only when asked); So what if beauty is only skin deep?

Here Goes Nothing
Steve Toltz

If you like your fiction left-of-centre, then this book's for you. Angus Mooney struggles for most of his life, until he meets his wife, marriage celebrant Gracie (whose wedding ceremonies are anything but traditional). Just when things are starting to work out, an old guy with a terminal illness breaks into their house and asks to stay until he dies. When Angus does some research on their ‘guest’, he wakes up the next day in the ‘afterlife’.

Whose book will a flower lover be interested in?

A．Jane Hutcheon.

B．Charlotte Rasmussen.

C．Margaret Atwood.

D．Steve Toltz.

6 . Cassandra Warren was in a rush and feeling a little overwhelmed with work and planning her wedding. As she was getting invitation for her wedding in the mail one day, she addressed one to her aunt and uncle in Eugene, Oregon, about 20 minutes from where she lived.

A week later, the invitation came back. She had mistakenly written down the wrong address. A handwritten note was written on the return envelope: “I wish I knew you —this is going to be a blast. Congratulations — go and have dinner on me. I’ve been married for 40 years—it gets better with age.” A $20 bill was put inside.

Cassandra was at a bit of a professional crossroads and had been having a tough day. In fact, she’d been complaining to her fiance, Jesse Jone, about her frustrations just as she opened the misdirected envelope. Then she read the note.

“It was kind of prefect timing,” said Cassandra, who worked as a nanny. “I was really grateful for it.”

And the magic envelope wasn’t finished with its surprises. Cassandra looked closer and saw that the person had written “Live long and prosper” on the envelop, a nod to Star Trek (《星际迷航》).

“We’re kind of Star Trek fans,” she said.

Cassandra, 26, and Jesse, 24, had no idea who the mystery note writer was. But they figured the Star Trek reference was because the person noticed the corner of their invitation, which had both a Star War sword and a Harry Potter wand (魔杖).

“She assumed we’d understand her message,” Cassandra said, “Which we did.”

Cassandra, who was a counselor (顾问) for families with autistic children, went out to dinner the following night with a friend who was going overseas with military. They happily put the $20 toward their bill.

Then Cassandra stopped by a store and bought another card — a thank-you card. She wrote her aunt and uncle’s incorrect address on the envelope again -- this time on purpose —and addressed it to “Kind Stranger”.

Inside, she wrote, “Thank you for the note and taking the time to send it. Not many people would have done that. It was a big blessing after the day I was having. I am thankful for people like you still being in the world.” Don’t miss other real-life acts of kindness like this one that will warm your heart.

In writing the first paragraph, the author intends to _______.

A．indicate how occupied Cassandra Warren was

B．suggest Cassandra Warren shouldn’t invite strangers

C．remind people to carefully prepare for weddings

D．tell people how the story happened by accident

7 . Cassandra Warren was in a rush and feeling a little overwhelmed with work and planning her wedding. As she was getting invitation for her wedding in the mail one day, she addressed one to her aunt and uncle in Eugene, Oregon, about 20 minutes from where she lived.

A week later, the invitation came back. She had mistakenly written down the wrong address. A handwritten note was written on the return envelope: “I wish I knew you —this is going to be a blast. Congratulations — go and have dinner on me. I’ve been married for 40 years—it gets better with age.” A $20 bill was put inside.

Cassandra was at a bit of a professional crossroads and had been having a tough day. In fact, she’d been complaining to her fiance, Jesse Jone, about her frustrations just as she opened the misdirected envelope. Then she read the note.

“It was kind of prefect timing,” said Cassandra, who worked as a nanny. “I was really grateful for it.”

And the magic envelope wasn’t finished with its surprises. Cassandra looked closer and saw that the person had written “Live long and prosper” on the envelop, a nod to Star Trek (《星际迷航》).

“We’re kind of Star Trek fans,” she said.

Cassandra, 26, and Jesse, 24, had no idea who the mystery note writer was. But they figured the Star Trek reference was because the person noticed the corner of their invitation, which had both a Star War sword and a Harry Potter wand (魔杖).

“She assumed we’d understand her message,” Cassandra said, “Which we did.”

Cassandra, who was a counselor (顾问) for families with autistic children, went out to dinner the following night with a friend who was going overseas with military. They happily put the $20 toward their bill.

Then Cassandra stopped by a store and bought another card — a thank-you card. She wrote her aunt and uncle’s incorrect address on the envelope again -- this time on purpose —and addressed it to “Kind Stranger”.

Inside, she wrote, “Thank you for the note and taking the time to send it. Not many people would have done that. It was a big blessing after the day I was having. I am thankful for people like you still being in the world.” Don’t miss other real-life acts of kindness like this one that will warm your heart.

1. We may know from the article that _______.

A．Cassandra didn’t quite understand the mystory note

B．Cassandra was greatly touched by the stranger’s reply

C．Cassandra wrote her aunt and uncle a thank-you card

D．Cassandra was once an autistic patient of her fiancé

2. What is the overall tone of the article?

A．Amusing and light-hearted.

B．Emotional and appreciative.

C．Informative and factual.

D．Critical and skeptical.

8 . Fancy spending your summer break improving your skills and preparing for your first job? We have gathered the best summer programs in Singapore in recent years. Now you will be able to narrow down your choices and make a decision.

StandOut Global Summer Program

At StandOut Summer School, one of your missions will be to work as an intern (实习生) with leaders in the business world who have plenty of years of experience in the field. Through this program, you can boost your knowledge by interacting with experts in fields like digital marketing, entrepreneurship (创业), investment, etc. Wherever you come from, the school will welcome you in their all-inclusive program.

NTU Summer School Program

Nanyang Technological University will take you on a unique experience in their summer camp. In NTU`s summer school, you will be able to enjoy your favorite business track out of five different options, Each track will lead you to an internship at. a top-ranked company lasting from 3 weeks to 2 months.

NUS Summer School

The National University of Singapore offers one of the leading summer camps in Singapore. The program is designed for students who are from its partner universities located all around the world. With passion as one of the university’s core values, the NUS Summer School guarantees continuous development for its students.

Singapore Management University Global Summer Program

With its third Global Summer Program starting in July, Singapore Management University offers international students an unforgettable opportunity: 4 weeks of learning in Singapore, with a week spent overseas in another Asian city to merge in an unmatched experience.

Get in touch with us to get all your questions about global summer programs answered!

What do the first two programs have in common?

A．Both help students start their own business.

B．Both invite experts to guide students.

C．Both expand students’ knowledge in business.

D．Both offer students internships at top-ranked companies.

9 . Many parents of both boys and girls have witnessed striking differences in the way their kids use technology, with their sons generally gravitating to videogames and their daughters often spending more of their screen time scrolling through social media. Emerging research indicates that brain differences between males and females help account for the split.

Marc Potenza, a professor at Yale University, teamed up with researchers at universities in China to find out why. Using functional MRIs, which measure brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow, the team studied neural responses in young male and female gamers, particularly in the parts of the brain associated with reward processing and craving --a motivating factor in addiction. When the men and women were shown photos of people playing videogames, those parts of the men’s brains showed higher levels of activation than those parts of the women’s brains.

Brain regions that have been implicated in drug-addiction studies also were shown to be more highly activated in the men after gaming. The researchers said the results suggest men could be more biologically prone (有倾向的) than women to developing internet gaming disorder.

But girls and women aren’t free from problems when it comes to digital media. Data from Pew shows that, in general, women use social platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest far more than men. Many girls and women are drawn to those photo-sharing sites because they like to form bonds and find similarities, says Rosanna

Guadagno, a social psychologist at Stanford University. Some recent studies show that girls feel the ill effects of too much social media use, such as depression and anxiety, more than boys do.

Researchers at the University of Zurich looked at how differences in brain functioning can help explain why women tend to be more prosocial—that is, helpful, generous and cooperative—than men. In the 2017 study, they hypothesized that the areas of women’s brains related to reward processing are more active when they share rewards and that those areas in men are more active when receiving, selfish rewards. Brain scans conducted on men and women, in which they chose between receiving a monetary reward only for themselves or one that involved sharing money with others, supported their theory.

Scientists say understanding those differences is critical to parents’ ability to help kids navigate the fast-changing world of tech.

Which is true about Professor Potenza’s research?

A．The team conducted the research in Yale university.

B．There were no changes in blood flow in female games.

C．Women’s brains showed higher levels of activation than men’s.

D．They focused on the brain’s responses to the part related to addiction.

10 . Cassandra Warren was in a rush and feeling a little overwhelmed with work and planning her wedding. As she was getting invitation for her wedding in the mail one day, she addressed one to her aunt and uncle in Eugene, Oregon, about 20 minutes from where she lived.

A week later, the invitation came back. She had mistakenly written down the wrong address. A handwritten note was written on the return envelope: “I wish I knew you —this is going to be a blast. Congratulations — go and have dinner on me. I’ve been married for 40 years—it gets better with age.” A $20 bill was put inside.

Cassandra was at a bit of a professional crossroads and had been having a tough day. In fact, she’d been complaining to her fiance, Jesse Jone, about her frustrations just as she opened the misdirected envelope. Then she read the note.

“It was kind of prefect timing,” said Cassandra, who worked as a nanny. “I was really grateful for it.”

And the magic envelope wasn’t finished with its surprises. Cassandra looked closer and saw that the person had written “Live long and prosper” on the envelop, a nod to Star Trek (《星际迷航》).

“We’re kind of Star Trek fans,” she said.

Cassandra, 26, and Jesse, 24, had no idea who the mystery note writer was. But they figured the Star Trek reference was because the person noticed the corner of their invitation, which had both a Star War sword and a Harry Potter wand (魔杖).

“She assumed we’d understand her message,” Cassandra said, “Which we did.”

Cassandra, who was a counselor (顾问) for families with autistic children, went out to dinner the following night with a friend who was going overseas with military. They happily put the $20 toward their bill.

Then Cassandra stopped by a store and bought another card — a thank-you card. She wrote her aunt and uncle’s incorrect address on the envelope again -- this time on purpose —and addressed it to “Kind Stranger”.

Inside, she wrote, “Thank you for the note and taking the time to send it. Not many people would have done that. It was a big blessing after the day I was having. I am thankful for people like you still being in the world.” Don’t miss other real-life acts of kindness like this one that will warm your heart.

1. Why did the mystery note writer include the message “Live long and prosper” on the envelope?

A．To show her appreciation for the wedding invitation.

B．To express her best wishes for the couple’s future.

C．To connect with the couple over a shared interest.

D．To give a hint about who she really was.

2. What impact did the unexpected note have on Cassandra?

A．It added to her pleasure.

B．It made her confused.

C．It lifted her spirits.

D．It inspired her to do the same.