1 . Walking in the city is very different from walking in the park. A small psychology study suggests urban(城市的) environments can slow your step and possibly increase your mental load. A walk through nature, on the other hand, appears to ease your mind and quicken your pace. The findings show that natural settings may potentially reduce cognitive (认知的)tiredness and improve reaction times straight away. The study, which includes two experiments with two different approaches, was conducted among 65 university students in the lab.

The first of the two experiments in the new study focused on people’s way of walking and cognitive load. During this trial, participants were fitted with sensors and a dozen motion control cameras were set up to watch them repeatedly walk down a 15-metre room at their natural speed. The wall opposite them showed an image of either a nature scene or a city scene. After each walk, participants were asked to rate their feelings of discomfort in the visual environment. On the whole, when walking in city settings, people reported more discomfort and they walked at a slower pace, indicating a higher cognitive load.

The second experiment dug into some of the higher-level cognitive processes that might be at play. In the trial, participants were asked to distinguish between basic visual shapes on the computer while also in the presence of a natural or urban image(the same ones from the first experiment). Measuring reaction times in both natural and urban settings, the team found results to support their idea. In urban environments, participants were slower in distinguishing between simple shapes. The authors think this is because urban environments are more distracting(令人分心的) for our brains and take longer to process, but more research is needed to prove that idea.

1. How were the experiments conducted mainly?

A．By comparing.	B．By giving data.
C．By giving examples.	D．By explaining facts.

2. What are the advantages of walking in natural environment over in urban environment?

A．It can make us feel relaxed and react quickly.	B．It can activate our thinking and speed up our step.
C．It can make us less tired and improve our memory.	D．It can make us become more focused and creative.

3. Why were participants slower in identifying simple shapes in urban environments according to the authors?

A．They had a lower cognitive load.	B．They had to slow down their pace.
C．They couldn’t concentrate properly.	D．They felt uncomfortable after walking.

4. What can be inferred from the text?

A．Urban environment makes us more concentrated.	B．People’s feelings are decided by their pace of walking.
C．The result of the experiments is widely appreciated.	D．People tend to get tired more easily walking in the city.

3 . What’s the first thing you do in the morning? Brush your teeth, wash your face, or eat your breakfast?     1     When you arrive at the office, do you first check your email or make small talk with your colleagues? After you get home in the evening, do you exercise or make your dinner first?

    2     However, they are not. Most of those actions are the byproduct of your habitual patterns. According to a research published by Duke University, 40% of peoples’ daily activities are born from habits, not decisions made after careful consideration.

Habits play an essential role in our lives. They profoundly impact our health, productivity, financial security, and happiness.     3     Nevertheless, most of us fail to do so and easily stick to our regular patterns. However, once we understand the science behind habit formation, we can break habits into parts and restructure them to develop good ones.

Actually, many people are eager to develop good habits and drop bad ones.     4     The answer is to start with keystone habits. Keystone habits are the most influential habits for transforming lifestyles. Studies show that people who routinely exercise also are more productive at work. Families that habitually eat dinner together are found to raise children with better grades and improved emotional control. These are examples of keystone habits bringing a chain reaction in one’s life.     5    

A．Where should we begin?

B．What should you do next?

C．Which route do you take to work?

D．As a result, we all want to develop good habits or break bad ones.

E．We can redesign many of our habits by changing our keystone habits.

F．You may think that all of these choices are the result of careful thinking.

G．They help create the basis for good practices and greatly improve people’s lives.

4 . Snowboarding genius Su Yiming made a name for himself by winning China’s first Olympic gold in the sport on Tuesday. By cleanly stomping back-to-back 1800 tricks, the teenager landed the biggest prize so far in his young career—gold in the men’s Big Air at the Beijing Winter Olympics. The notable achievement realized a childhood dream to reach the peak of the sport, which he began to learn at the age of 4.

Now with two shinning medals hung around his neck, the 17-year-old described his superb Olympic debut ( 首秀) as an unbelievable experience that has made all his sacrifices worthwhile. “This feels so surreal that I’ve finally accomplished what I’ve dreamed of since I was little,” said an emotional Su.

Over the past four years, Su has combined his talent with hard work to produce one of the swiftest rises to prominence the sport has ever seen. When the Shougang Big Air venue hosted its first international event, Su was an unknown qualifier, who didn’t even make the final runs. Just over two years later, Su is the name on everyone’s lips at the venue’s Olympic debut—drawing the whole nation’s attention to the sport he loves.

“The biggest motivation (动力) for me is my love for snowboarding,” Su said, when asked about the secret to his success. “In snowboarding, I feel like I can show my own style and creativity. Every time I ride my board, it’s always a joyful moment. I hope through my experience, I can inspire more young people to get interested in the sport.”

Su, a former child actor who featured in action movies, said the Olympic gold will encourage him to seek for more breakthroughs—even beyond his athletic career. “I enjoy snowboarding just as much as I enjoy acting,” said Su, who turns 18 on Friday. “I think I still have a lot of possibilities to explore in my future career either in snowboarding or in acting. But now I just want to enjoy the moment and celebrate it as the best possible birthday gift.”

1. What does the underlined word “landed” in Paragraph 1 mean?

A．Arrived.

B．Gained.

C．Created.

D．Dreamed.

2. According to Su himself, what is his secret to his success?

A．His acting experience.	B．His talent and hard work.
C．His being fond of snowboarding.	D．His life dream of achieving success.

3. Which of the following words can best describe Su?

A．Talented and thoughtful.	B．Lovely and famous.
C．Creative and kind-hearted.	D．Hard-working and devoted.

4. What’s Su’s attitude toward his future?

A．Upset.

B．Hopeful.

C．Anxious.

D．Satisfied.

5 . 阅读下面短文, 在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Do you wish you could capture (捕捉) the     1     (excite) of a weekend beach trip? Would you like     2     (share) the view from your morning bike ride? If the answer is yes, consider     3     (buy) an action camera, whose functions will     4     (huge) improve your experience.

An action camera has a wide-angle lens     5     can record all the actions. You can put one on your bike’s handle or just about anywhere. They are small and durable, so they can go wherever you go! Besides, the quality of the photos is more than     6     (accept), making it possible to appreciate them after     7     event.

There are lots of things to pay attention     8     when choosing an action camera. Above all, look for one with high video quality and Wi-Fi connection. This will allow you to quickly view and edit videos on your smartphone. Other possible     9     (character) include time-lapse and slow-motion video modes. You can use these to speed up or slow down time in your videos!

Whichever model you choose, you     10     (enjoy) sharing impressive videos of your adventures. An action camera is also of great use for activities with friends and families.

6 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Chinese paper cutting or jianzhi is the first paper-cutting design,     1     (date) back to the Eastern Han Dynasty. Due to its     2     (grace) art, after hundreds of years’ development, the paper-cuts have become a means of decorations     3     is popular both home and abroad.

    4     (general), the paper-cuts are used to decorate doors and windows, thus sometimes they     5     (refer) to as —chuanghua (Window Flower). They are also used for religious and ceremonial purposes, buried with the dead and burned at funerals. Chinese people believe the red paper-cuts on the door can bring good fortune and happiness     6     the whole family. As a result, paper-cuts are more often seen during traditional Chinese festivals, the Spring Festival in particular.

People find hope and comfort in expressing best     7     (wish) with paper-cuttings. For instance: for a wedding ceremony, red paper-cuttings are a traditional decoration on the tea set, the dressing table glass, and other furniture.     8     big red paper character Xi (happiness) is a traditional must on the newly-wed’s (新婚夫妇) door. With its popularity     9     (increase), we may never fail     10     (feel) the existence of Chinese paper-cutting all over the world.

8 . 请认真阅读以下故事并根据给出的末段首句完成整个段落，注意故事的完整性。

Last Saturday, Jordon was taking a walk in the park near his home when he noticed a woman with a boy of about seven years old. When Jordon passed them, he heard the woman yell, “How stupid you are! You are good at nothing. ”Jordon stopped and looked at the little boy. The boy said nothing. He just stood there, looking upset.

Jordon was reminded of his English teacher Mrs Mary in middle school. He was often told that he was good at nothing. But one day it all changed. One day, in an English writing class, Mrs Mary asked them to read a novel. They were asked to write a new chapter of the novel after they finished reading the book. A few days later, Jordon handed in his story. But the next day to his surprise, the comment (评价) “well done” from Mrs Mary came into view the moment he turned to the page where the story was written. When Jordon read that, he almost burst into tears. That day after he returned home, he wrote a short story and gave it to Mrs Mary the next morning. And again he was praised.

Jordon became very interested in writing. He often wrote short stories and asked Mrs Mary to read them and correct them for him. Mrs Mary always corrected them for him and gave him good advice to improve them. One year later, he was no longer that boy who lacked self-confidence. He gained his confidence and was hopeful about his future. Several years after graduating from college, he had his first book published and became famous as a writer in his country. And he owed his success to Mrs Mary's encouragement. Without her encouragement, his life might be very different now.

注意：
续写词数应为80-100词左右；
续写内容为一段；
请按如下格式在相应位置作答。
Encouraged by his own life story, Jordon decided to do something for that boy.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9 . Yesterday was my birthday, but I didn’t _______ a plan to do anything with anyone. Feeling greatly _______, I decided to go out to buy a cup of coffee for a birthday celebration by myself. By the time I arrived at my favourite coffee shop, I _______ a couple of ladies into the shop and waited to _______. One of the ladies asked me, “Do we get our own table or do the waiters find one for the _______?” I answered, “I think you get your own table and I’m waiting for that small one because I’m here to _______ my birthday alone.” The coffee shop was fairly _______ and they suggested we _______ a table together. I _______ that wonderful idea.

To my ________, when it was my turn to order and pay the bill, I was told it had been ordered and paid for. On sitting at the table, the ladies told me they were glad to give the surprise as a ________ to me on my birthday.

We spent one hour ________ happily together and we shared many topics of common interest. ________, we had to say goodbye and continued on our separate journey. It was more than I could have expected for the day. Thank you, ________ — my lovely angels for the day. They ________ me that sharing is a joy. We should thank those who help and care about us.

1.

A．give away

B．stick to

C．come up with

D．break away from

2.

A．proud

B．excited

C．sad

D．tired

3.

A．helped

B．advised

C．followed

D．drove

4.

A．order

B．fight

C．listen

D．change

5.

A．friends

B．customers

C．bosses

D．workers

6.

A．show

B．celebrate

C．protect

D．attend

7.

A．far

B．clean

C．full

D．empty

8.

A．lay

B．buy

C．move

D．share

9.

A．reported

B．refused

C．accepted

D．recorded

10.

A．fear

B．surprise

C．pity

D．regret

11.

A．cake

B．dish

C．menu

D．gift

12.

A．standing

B．waiting

C．looking

D．talking

13.

A．Finally

B．Slowly

C．Luckily

D．Secretly

14.

A．kids

B．parents

C．ladies

D．gentlemen

15.

A．offered

B．wished

C．asked

D．taught

10 . At the hillside of the Emei Mountain in Sichuan, a homestay (民宿) — My Own little Yard (吾家小院) is attracting travelers from far and wide, especially on weekends. The owners of the homestay are a couple in their late 30s who decided to return to their hometown three years ago. Li Xiumei used to be in charge of a small company in Chengdu, and her husband was a sales director. It was an ordinary situation where Li’s husband was on business trips a lot and Li worked overtime on weekends. City life sometimes is not easy.

In 2020, they quit (辞掉) jobs and went back to their village, where there were plenty of homestays around their old countryside house coming into their sight. Stepping onto every balcony of every homestay, they could see the beautiful scenery of the Emei Mountain. More importantly, the villagers have earned a lot of money without entering cities to be peasant-workers, which impressed the couple most.

The couple began to rebuild their old countryside house, which was updated to have a hall, a tea room, a kitchen, and a dining room. Japanese cherry trees were planted in the east courtyard. A swimming pool was placed in the west courtyard, with a bar located on one side.

Li and her husband love gardening and music, and their new home gives them enough space to continue their interests and relax in the heart of nature. Li wants to share the quiet country life, so she makes her new home a homestay. During the summer holiday in 2023, their My Own little Yard — homestay became an online hit after guests shared their experiences on social media.

1. How did Li feel about city life?

A．Satisfied.

B．Attractive.

C．Noisy.

D．Tired.

2. What impressed the couple most when they went back to their village?

A．Villagers becoming rich.	B．Many many homestays
C．Their old countryside house.	D．Scenery of Mount Emei.

3. What can we infer about the homestay from paragraph 3?

A．It is ancient and broken.	B．It can hold many guests.
C．It has been rebuilt by the couple.	D．It must have been carefully designed.

4. What’s the passage mainly about?

A．Sichuan homestays are very popular.

B．The Emei Mountain attracts many travelers.

C．A couple gives up city life to run a homestay.

D．The villagers have earned lots of money as peasant-workers.