2 . On a tram smoothly pulling into the heart of Luxembourg City, Marck gives a smile and takes a look at the fabric of the seat next to him. For him, the city’s trams are more than just transport. More even than the focus of his job. They are about transforming his country and, perhaps, changing the world.

Marck is the director general of Luxtram, Luxembourg’s modern trams. It first started running services two years ago. Next year, Luxembourg will become the world’s only country to get rid of fares on all its forms of public transport. Luxembourg’s traffic problems come from its army of workers. The population of the capital city almost doubles during the working day, when more than 110,000 people travel in and out.

After three decades when its roads have become so crowded, Luxembourg is going to do something remarkable. Free fares, and a plan to persuade people to switch from cars to trams or trains. Marck, along with many others, is excited to see what happens next. “The fact that this is free means that everyone can use it — young or old, rich or poor,” he said. “Everyone can say to themselves it’s better to leave the car at home. We must continue to improve and extend the network. It must always be comfortable, well-connected, efficient.”

Lydie Polfer, the city’s mayor, says she hopes to reach the point where more than a third of people come into the city using public transport — at the moment, it’s less than one in five. She said, “It’s not practical to ban cars because some people, like the elderly, need them. But everyone has to be aware that he or she can do something to improve the situation. There is an expression in German — you are not in the traffic jam — you are the traffic jam, and that is true. I think that making it free will be the biggest arguments for people to use public transport. ”

1. Why does Marck think the city’s trams are more than just transport?

A．The trams are his goal that he strives for.

B．There are more means of transportation than trams.

C．City’s trams bring more changes beyond transport.

D．The trams are the heart of Luxembourg City transport system.

2. What does paragraph 2 mainly talk about?

A．The cause of the traffic problems.	B．The means of public transport.
C．The development of running services.	D．The increase of working population.

3. What concerns people most when using the public transport?

A．The convenience.

B．The fare.

C．The comfort.

D．The efficiency.

4. What can be inferred from what Lydie Polfer said?

A．The elderly needn’t use public transport.

B．It’s possible to persuade most people to use the trams.

C．Everyone can do his part to improve transport situation.

D．Those who don’t take public transport cause traffic jams.

3 . Taylor Swift, US singer-songwriter known for hits such as Shake It Off and You Belong With Me, has earned a new praise-she now has a new species of millipede (千足虫) named in her honor.

The millipede Nannaria swiftae joins 16 other new species described from the Appalachian Mountains of the United States. They have a valuable role, for they break down leaf litter and release their nutrients into the ecosystem. They live on the forest floor, where they feed on rotten leaves and other plant matter, and in fact, they are somewhat tricky to catch, because they tend to remain buried in the soil, sometimes staying completely beneath the surface.

Because of their presence in museum collections, scientists long suspected that the millipedes included many new species, but these specimens (标本) went undescribed for decades. To fix this, the researchers began a multi-year project to collect new specimens throughout the eastern US. They traveled to 17 US states, checking under leaf litter, rocks, and logs to find species so that they could sequence (测定序列) their DNA and scientifically describe them.

Looking at over 1, 800 specimens collected on their field study or taken from university and museum collections, the authors described 17 new species, including Nannaria marianae, which was named after Hennen’s wife. They discovered that the millipedes prefer to live in forested habitats near streams and are often found buried under the soil, exhibiting more mysterious behaviors than their relatives.

The lead author of the study, Derek Hennen, a fan of Taylor Swift says, “Her music helped me get through the highs and lows of graduate school, so naming a new millipede species after her is my way of saying thanks.”

1. Why is it tough to seize the millipede?

A．It’s flexible.

B．It hides well.

C．It feeds on leaves.

D．It looks like litter.

2. What is the author’s purpose in writing the third paragraph?

A．To show scientists’ tough work.	B．To blame researchers’ carelessness.
C．To illustrate millipedes’ importance.	D．To emphasize invention in scientific studies.

3. In which aspect does the millipede differ from its relatives?

A．Habitat.

B．Diet.

C．Nutrition.

D．Mystery.

4. Which can be the best title for the text?

A．Taylor Swift Is a Famous Singer-Songwriter.	B．Scientists Conduct Research on the Millipede.
C．Research on the Millipede Amazed Scientists.	D．Millipede Species Named after Taylor Swift.

4 . 读后续写

In a coastal village named Seaford, lived a courageous young woman named Amelia. Amelia was known throughout Seaford for her adventurous nature. From the moment she could walk, she would eagerly run towards the crashing waves, feeling the sand between her toes and the cool spray of the ocean mist on her face. She was a woman with a strong will and possessed a heart full of kindness. Amelia’s love for the ocean was intense, and she spent most of her days exploring the beautiful beaches and sparkling waters that surrounded her house.

One sunny morning, while Amelia was walking along the shore, she noticed a group of restless seagulls abnormally circling above the crashing waves. Their unusual calls echoed (回) through the air. Concerned for their well-being, she followed their flight pattern, her instincts guiding her toward danger.

As she approached a towering cliff, Amelia gasped in horror. On a narrow ledge (岩架), high above the violent waves, was a young dolphin trapped in a thick fishing net. Its shiny body shone under the golden rays of the sun, but its freedom was cruelly limited by the trap. With each struggle, the net tightened around its delicate body, leaving painful marks on its skin. Its tail flapped helplessly, each movement a request for help, while its desperate cries for assistance echoed through the air.

A sense of urgency filled her, pushing her forward with determination and resolve. Realizing that time was tight, Amelia knew she had to act instantly to free this innocent creature from its difficult position before it submitted to exhaustion or the force of the tides.

注意:
1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1: Without hesitation, Amelia rushed back to the village.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2: As the dolphin was released into the waters, it hesitated for a moment.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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。

Hangzhou is recognized as the “City of Well-Being” in China. Hangzhou made its name     1    (know) to the world in 2016 by hosting the G20 Summit. Blessed with pleasant cli- mate and few wars, Hangzhou has gradually formed     2    (it) own urban character.     3    busy Shanghai, you will slow down and relax once you are here. It seems that Hangzhou people don’t have many things to rush to in their     4    (day) life. No wonder Hangzhou is expanding    5    (annual) by 500, 000 to 600, 000 people.

The lifestyle, however, was laid down by two historical men of letters. One was Bai Juyi,     6     rebuilt the West Lake and made a new bank    7    (benefit) the locals. People love him. When it comes to him, it doesn’t sound like one is talking about a person who     8    (live) a thousand years ago. The other was Su Shi. His open-minded personality     9     diligence for his people left many much-told tales. Seemingly,     10    (mention) his name gives people joy even after a thousand years.

Surely, it will be even more brilliant in 2023 when it hosts the 19th Asian Games. Let’s look forward to it.

6 . The best literary festivals 2023 across the UK to book now

Kite Festival

9-11 June

New last year, this literary festival held in the grounds of spectacular stately home Kirtlington Park in Oxfordshire is the first of its kind, combining music and breakthrough ideas to create a unique programme featuring live performances and interactive discussions. Over the Kite Festival weekend, you’ll find award-winning authors sharing their insights on crafting stories and electronic pop legends headlining on the Saturday night.

Primadonna

28-30 July

Held at the Museum of East Anglian Life in Suffolk, Primadonna prides itself on creating a space for works by women and those whose voices might not otherwise be heard. There are insightful workshops covering everything, including sessions on how to get your foot in the door of the publishing world. The family-friendly event also has plenty to keep kids occupied, from craft activities to entertaining talks from big-name writers.

Queen’s Park Book Festival

2-3 September

Queen’s Park Book Festival is the only one in the capital to be held in a public park, making it a low-key affair that feels more like a garden party than a full-blown festival. Alongside writers’ discussions on their latest works, you’ll find performance poetry events hosted by hip-hop verse maestro Poetcurious and nightly parties once the sun sets.

Henley Literary Festival

30 September-8 October

Henley is home to an impressive literary festival, which takes places over a week in October at various venues throughout the town, including the grand riverside private members’ club Phyllis Court and the historic town hall. Alongside main events featuring famous writers, there’s also a hugely popular children’s festival, where little bookworms get the chance to come face-to-face with their favourite authors.

1. Which festival promotes less-read writers?

A．Kite Festival.	B．Primadonna.
C．Queen’s Park Book Festival.	D．Henley Literary Festival.

2. Where can visitors enjoy performances?

A．Kite Festival & Primadonna.

B．Primadonna & Henley Literary Festival.

C．Kite Festival & Queen’s Park Book Festival.

D．Queen’s Park Book Festival & Henley Literary Festival.

3. What is the main purpose of the passage?

A．To introduce a special book festival.

B．To promote local activities for families.

C．To inform readers of some literary events.

D．To provide introductions about famous authors.

7 . Some experts have been concerned lately about robots leaving humans behind, taking our jobs and possibly a lot more, as in sci-fi films. Christ of Koch, a famous neuroscientist (神经学家), has suggested a novel method. To keep up with the machines, we should increase our brainpower with brain implants (植入物).

Koch notes that brain implants are already helping the paralyzed or people unable to move control computers and robots, and they are being explored for the treatment of mental disorders. Future implants could help us download huge amounts of information instantly, he says, so we can learn “novel skills and facts without even trying”. “Another exciting aspect,” Koch says, “is combining two or more brains into a single conscious mind by direct neuron-to-neuron links.” Koch calls for a “crash program” in brain technologies to make us smarter.

But Koch ignores the obvious facts that bad persons can hack (侵入) into our smartphones and laptops. What if hackers could attack our brains? They may be able to spy on, change or control the memories of people implanted with brain devices. What’s more, we are nowhere close to being able to strengthen the brain in the manner that Koch imagines. Scientists have been experimenting with neuro-technologies for mental illness for more than half a century, and they have little to show for it.

Koch genuinely feared that science, far from addressing our problems, might exacerbate them. The use of robots in the workshop, for example, could cause mass unemployment. Do we just count the immediate job losses—without measuring any other potential positive effect on the economy? Despite losing some jobs to robots in the short term, the increase in productivity will help our overall economy grow faster, which, in turn, will create more, higher quality jobs than we had before.

The future is not as scary as we think. Perhaps we’ve got serious problems on our hands, and we have a lot of work to do to settle them. Brain implants are not the answer.

1. What leads to Koch’s optimism about future brain implants?

A．The great advance in AI research.

B．Their application in medical fields.

C．The breakthrough in surgical techniques.

D．Their easy adaptation to the human body.

2. How does the author feel about Koch’s “crash program” in brain technologies?

A．Disapproving.

B．Unconcerned.

C．Favorable.

D．Excited.

3. What does the underlined word “exacerbate” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Avoid.

B．Worsen.

C．Reduce.

D．Answer.

4. What’s the best title for the text?

A．Are Brain Implants at Risk of Hacker Attack?

B．Will Robots Take the Place of Humans in Future?

C．Will Brain Implants Let the Disabled Live Normally?

D．Do We Need Brain Implants to Keep Up with Robots?

9 . Chinese speakers have got a new thing to be proud of. The language they are speaking is more difficult than English.

Understanding Chinese requires both sides of the brain, but English speakers listen with only half their minds on the job, UK scientists say.

UK psychologist Sophie Scott and researchers from hospitals in Oxford and London performed brain scans on volunteers as they listened to their native languages. When English speakers heard the sound of their language, the left parts of their brains lit up on screen. When Chinese speakers heard their native tongue, there was an action in both the right and left sides.

“We were very surprised to discover that people who speak different sorts of languages use their brains to decode speech in different ways.” said Scott.

The left side is normally connected with putting sounds together into words; the right with processing melody (音调) in music and speech, so this part “lights up” when English speakers hear music. The researchers do not yet know whether the right side is active in English speakers when they hear Chinese.

In Chinese, a different intonation (语调) delivers a different meaning, the syllable (音节) “ma”, for instance, can mean mother, hemp (麻), horse or scold according to its musical sound.

“Speech really is a complex sound,” said Scott. “As well as understanding words, the brain uses the way in which words are spoken, such as intonation and melody, to turn spoken language into meaning.”

“We think Chinese speakers interpret intonation and melody in the right sides of their brains to give correct meaning to the spoken words.”

The study suggests that language itself might affect the way the brain develops in a young child. It could explain why native speakers of English find it so extraordinary hard to learn Chinese.

1. What does the underlined “volunteers” in paragraph 3 refer to?

A．Chinese speakers.	B．English speakers.
C．People who speak different languages.	D．Researchers and Chinese and English speakers.

2. Which can best explain why understanding Chinese requires both sides of the brain?

A．Music.	B．Meanings.
C．Intonation and melody.	D．The way the brain develops.

3. Why do native English speakers find it hard to learn Chinese?

A．The left sides of their brains are not used for language.

B．They can hardly understand words when there is music.

C．The right sides of their brains are never used in childhood.

D．They can hardly understand words in the right side of the brain.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．How the Brain Responds to Music

B．How the Brain Responds to Chinese

C．The Brain Responds to Languages Differently

D．The Two Sides of the Brain Work Differently