1 . Must-See Destinations in 2024

Are you ready to explore the world in 2024? Whether you dream of sailing down famous European rivers or exploring unique places, our list of must-see destinations is here to inspire your travels.

Spain

Throw yourself into the rich culture and history of Spain. From the sunny beaches of Tenerife to the Moorish architecture (建筑物) of Andalucía, there’s so much to explore in this lively country. Discover the UNESCO World Heritage (遗产) city of La Laguna and become amazed at the beauty of Cordoba, Seville, and La Alhambra, or relax on a beach holiday to Majorca or Tenerife.

Montenegro

Despite its size, Montenegro has beautiful beaches, rich history, and a breathtaking channel. Experience the beauty of the Montenegrin coast — Dalmatia’s jewel (宝石) is the UNESCO World Heritage listed oasis of Dubrovnik, famously praised by Lord Bryon as The Pearl of the Adriatic.

Croatia

Discover the beauty that is Dubrovnik. Explore the 16th-century city’s defensive walls and red-roofed buildings. Sail along Croatia’s Adriatic Coast, where attractive villages and beautiful towns like Pula, Rovinj, and Poreč are just waiting to be explored...

South Africa

Explore the wonders of South Africa, from the Garden Route’s nature reserves to the thrill of a Safari drive in the Kariega Game Reserve. Discover the different plants and animals while searching for the “Big Five” on an unforgettable South Africa holiday.

With over 25 years of experience creating holidays for the curious, Travel Department ensures that your journey is in good hands. Plus as a trusted Reader’s Digest Travel partner, you can get special deals when you travel with them across lots of different 2024 holidays. If you want to know more information, please click here.

1. What do Spain and Montenegro have in common?

A．They are both praised by tourists.

B．They both have world heritage cities.

C．They are known for their architectures.

D．They both own beaches and rich history.

2. Which destination will attract people who are interested in creatures?

A．Spain.	B．South Africa.
C．Montenegro.	D．Croatia.

3. Where is this text most likely from?

A．A website.	B．A guidebook.
C．A novel.	D．A magazine.

2 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

I was eight years old and wasn’t aware of all the arrangements being made for our journey as a family to London in 1950. My mother was in great pain and wished to visit specialists in London. My father reluctantly had to sell our property in Queensland. The day before we boarded the ship, Father unwillingly said goodbye to his five-year-old cattle dog, Spider, who was loved by us all. Father’s friend Sandy was to be his guardian while we were overseas, as he had been getting to know Spider for many weeks.

Six weeks later, an airletter arrived from Sandy, giving my father the news that Spider had run away just two weeks after we had sailed. Sandy had advertised constantly on ABC and other regional newspapers. Despite many “sightings”, the dog was never found. It seems Spider just kept running and searching for us. As he was cattle dog, my father thought he would shoe or dingo-trapped, because of his appearance. But our family thought that Father held a secrets hope that Spider was still alive.

We sailed back to Australia two years later and re-established our home. My father immediately began his own search for Spider. One cold winter’s Saturday morning eight months after our return, my father had a call from an elderly lady living on her own on the outskirts of the town. As she told my father on the telephone, it was “just glimpses of a dingo-type dog in the shadows” of her disused tennis court. That was enough for my father to interrupt my homework.   

We set off in his blue and black Jensen car which he had brought back from England. It was hardly the right vehicle for the rough roads we travelled that day. Five and a half hours later, we found the run-down old property. Sadly, she told my father that the “dingo dog” hadn’t been around for a few days. My father had a strange look in his eye. He put two fingers to his lips and did his special whistle for Spider.

注意：
1. 续写词数应为150个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Suddenly there was a sound in the bush.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Once home we had the task of getting all the prickles (刺) off him.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3 . Nuclear pollution is a serious global   ___________, brought to the forefront by major accidents at Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima. These events have demonstrated the significant health and environmental risks _________by nuclear disasters. Not only have they caused immediate health problems, such as radiation sickness and increased cancer rates, but they have also _________lasting environmental damage and genetic changes in affected communities. As a result, nuclear pollution remains a pressing concern for governments, scholars, and individuals worldwide.

When nuclear accidents occur in coastal areas, the _________environment becomes a critical concern due to the crucial role that oceans play in _________the climate, ensuring food security, and supporting the livelihoods of billions of people globally. In recent years, the increasing threats to marine ecosystems from ocean pollution have _________public awareness of the need to protect the marine environment. Studies have shown that human activities pose a _________threat to marine environments, emphasizing the importance of improving environmental management and taking measures to mitigate environmental risks.

Following the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011, efforts to cool the reactors by pumping in seawater resulted in the _________of a significant amount of nuclear waste in the water storage tank at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. _________attempts to manage this waste, the Japanese government’s decision to release nearly 1.26 million tons of nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean over the next 40 years has faced opposition __________neighboring countries, local ____________, and international environmental organizations.

This __________poses serious risks to marine life, fisheries, and human health. Radioactive isotopes present in the wastewater, such as tritium, carbon-14, cobalt-60, and strontium-90, can accumulate in marine organisms and ultimately affect human populations through the food ____________. Therefore, there is an/a ____________need for further research and mitigation measures to __________the widespread impacts of nuclear pollution on the environment and human health.

1.

A．change

B．opportunity

C．concern

D．possibility

2.

A．caused

B．posed

C．created

D．increased

3.

A．resulted in

B．led to

C．brought about

D．caused

4.

A．terrestrial

B．aquatic

C．marine

D．atmospheric

5.

A．balancing

B．regulating

C．considering

D．stabilizing

6.

A．heightened

B．raised

C．decreased

D．lifted

7.

A．minor

B．slight

C．substantial

D．insignificant

8.

A．accumulation

B．storage

C．deposition

D．buildup

9.

A．Therefore

B．Despite

C．However

D．Hence

10.

A．from

B．by

C．of

D．in

11.

A．residents

B．citizens

C．inhabitants

D．dwellers

12.

A．issue

B．measure

C．release

D．disposal

13.

A．web

B．chain

C．network

D．system

14.

A．urgent

B．immediate

C．pressing

D．critical

15.

A．address

B．tackle

C．solve

D．resolve

4 . In November 2020, a polar bear named Suka gave birth to several little ones, including Laerke. Laerke and her brothers and sisters were the first polar bears successfully born and _______ in the Detroit Zoo since 2004.

Days after her _______ , Laerke became significantly inactive and appeared increasingly _______. She was sent off to the zoo’s health complex for _______ , but by the time she returned home, her mom no longer _______ Laerke as her cub (小熊).

Without having any other polar bear who would _______ her, she would have to go without a _______, or so they thought. _______, that’s right when Jebbie needed a new home! Jebbie, the baby grizzly bear was _______ all by himself helplessly in Tok, Alaska, when he was ________ and taken to the Detroit Zoo, where he and Laerke had been gradually getting to know each other.

After some time, Jebbie and Laerke became best ________! The zookeepers have since posted pictures and videos of them playing, showing just how ________ they are. Together, they’re able to wrestle in the grassy tundra (苔原), splash around in the freshwater or saltwater pools, and play with toys ________.

“We’re excited that we are able to give Jebbie a home and ________ a much-needed friend for Laerke,” said Scott, chief life sciences officer of the Detroit Zoo. “This social development is critically ________ for both Laerke and Jebbie.”

1.

A．found

B．hurt

C．raised

D．caught

2.

A．birth

B．survival

C．escape

D．return

3.

A．anxious

B．weak

C．big

D．excited

4.

A．entertainment

B．development

C．experiment

D．treatment

5.

A．understood

B．recognized

C．forgave

D．scared

6.

A．accept

B．teach

C．depend on

D．believe in

7.

A．companion

B．meal

C．room

D．toy

8.

A．Generally

B．Sadly

C．Honestly

D．Luckily

9.

A．crying

B．wandering

C．hunting

D．playing

10.

A．beaten

B．examined

C．rescued

D．shot

11.

A．examples

B．friends

C．models

D．witnesses

12.

A．lonely

B．careful

C．lovely

D．fearful

13.

A．crazily

B．regretfully

C．happily

D．hopefully

14.

A．provide

B．recover

C．visit

D．protect

15.

A．impossible

B．dangerous

C．strange

D．important

5 . The Amazon Rainforest, often called the “lungs of the Earth”, has always mesmerized me with its biodiversity (生物多样性) and local tribes (部落). When I had the chance to join a research expedition, I took it, excited about the adventure ahead. I didn’t know it would be a great experience.

The journey into the rainforest was tough, such as the dense leaves, endless rain and the sound of insects and animals. However, the beauty of the rainforest was amazing.

One of the most exciting parts of the trip was meeting a local tribe. Their way of life, so connected to nature, was different from our urban lives. Learning about their customs and understanding their relationship with the rainforest was a special experience. It made me realize how separated from nature we have become in the technological advancement.

The trip was not without challenges. Walking in the forest, dealing with the bad weather and dealing with the fear of the unknown tested our willpower. However, every challenge we overcame brought a sense of achievement and strengthened our team bond. It taught me the importance of teamwork and adaptability.

As we left the rainforest, I recalled the impact the trip had on me. It was not just an adventure but a journey of self-discovery.

My trip to the Amazon rainforest was a meaningful experience. It was a journey that pushed my boundaries(边界) taught me valuable lessons and left me with unforgettable memories. It was not just a trip, but an exploration of the unknown and a reminder of our responsibility towards our planet. The adventure may have ended, but the journey continues, as I carry the lessons and memories with me, influencing my life and choices.

1. Which of the following best explains “mesmerized” underlined in paragraph 1?

A．Puzzled.

B．Moved.

C．Attracted.

D．Defeated.

2. Which word can describe the relation between the local tribe and the rainforest?

A．Exciting.

B．Close.

C．Relaxing.

D．Separated.

3. What can we learn about the trip from paragraph 4?

A．It’s dangerous and meaningless.	B．It’s fanny but unbearable.
C．It’s important and interesting.	D．It’s challenging but worthwhile.

4. What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A．The meaning of the trip.	B．The experience of the trip.
C．The memory of the trip.	D．The purpose of the trip.

6 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

Last summer, Hilda worked as a volunteer with dolphin trainers at a sea life park. Her job was to make sure the tanks were free of any items so that the trainers could train the dolphins to fetch specific items. However, one day after cleaning, one of the dolphins, Maya, presented Hilda with a candy wrapper from the tank. When Katherine, the trainer, saw this, she blamed Hilda for her carelessness. Upset but not discouraged by this event, Hilda decided to do some spying on Maya.

The next morning, Hilda arrived at the park early. She put on her scuba gear (水下呼吸器) and jumped into the tank for her usual, underwater sweep. Finding nothing in the tank, she climbed out of the water just in time to see Katherine jumping in on the other side. After what happened yesterday, Hilda knew what she was doing. She watched as Katherine performed her underwater search, but Hilda wasn’t surprised when she surfaced empty-handed.

During the tank sweeps, Maya had been swimming playfully, but now the dolphin stopped suddenly and swam to the back part of the tank where the filter (过滤) box was located. She stuck her nose down behind the box and then swam away. What was Maya doing back there? Hilda wondered. She jumped back into the water and swam over to take a look behind the box, and her question was answered. Hilda then swam across the tank following Maya’s path and emerged from the water to find Katherine removing her scuba gear. As Katherine turned around, her mouth dropped open. There was Maya at the edge of the tank with a comb (梳子) in her mouth waiting for her treat.

“Maya! Where did you get that?” demanded Katherine, taking the comb and throwing her a fish. “I know where she got it,” declared Hilda climbing out of the tank with a handful of items still wet from their watery, resting place. “What’s all this?” Katherine asked, obviously confused.

注意：
(1)续写词数应为150个左右;
(2)请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

“This is Maya’s secret,” Hilda said with a big smile.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now Katherine realized what had been going on.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . Parrots are prey animals, which means that other predators (捕食者) in the wild, such as hawks or snakes, are looking to make them into a meal. This one factor influences parrots’ behavior in your house more than any other.

Parrots are most easily hurt when feeding on the ground. Membership in a group plays an important function in ensuring their safety and improving their chances of survival from attacks by predators. The most common predators of parrots include hawks, snakes, cats, monkeys, and bats. Some predators make attacks only during the day while others hunt in the night.

As prey animals, parrots are constantly watching out for danger and they instinctively (本能地) react to risks. Their first choice is to take flight. However, if this is not possible, they will fight with their powerful beaks to defend themselves.

Because their biggest enemy is the hawk, parrots are especially reactive to quick movements from above and behind. For this reason, it is wise to avoid quick, sudden movements near your bird. This is a built-in reaction not subject to logic or reason. Simple and relatively harmless household objects can draw extreme fear responses from a bird. For example, a balloon may represent a hawk or a vacuum hose (吸尘器软管) may be the same as a snake in your bird’s mind.

As prey animals, parrots are often frightened by exposure to new household items or strangers. It is important to expose your bird to safe experiences and changes starting at a very young age to build flexibility and improve their adaptability. Variety in diet and toys, travel, and exposure to new people and places all help to make your bird more flexible and adaptable to change.

1. What is important for parrots to better survive from attacks in the wild?

A．Living in a group.	B．Growing beautiful feathers.
C．Feeding on the ground.	D．Avoiding coming out at night.

2. What is parrots’ first response to an immediate risk?

A．To attack back.	B．To get away.
C．To protect the young.	D．To play dead.

3. Why would a balloon frighten a parrot?

A．It may explode suddenly.	B．It may be in a strange shape.
C．It may have a strong color.	D．It may move around quickly.

4. What is the author’s purpose of writing the text?

A．To explain wild parrots’ behavior.	B．To give advice on raising a parrot.
C．To call for action to protect animals.	D．To introduce a study on bird ecology.

8 . How Weather Affects Our Mood

The weather supplies many metaphors (隐喻) for our changeable minds. Moods can brighten and darken, futures can be under a cloud, and relationships can be stormy.    1    , but does it also influence our moods?

Of the many aspects of weather, sunshine is the most closely tied to mood. Although the link is weaker than many people imagine, sunlight has repeatedly been found to increase positive moods and reduce tiredness.    2    . Happy people tend to be more favorable toward one another, and people are more helpful when the sun is shining. One study even found that diners in Minnesota, US, tipped more generously on sunny days.

    3    . A study showed that university admissions officers stressed the academic qualifications of applicants more on cloudy days, and their non-academic qualities more on sunny ones.

    4    . The more it departs (偏离) from an ideal of around 20C, the more discomfort we feel. One study found that rates of helping others decreased as temperatures dropped below or rose above this value.

Indeed, the effects of weather on mood depend on our behavior and on how we think.     5    . A study by US psychology researcher Matthew Keller and his colleagues showed that beneficial effects of warm and sunny conditions on mood were only seen in people who had spent more than 30 minutes outdoors that day. Good weather even had negative effects on mood for people confined (限制) indoors, who perhaps looked enviously (嫉妒地) outside at the solar fun they were missing.

A．Similarly, grey weather may encourage serious and calm thinking

B．Aspects of weather beyond heat and sunshine have also been shown to affect mood

C．Weather provides a vivid language for describing our emotional atmosphere

D．Temperature can also affect our mind and behavior

E．But the effects of weather on mood are not entirely biological

F．Anything that changes our moods can affect our behavior

G．Basically, weather will only influence us if we are outdoors experiencing it

9 . Any parent of growing teenagers knows their kids’ appetite (食欲) can be extremely large. Now, imagine having a young dinosaur checking the fridge. The out size appetites of growing dinosaurs reshaped food chains in their environment and crowded out other carnivores (食肉动物), according to a new study.

Most groups of animals have many small-sized species, somewhat fewer medium-sized species and the fewest large-sized species. However, the extinct dinosaurs—especially carnivores had plenty of species no bigger than modern-day chickens and also many extremely big species, but few medium-sized ones.

Scientists wondered whether teen dinosaurs crowded out medium-sized adults by taking advantage of the habitats and food sources those species might have taken. To test the idea, Katlin Schroeder, a Ph. D. student at the University of New Mexico (UNM), combed a global collection of data to determine the size of more than 550 dinosaur species in 43 ancient ecosystems.

“In most communities, plant-eating dinosaurs were in multifarious sizes. But carnivores were completely different,” Schroeder says. Plant-eating dinosaurs came in a range of sizes, while carnivorous dinosaurs between 100 and 1, 000 kilograms were quite rare. “The size of the carnivorous dinosaur is surprising. It’s as if you went to the savanna, a large flat area of grassy land, and saw nothing in size between a small fox and a lion,” Schroeder says. “Patterns in all the dinosaur communities studied are very similar. We saw the gap in species’ sizes for years, but never measured it.”

Schroeder and paleontologists Eelisa Smith of UNM and Kathleen Lyons of the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, modeled the role that young carnivorous dinosaurs might have played in ecosystems. “If the teen dinosaurs are really using up this space, how many of them would you expect?” Smith says. Their study showed that “the teenagers fill the gap,” she says. “If you fill them in, then you get a community that looks like what you’d expect.”

“The effect maybe stronger in meat eaters because each carnivorous dinosaur species hatched (孵化) from small eggs; then they grew very quickly. They had to change diets and hunting methods to adapt to their new sizes and compete with a range of other species along the way,” Erickson, another scientist, says.

“The study’s stress on how animals’ niches (生态位) can change as they grow offers fresh understandings,” says Mike Benton, a scientist at the University of Bristol.

1. How does the author bring up the topic of the text?

A．By showing an example.	B．By making a comparison.
C．By starting a discussion.	D．By offering an explanation.

2. What confuses scientists about the extinct dinosaurs?

A．Whether they lived in large communities.

B．Why young dinosaurs had out size appetites.

C．Why there were fewer medium-sized species.

D．How they adapted to the environment change.

3. What does the underlined word “multifarious” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Similar.

B．Large.

C．Reasonable.

D．Various.

4. What does Erickson want to stress in the last but one paragraph?

A．The impact of carnivorous dinosaurs’ appetite on their sizes.

B．The competitive living environment of carnivorous dinosaurs.

C．The relation between food variety and dinosaurs’ survival ability.

D．The role of eating habits in carnivorous dinosaurs’ hunting methods.

10 . Animals were the real pioneers of space flight. Let us learn about some animals that have been to space.

A. Fruit flies

On February 20, 1947, the United States sent some fruit flies into space to study the impact that cosmic radiation (宇宙辐射) might potentially have on astronauts in the future. They chose flies because they are genetically similar to humans.

When they returned to Earth, the scientists found the flies alive, with no evidence of the effects of radiation.

B. Mice

Mice have long been used to find out more about how space travel will affect the human body. In fact, NASA has recently published a study of mice housed at the International Space Station. It shows that mice quickly adapt to microgravity (微重力) conditions.

The very first mouse went into space in 1950, reaching an altitude of 137km. However, unlike the fruit flies, the mouse died when the rocket broke into parts due to a parachute (降落伞) failure.

C. Dogs

Laika, a Russian homeless dog, went to space on November 3, 1957. She was picked up on the streets and was thought suitable because she had a gentle temperament (性情) and behaved well. The scientists also believed a homeless dog would be better at dealing with difficult conditions like microgravity than a pet dog.

Laika is famous for being the first animal to orbit (环绕……运行) the Earth. However, she never returned.

D. Spiders

In 1973, two garden spiders called Anita and Arabella were used in an experiment to see if they could still build webs in space.

Both spiders managed to build webs, even though the webs were slightly finer than on Earth. The study showed a great deal about the effects of microgravity on motor response (运动反应).

1. What can we learn about the mouse astronaut?

A．It failed to come back alive.

B．It couldn’t survive in microgravity conditions.

C．Its genes were similar to humans’.

D．It was the first animal to be sent to space.

2. Laika was chosen by the scientists for all the following reasons EXCEPT ________ .

A．her good temperament	B．her identity as a pet dog
C．her ability to deal with microgravity	D．her good behavior

3. What’s the purpose of sending the two spiders to space?

A．To compare the quality of webs they made on Earth and in space.

B．To study the impact of cosmic radiation on their survival.

C．To see how fast they could build webs in space.

D．To see whether they could build webs in space.