1 . Women and girls already struggle with gender inequality, but when extreme weather damages a community, the UN found that inequalities worsen.

To explore the complex links between gender and climate change, CNN worked with seven women photojournalists to document the challenges women and girls face. This visual project gives a snapshot of the numerous ways climate crisis is changing their lives, but also shows how they are fighting back.

The Center for Girls’ Education runs a series of programs in Nigeria to help girls stay in school. One in every five of the world’s children who are out of school is in Nigeria, according to UNICEF, and it is girls who are impacted the most. More than 10 million children between 5 and 14 years old are absent from classrooms across Nigeria, according to UNICEF. For girls, the statistics are even bleaker: in states in the northeast and northwest of the country, fewer than half attend school.

This education crisis is the result of a tangle of factors, but against the backdrop of these individual factors is the broader context of the climate crisis. Nigeria is growing hotter and dryer, and extreme weather such as flash floods and landslides are becoming fiercer and more frequent. Climate disasters can make schools inaccessible and classrooms unsafe. Communities struggling to cope with extreme weather sometimes turn to their children to help or to earn extra money to support the family. And girls, whose attendance at school is already discouraged in some communities, are often most affected.

There are efforts to support girls’ education and equip them with the resources to cope with a fast-changing climate. The Center for Girls’ Education in the northern Nigerian city of Zaria runs programs to help girls stay in school and offers training on how to cope with the impacts of extreme weather. “I feel when we give the girls education on climate change, how to ease it, it will go a long way in helping the girls in how to support themselves in times of difficulties, and even help them prepare for it,” said Habiba Mohammed, director of the Center for Girls’ Education.

1. What does the underlined phrase “gives a snapshot of” mean in Paragraph 2?

A．Contrasts.

B．Strengthens.

C．Prevents.

D．Reveals.

2. How does Paragraph 3 develop?

A．By listing figures.	B．By making comparison.
C．By giving examples.	D．By drawing conclusions.

3. What contributes to girls’ absence from school in Nigeria?

A．Tense family relationship.	B．Unbearable school pressure.
C．Worsening weather conditions.	D．Inaccessible community resources.

4. What does Habiba Mohammed think of the measures taken to help girls?

A．Costly.	B．Creative.
C．Short-lived.	D．Far-reaching.

2 . Billions of people deal with a nail-biting habit at some point in their lives. Many will go to great lengths to try to stop. And while not all of us are nail-biters, most of us do have a habit we’d like to kick. So what’s the best way to break one?

Research shows that intentions alone often fail to lead to long-term behavior change. This isn't to say you can’t break a habit. Rather, by understanding the basis of habits, you can create better plans for changing them. For example, we know habits are often affected by environments and routines. Lying in bed may cause you to endlessly scroll through your phone, or watching TV on the couch may lead you to grab a sugary snack.

One of the most effective ways to manage behavior is to identify these locations or times of day. Then try to modify them by changing your routine or creating obstacles that make it more difficult to perform the habit in that space. Moving, switching jobs, or even starting a new schedule, are particularly great times to break a habit or build a new one.

One 2005 study tracked university students’ exercising, reading, and TV-watching habits before and after they transferred schools. When students were no longer around old environments and routines, their habits, even the strong ones, significantly changed.

For behaviors like nail-biting, a practice called habit reversal training can be helpful. Developed by psychologists in the 1970s, the aim is to change a habit by replacing it with another one that’s less detrimental. The training requires you to analyze and understand your habit cues, so you can effectively step in at the right times. For example, if you tend to bite your nails at work, keep a fidget toy at your desk in advance. Then, if a stressful email comes in, use the toy when you feel the urge to bite your nails.

Breaking a habit takes time, so remember to give yourself grace and have patience through the process.

1. Why does the author mention “a nail-biting habit” in Para.1?

A．To make a comparison.	B．To make a conclusion.
C．To introduce the topic.	D．To attract readers' attention.

2. What is the best way to help us control our action?

A．Having intentions alone.	B．Understanding the basis of habits.
C．Making practical plans.	D．Adapting the environments or times.

3. What does the underlined word “detrimental” in Para.5 probably mean ?

A．Harmful.

B．Helpful.

C．Annoying.

D．Time-consuming.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A．Difficulties in dealing with nail-biting.	B．Significance of habit reversal training.
C．Useful tips on getting rid of a habit.	D．Necessity of having grace and patience.

3 . One thing that’s never in short supply at the beginning of each new year?     1     But many of us fail to stick with our New Year’s resolutions months (or even weeks) after making them. It turns out there are commonly avoided mistakes. That explains why some people always seem to reach their goals while others keep falling short.

    2     If you fail to pick the right habit, you aren’t likely to accomplish the corresponding goal. Say you want to lose some weight this year, forming a habit of running 30 minutes a day may not help you do that if you don’t also form habits related to the foods you eat, because diet affects weight more than exercise.     3     Failure to establish habits that support your goals may cause your resolutions to flop before you begin.

Another common mistake people make when setting goals is becoming overly concerned about the amount of time it will take to form a new habit. There’s no one right answer when it comes to how long new habits should take to form.     4     Some people simply adopt new habits faster than other people and that complex habits usually take longer to form. Consider how easy it is to brush your teeth at night compared to reading a full chapter of a book each day.

So the yearly ritual of resolution setting doesn’t have to be an annual disappointment. Sometimes, the difference between success and failure is simply choosing the right habits and the process you use to go about achieving it. Most importantly, remember to be kind and flexible with yourself and to celebrate any and all progress along the way.     5    

A．Good intentions.

B．Congratulations and best wishes.

C．In other words, you must also readjust your diet.

D．It’s essential to choose a habit you think enjoyable.

E．A common error many people make is not choosing right habits.

F．It depends on what habit you’re trying to develop and who you are.

G．It’s not just the end goal that matters—it’s the journey along the way.

7 . Traditional Chinese education required scholars to learn the Confucian classics. And they were taught certain rites (礼仪) connected with ancestor worship, but were by no means supposed to have the beliefs which the rites would seem to imply, placing no barrier in the way of free intellectual (理智的) suspicion. An easy and elegant suspicion was the attitude expected of an educated adult; anything might be discussed, but it was slightly rude to reach very positive conclusions. Chinese education produced stability and art; it failed to produce progress or science. Perhaps this may be taken as what is to be expected of suspicion.

Confucianism in Japan never produced the cultured suspicion which characterized the Chinese scholars. The aim of Japanese education is to produce citizens who shall be devoted to the national greatness through the training of their passions, and useful to it through the knowledge they have acquired. However, their religion, which must not be questioned even by university professors, involves doubtful history and, therefore, many kinds of progress are scarcely possible, and the products of Japanese education are likely to be too stubborn. Neither suspicion nor stubbornness is what education should produce. What education should produce is a belief that knowledge is attainable, though with difficulty; that much of what passes for knowledge at any given time is likely to be more or less mistaken, but that the mistakes can be corrected. This state of mind is rather difficult but in fact the scientific temper. Knowledge, like other good things, is difficult, It not impossible; the stubbornness forgets the difficulty, and the suspicion denies the possibility. Both are mistaken.

Doctor Arnold’s system, which has remained in force in English public schools, had another inadequacy. The aim was to train men for positions of authority and power, whether at home or in distant parts of the Empire. The noble, if they are to survive, need certain virtues; these were to be educated at school. The product was to be energetic and physically fit, possessed of certain unchangeable beliefs, with high standards of morality, and convinced that it had an important mission in the world. However, intellect was sacrificed, because it might produce suspicion.

1. What does an easy and elegant suspicion mean according to paragraph 1?

A．Reading masterpieces.

B．Observing traditions.

C．Suspending judgement.

D．Dismissing science.

2. How is Japanese education compared with traditional Chinese education?

A．Scientific.	B．Outdated.
C．Progressive.	D．Unchallengeable.

3. What does the underlined word “it“ in the last paragraph refer to?

A．A powerful position.	B．An educated person.
C．A productive public school.	D．An all-round teaching system.

4. What is the possible disadvantage of suspicion in education?

A．Intellect is underestimated.	B．Knowledge is less achievable.
C．A noble position is missing.	D．Certain virtues are sacrificed.

8 . Teenagers need eight to ten hours of sleep per night. However, in adolescence (青春期) changes to the body’s sleep cycle make it difficult for teens to fall asleep early. Many cannot fall asleep until 10:30 p.m. or even later and most of them will feel sleepy if they have to get up too early.

Scientists recommend that both middle and high schools begin no earlier than 8:30 a.m. Later school start times support the natural needs of teenagers and increase their sleeping time.

Here are some other benefits of later school start times:

More time for a healthy breakfast

When running late in the mornings, students are likely to go without breakfast. With an empty stomach, one finds it difficult to focus (集中) in class. When they are always in a hurry, students may form unhealthy eating habits.

With extra time before going to school, students can eat a well-balanced breakfast and focus more on learning.

Fewer behavioral (行为的) problems

Teens experience mood changes as a common result of this special period of life. Less sleep may cause worries, stress and unhappiness.

When they get enough sleep, students are calm and peaceful and their moods do not change suddenly. They’re less likely to feel worried, unhappy or get angry. For parents, children with more sleep are easier to live with.

Better performance (表现) in study

Sleep loss hurts attention, memory and brain development. Students with less sleep have difficulty paying attention in class and are likely to have lower grades. Students with enough sleep can be more energetic during the day and more willing to learn. They are also less likely to fall asleep in class and more able to understand what they learn.

In conclusion, starting school later helps students get a better night’s sleep. It improves their chances of eating, behaving and performing better.

1. According to the passage, what may cause teenagers to stay up?

A．Their low grades.	B．Their empty stomachs.
C．Their body’s sleep cycle.	D．Their heavy homework.

2. How can sleep loss influence students’ study?

A．It gives them much energy.	B．It does harm to the brain.
C．It saves more time for study.	D．It improves their memory.

3. What’s the writer’s main purpose in writing this passage?

A．To explain reasons for students’ stress.	B．To describe bad habits caused by sleep loss.
C．To discuss scientists’ research on healthy food.	D．To introduce benefits of later school start times.

4. In which part of the website can you probably find this passage?

A．Education.

B．Fashion.

C．Sports.

D．Technology.

9 . In Britain all children have to go to school between the ages of 5 and 16. In the US children must go to school from the age of 6 to the ages between 14 and 16, depending on the state they live in.

Subjects

In England and Wales the subjects taught in schools are laid down by the National Curriculum, which was introduced in 1988 and sets out in detail the subjects that children should study and the levels of achievement they should reach by the ages of 7, 11, 14, and 16, when they are tested. The National Curriculum does not apply to Scotland, where each school decides what subjects it will teach.

Examinations

At 16, students in England and Wales take GCSE examinations. These examinations are taken by students of all levels of ability in any of a range of subjects, and may involve a final examination, an assessment of work done during the two-year course, or both of these things. At 18 some students take A-level examinations, usually in no more than three subjects. It is necessary to have A levels in order to go to university.

In Scotland students take the SCE examinations. A year later, they can take examinations called Highers, after which they can either go straight to a university or spend a further year at school and take the Certificate of Sixth Year Studies. In Scotland the university system is different from that in England and Wales.Courses usually last four years rather than three, and students study a large number of subjects as part of their degree.

1. According to the passage, children have to go to school between the ages of 　　　in both Britain and the US.

A．5—14	B．6—14
C．5—15	D．6—17

2. In which parts of the world are the subjects taught only decided by the nation?

A．England and Wales.	B．England and Scotland.
C．US and Britain.	D．Wales and Scotland.

3. Which of the following has nothing to do with students in Scotland?

A．GCSE.	B．SCE.
C．Highers.	D．The Certificate of Sixth Year Studies.

4. Which of the following is TRUE?

A．In the US, only local government can decide the subjects.

B．In Scotland, students can take either the SCE examinations or the Certificate of Sixth Year Studies.

C．In England and Wales, one cannot go to university without A levels.

D．As for a 16-year-old student in England and Wales, he has to take both GCSE examinations and a final examination.