Paragliding is a kind of flying, but instead of the wing being made of metal, wood or plastic, it is made of nylon or polyester. The wing is attached to a harness by lines where a pilot sits, similar to a parachute.
Is it safe?
Paragliding, is as safe as sailing and deep-sea diving. The big advantage is that it’s probably the slowest form of aviation, so if you do crash, you'll hit the ground quite gently! It’s a very relaxing sport as you're mostly sitting down. Yet, you’ll probably experience pain in some muscles you didn’t know you had while learning, but many of those will be due to the walk up the training hill to launch.
Where do I learn?
There are lots of schools, mainly based inland by appropriate hills or mountains, and there are also schools on the coast near spectacular cliffs. These are very attractive, though the prospect of landing in the sea seems to discourage beginners! It takes seven days to get your basic license; then you’re free to fly independently at sites across the country.
What do I need?
Pilots normally wear warm clothes in case they get very high up, and a helmet in case they stumble on landing. In terms of gear, schools supply basic training, canopies, harnesses, etc. However, you'll probably want to buy your own more sophisticated equipment, which you’ll be able to choose much better once you’ve tried some out on your course.
Who can do it?
There’s no upper age limit provided your instructor judges you capable, but the youngest is 14. Anybody with good eyesight and good balance is a potential paraglider pilot.
Flying a paraglider is a great sport. We hope to see you in the air with us this season!
1. Which would be the best heading for Paragraph 1?| A．What is paragliding? | B．Who invented paragliding? |
| C．How is paragliding special? | D．Why is paragliding popular? |
| A．exciting but tiring | B．safe and relaxing |
| C．attractive but expensive | D．fast and challenging |
| A．Fit people of any age can take up paragliding. |
| B．Most paragliding schools are situated by the sea. |
| C．Pilots need to buy basic equipment on their training course. |
| D．Learners can fly on their own after at least a week’s training. |
2 . Many of us may experience dinner-table debates. One common scene plays out as follows. You want to convince a friend or a family member of something you know they may disagree, and you share information and walk through your reasoning with them. Still, they reject your case. How do you react when your powers of persuasion fail? You might dismiss the person who doesn’t agree with your arguments as narrow-minded, foolish or otherwise out of touch with reality. The whole experience may feel like trying to guide someone on a journey when they refuse to follow. Psychologists have created a term, persuasion fatigue, to describe this form of frustration (懊恼).
Persuasion fatigue may make it harder to successfully keep challenging conversations. Past research demonstrates that feeling frustrated can make you more resistant to changing your mind. It also shows that frustration may reduce your ability to recognize why your arguments don’t succeed. Persuasion fatigue also explains why, when debates break down, people tend to blame their conversational opponent. As Mark Twain once wrote, “In all matters of opinion, our opponents are insane (愚蠢的).” In past findings, people generally reported three times as many reasons why others’ faults led to failed debates rather than their own shortcomings. It is true that others are not always open to your ideas. Ending the discussion can therefore be the right thing to do. But in an overheated debate, your fatigue may lead you to misinterpret the situation and believe that your opponent is too stupid to see the truth. Fortunately, psychologists suggest some sound approaches to managing these situations and protecting your relationships.
To reach your audience, it may be essential to express your message in terms of their values, not yours. Psychologists call this “moral reframing.” In fact, researches suggest that the simple act of acknowledging values of the people you’re talking to — telling them you understand where they’re coming from, even if you don’t agree—may lead them to lower their defenses and open up a little to new arguments.
Your fatigue may be even worse by thinking or assuming that debate is a zero-sum struggle — that you win if, and only if, your opponent loses. But sometimes you’re better off seeing an argument as a cooperative effort to find the truth — less like angry neighbours fighting over their property line. The neighbours map land together by viewing it from multiple angles. Similarly, debates can help you triangulate a view between your opinion and the other person’s.
The tendency to blame others for exhausting debates has real consequences. In our exhaustion, we may fail to see when our frustrations stem from a deep desire for connection. Recognizing persuasion fatigue—and how we contribute to it—may help us pass through heated debates without leaving those we love behind.
1. People may experience persuasion fatigue when they _________.| A．try in vain to convince others | B．misinterpret others’ reasoning |
| C．adopt others’ views unwillingly | D．try to persuade narrow-minded people |
| A．One can’t stick to his point of view. |
| B．One admits his limits and weaknesses. |
| C．One can’t get to the root of failed debates. |
| D．One feels incompetent for further arguments. |
| A．To stress the effect of changing others’ mind. |
| B．To confirm the difficulty of winning an argument. |
| C．To explain the reason for one’s ending an argument. |
| D．To support the idea of one’s tendency to blame others. |
| A．Seeing a debate as a zero-sum game. |
| B．Making an effort for common ground. |
| C．Shifting the topic to lower others’ defenses. |
| D．Reframing points based on one’s own values. |
3 . A quiet space is often considered essential for achieving the concentration that leads to academic success. But research shows that some students may benefit from breaking the silence with certain kinds of music while they study. Music has a powerful influence on both the body and the brain, in ways that can help students navigate the physical and emotional barriers that come with academic challenges.
One U.S. study compared students who took a test to soft music with those who took the test under silent conditions. The study found that students taking a test to music not only completed more questions within a set time but also answered more questions correctly. Music has been further linked to improvements in memory and recall. Experts have found that when music stimulates mood and motivation, students are able to learn more and to better demonstrate their knowledge.
A bit of mood music affects more than just memory and recall when students hit the books. Music can also relieve stress associated with school. Scientists have learned that music engages the autonomic nervous system, which not only controls the unconscious functions of the body but also influences emotions. So it’s no surprise that researchers from the Group Health Research Institute concluded that certain kinds of background music can be just as effective at reducing stress as a massage. Furthermore, while the brain feels better with music, the body may as well. Research shows that certain types of music can make physical pain feel less intense. What’s more, calming music with a steady, meditative rhythm can help people sleep longer and more deeply.
However, some educators express concern that listening to music while trying to concentrate may do more harm than good. Loud music may have a negative influence on a student’s mood or act as a distraction. Actually, the best approach may depend on the students themselves. Listening to music during study time may not mean a guaranteed A for all students, but those who find it helpful should be allowed to plug in their headphones.
1. What does the underlined word “navigate” in the first paragraph probably mean?| A．Recognize. | B．Overcome. | C．Assess. | D．Create. |
| A．Music helps students get rid of physical pain. |
| B．Loud music has the same calming effect as a massage. |
| C．Listening to music makes it easier for students to multitask. |
| D．Music helps students better remember relevant information. |
| A．present the effects of music on mind and body |
| B．compare the functions of different types of music |
| C．confirm the impacts of music on memory and recall |
| D．give examples of the influences of music on emotions |
| A．The Power of Silence | B．Music to a Sharper Mind |
| C．The Score to Better Scores | D．Road to Academic Success |
4 . I recently attended a wedding in a rural area in north Italy, and guests were provided with a car and driver for the 90-minute journey into the hills. That was exciting: A private car! I could pretend I was rich! Since I’m not, though, I had no idea how much this trip actually cost. As a result, after our driver picked us back up at midnight, I secretly worried all the way home about tipping him.
I fished around nervously in my purse and realized that all I had was a $100 note, which I was keeping for an emergency. I had nothing smaller. And I had nothing else to offer but two chocolates from the wedding. So, I could tip the driver that $100 note or two chocolates. In the end, I chose the money.
The whole matter of tipping has long been a source of awkward interactions — and, for some travellers, mild anxiety — throughout the world. Tipping customs vary wildly from country to country. A friend in Rome tells me that Italians get hurt by big tips. “Leaving a big tip is considered impolite,” she adds, “I’ve had Italian friends make me take money back.”
It reminded me of my 100-dollar tip. What if I had annoyed the driver? So I decided to call the car company and ask them to pass on a message to the driver apologizing for the improper tip and explaining the situation.
To my surprise, the car company responded that the driver had actually called to express his gratitude for the unexpected big tip. He had apparently been having a tough week and the money had come at just the right time.
I was astonished. All my worry had been for nothing. What started out as a source of anxiety ended up being a heartwarming experience. I learned that sometimes it’s better to go with your feelings and be generous, even if it means taking a risk.
1. What did the author realize when she dug around in her purse?| A．She had spent 100 dollars on emergency. |
| B．She had to ask the driver for smaller changes. |
| C．She had nothing but two chocolates to offer the driver. |
| D．She had no smaller notes and might tip too high or too low. |
| A．To compare different tipping customs. |
| B．To share a personal story of her friend. |
| C．To show the possibility of upsetting the driver. |
| D．To demonstrate her rich knowledge on tipping. |
| A．He was annoyed by the large tip. | B．He appreciated the author’s generosity. |
| C．He was grateful and refused the money. | D．He was upset by the awkward interaction. |
| A．Good things are possible when you follow your heart. |
| B．You’d better think carefully before taking action. |
| C．When in Rome, do as the Romans do. |
| D．A penny saved is a penny earned. |
5 . Offload Thoughts
In our busy world, we rush from task to task, often leaving us feeling easily angered. We seek out technology or brain-enhancing products to help us optimize (最优化) our productivity, but end up running on a never-ending hamster(仓鼠) wheel.
Research shows that spending too much time optimizing our thoughts for perfect outcomes not only leaves us feeling exhausted, but can also have harmful effects on our wellbeing and work output. Optimizing thoughts requires being highly focused. But it just goes against the way our minds work. That is to say, efficiency isn’t always productive when we pursue it.
Our brain essentially has two main modes of operating: the “focus network” and the “default mode network.” When one network works, the other physically can’t turn on. The modern world often demands we live in the focus network and the default mode network is often less celebrated.
Cognitive (认知的) offloading is an accessible practice. It has the potential to not only release emotions, but enhance mental capabilities, too. Even just a few moments of creative flow — like offloading the feelings of anxiety by doodling (涂鸦) before a meeting — can have a strong impact on emotions.
| A．The functionality is simpler than you might imagine. |
| B．Give ourselves a few minutes to offload our emotions. |
| C．Being focused all the time can eventually lead to less self-control. |
| D．Fortunately, there is a way to stop this kind of always-on mentality. |
| E．It’s no surprise that the majority of us feel more exhausted than ever. |
| F．But spending more time on the latter offers a form of “insurance” for our emotions. |
| G．What’s more, this exercise can help give the brain the space to make new connections. |
6 . Recently, a new discovery has been made in the field of biology that challenges our previous understanding of the origins of life on Earth. For decades, scientists believed that life emerged in a warm, shallow pond, where a series of chemical reactions led to the creation of the first living cells. However, a team of researchers has now uncovered evidence that suggests life may have actually begun in a quite different environment.
The discovery was made in a remote part of the ocean, where a team of scientists was exploring a hydrothermal vent (深海热泉) system located deep beneath the surface. Hydrothermal vents release superheated water and gases from the Earth’s mantle (地幔). They create an extreme environment that is unfavourable to most forms of life, but home to a variety of unique organisms.
As the scientists collected samples of the vent’s mineral-rich liquid, they noticed something strange. They discovered that it contained a complex network of organic molecules (分子), including amino acids (氨基酸) and other building blocks of life. This was surprising, as hydrothermal vents were previously thought to be empty of life-supporting chemicals. However, the most striking discovery was yet to come. Analysis of the organic molecules revealed that they were not simply the product of chemical reactions in the vent, but rather had been produced by living organisms. This served as evidence of a lively ecosystem that was completely independent of sunlight and the surface world.
This discovery has significant implications for our understanding of the origins of life on Earth. The warm pond hypothesis (假说), which has long been the dominant theory, suggests that life emerged in a relatively warm and damp environment. However, the new evidence from the hydrothermal vent system suggests that life may have actually begun in an extreme environment, where survival was only possible through the development of original biochemical pathways. The discovery also raises new questions about the potential for life to exist on other celestial bodies (天体). Hydrothermal vents have been identified on Saturn’s moon Enceladus and Jupiter’s moon Europa. The presence of organic molecules at these sites suggests that unique forms of life may exist.
While this discovery is still in its early stages, it is already beginning to reshape our understanding of the origins of life and the potential for life on other planets. It is a testament to the power of scientific exploration and the incredible complexity of life on Earth. As we continue to explore the depths of the ocean and the vast expanse of space, who knows what other surprises and discoveries lie in store.
1. What did the scientists newly discover in the vent’s liquid?| A．Superheated gases. | B．A variety of minerals. |
| C．Life-supporting chemicals. | D．Complex forms of life. |
| A．The warm pond hypothesis proves to be right. |
| B．Organic molecules lead to chemical reactions. |
| C．Forms of life were identified in the vents on other planets. |
| D．Original biochemical pathways can occur in severe conditions. |
| A．Researches help us push the boundaries of technology. |
| B．Scientists have addressed the limitations of the research. |
| C．New discoveries inspire us to further explore the unknown. |
| D．Researchers have confirmed the origins and complexity of life. |
7 . I am never good at public speaking. Every time I was involved in a group project, I would always volunteer to be any role but the presenter. So, when my partner Emily offered to be the
Unfortunately, on the presentation day, Emily fell ill badly. She had to stay home to rest. I was worried that she may
I had no
With that piece of paper, I stood outside the classroom door, waiting for my turn. I tried to be calm, but as time passed by,
In front of the judges, my hands failed in their attempts to remain
| A．recorder | B．speaker | C．designer | D．organizer |
| A．change | B．give | C．analyze | D．miss |
| A．relief | B．excitement | C．anxiety | D．shame |
| A．resource | B．worry | C．chance | D．choice |
| A．push aside | B．let out | C．hide behind | D．hold onto |
| A．sadness | B．fear | C．anger | D．guilt |
| A．rest | B．cry | C．breathe | D．sigh |
| A．steady | B．flexible | C．gentle | D．strong |
| A．pretended | B．expected | C．refused | D．managed |
| A．Understanding | B．Overcoming | C．Admitting | D．Expressing |
“It’s so cute!” “I want one!” Since such posts spread on social media, the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics mascot Bing Dwen Dwen
Since ChatGPT’s launch in November last year, it has become an immediate hit that is both entertaining and alarming
Nick was riding his bike along the Arching River when he noticed something
