1 . A good meal has a positive impact on one’s mood. Those who feast on Christmas buffet almost enjoy an immediate rise in their blood sugar. That will prompt a flood of chemicals that act as happy hormones to rush through their brains.
But the pleasure goes deeper. Tyrosine and tryptophan are needed for the production, respectively, of dopamine, a neurotransmitter (神经传递素) that controls feelings of pleasure and reward, and serotonin, another such, which helps regulate mood. And cranberries are high in vitamin C, which is involved in converting dopamine to noradrenaline, another neurotransmitter, and a lack of which seems to be associated with depression.
With mental-health disorders rising, a growing number of scientists are investigating how food or nutritional supplements affect the mind. But separating the brain’s nutritional needs from those of the rest of the body is difficult. Not possible for now, at least. And, compared with other fields, nutritional science is understudied. That is partly because it is hard to do well. Randomised controlled trials (rcts), used to test drugs, are tricky. Few people want to stick to an experimental diet for years. Instead, most nutritional science is based on observational studies that try to establish associations between particular foods or nutrients and diseases. They cannot be used to definitively prove a causal ( 因 果 关 系 的 ) connection between a disease and a particular contributing factor in a diet. But as with smoking and lung cancer, put together enough of these kinds of trials and causal narratives begin to emerge.
It is now clear that some diets are particularly good for the brain. One recent study concludes that sticking to the “Mediterranean diet”, high in vegetables, fruit, pulses and wholegrains, low in red and processed meats and saturated fats, decreases the chances of experiencing strokes, cognitive impairment and depression. Other recent work looking at a “green” Mediterranean diet high in polyphenols found it reduced age-related brain atrophy. Another version, the mind diet, emphasises, among other things, eating berries over other kinds of fruit and seems to lessen the risk of dementia.
Scientists think such diets may work by reducing inflammation in the brain. This, in turn, may affect areas such as the hippocampus, which is associated with learning, memory and mood regulation—and where new neurons grow in adults. Studies in animals show that when they are fed a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids (from walnuts, for example), flavonoids (consumed mainly via tea and wine), antioxidants (found in berries) and resveratrol (found in red grapes), neuron growth is stimulated and inflammatory processes are reduced. This fits with research suggesting that those who regularly eat ultra-processed, fried and sugary foods, which increase inflammation in the brain, heighten their risk of developing depression.
1. Which of the following words can replace “tricky” in Paragraph 3?| A．Rare. |
| B．Tough. |
| C．Traditional. |
| D．Contradictory. |
| A．By keeping at an experimental diet for years. |
| B．By carrying out randomized controlled trials. |
| C．By identifying a particular contributing factor. |
| D．By comparing findings of certain kinds of trials. |
| A．A diet rich in fruit is good for cognitive abilities. |
| B．People fond of sugary foods may be a risk lover. |
| C．Red grapes add fuel to inflammation in the brain. |
| D．Drinking tea can solve age-related brain problems. |
| A．The links between diets and diseases. |
| B．The significance of Mediterranean diet. |
| C．The function of various neurotransmitters. |
| D．The influence of nutrients on mental health. |
2 . The beginning of the Year of the Dragon has foreshadowed a “Song of Ice and Fire” with the emergence of Sora, a text-to-video AI model. Videos generated by Sora display strong consistency when it comes to characters and backgrounds, and support continuous shots of up to 60 seconds, including highly detailed settings and multiple camera angles.
However, film insiders noted that currently, AI-generated 60-second videos cannot support the creation of a full-length movie, and the idea that AI tools will “bomb” the film and television industry is so far unfounded. Meanwhile, experts say not to worry excessively, as the integration of AI will help optimize certain occupations, attract more innovative talents and bring new possibilities to the film and television industry.
From the age of film stock to the digital age, from practical effects to digital effects, from 2D to 3D, Sora, like any technological revolution in the century-long history of film, will improve production efficiency, update production and may even create new genres and trends in filmmaking.
Facing the panic signals that AI tools will threaten the global film industry, film insiders argued that the fundamental DNA of film is art and that human creativity cannot be replaced.
| A．With OpenAI’s iteration speed, producing AI videos dozens of minutes long is not far off. |
| B．It is also likely to be incorporated into film and television education and training in the future. |
| C．Film and television are closely linked to technological advancements, which stimulate creativity. |
| D．Sora will undoubtedly prompt changes in existing industrial production and may even replace some jobs. |
| E．Sora is undoubtedly “more of an opportunity than a challenge” for the global film and television industry. |
| F．Creativity and film production requires the integration of emotional experiences and individual memories. |
| G．This implies that with just a text description, ordinary people using Sora may be able to become “great directors”. |
3 . Clinical intuition is finally getting the respect it may have long deserved. New research is supporting a process that combines rapid judgments and perceptions that occur outside of conscious awareness — a way of knowing something without knowing how you know it. The value of clinical intuition in medicine is now being studied and becoming particularly relevant as interest grows in developing AI systems that can analyze medical data to diagnose or treat patients.
A study in 2023 found that clinical intuition from physiotherapists on the prognosis for functional recovery among patients was closely associated with the recovery afterwards. Another study concluded that in comparison to relying only on clinical data, “preoperative surgeon intuition alone is an independent predictor of patient outcomes.”
“This is a cognitive process. Clinical intuition is about expertise, knowledge, and pattern recognition that accumulate through experience. The mind is putting together all kinds of information and sequencing it in ways that say this person is really sick — or not,” says Meredith Vanstone, an associate professor in McMaster University. Given the depth of this cognitive process, some experts are skeptical that AI technology can make medical decisions as well as a human physician.
“As physicians go through years of interactions with patients and seeing thousands of cases, those gut feelings become a sort of summary statement of all the experiences they’ve seen,” says Mohammad Ghassemi, a researcher at Michigan State University. “Clinicians can observe different things that are not always captured or made available by machines.”
Researchers found that physicians and nurses practicing in a medical specialty involving a high likelihood of an emergency or dimensions of complexity are more likely to use intuitive decision-making in their practice. “As surgeons, the first thing we need to do is look at the patient because the structured data may not be consistent with what we see with the patient,” says Gabriel Brat from Harvard Medical School.
Research has found that clinical intuition from nurses and physicians about the chances that older patients visiting emergency departments would die or have other adverse outcomes within 30 days was highly accurate.
None of known experiences suggest that clinical intuition should be blindly acted upon. Making clinical decisions solely on the basis of a physician’s intuition isn’t the way to go, experts say. But relying solely on medical algorithms (mathematical models) that generate predictions about how a patient is likely to respond to different treatments isn’t the best course of action either.
To optimize patient care, some experts believe a hybrid approach that integrates clinical intuition, predictive algorithms, patient preferences, and other key factors is essential.
1. According to the passage, clinical intuition is influenced by ________.| A．rapid judgement |
| B．medical algorithms |
| C．conscious awareness |
| D．professional knowledge |
| A．Clinicians have a sharp eye for a patient’s condition. |
| B．Machines always generate more accurate predictions. |
| C．Doctors should summarize the experiences they’ve seen. |
| D．Physicians’ interactions with patients have been devalued. |
| A．To introduce the wide use of clinical intuition. |
| B．To explain the logic chain of clinical intuition. |
| C．To prove the accuracy of clinical intuition. |
| D．To present feedbacks on clinical intuition. |
The dragon, a famous beast born from fantasy,
Saturday not only marked the last day of China’s 2024 Spring Festival holiday, but also closed out the eight-day domestic film period,
Humankind’s growing need for food is running up against thousands of other species’ need for space. By 2050, humans may need to clear an additional 3.35 million square
7 . That day when Ludwig van Beethoven died was one of the saddest of my life. I had stayed with him for more than twenty years and lived through many of his happiest moments and his triumphs as well as his most unhappy times.
He wasn’t, however, the easiest of men to work for. His moods were changeable so that he could be reasonable at one moment but most impatient and intolerant at the next. All these problems began in 1802 when he discovered his loss of hearing was not temporary.
The loss of hearing brought him to a crossroads in his life. It was then that he realized that his future lay in composing music. Luckily, although his deafness brought him fear and anxiety, he was able to use these emotions to inspire his work.
Dealing with his inner problems and worries, his music was obviously subjective, which was not the most popular type of its time. But people recognized his greatness. They did so even when they knew he could not acknowledge it. When he was conducting his ninth and last symphony on its first performance he was totally deaf. So he just didn’t realize that the music had finished and continued to conduct the orchestra. One of the singers had to turn him round so he could receive the cheers of the audience. From one angle it was a sad moment but from another it was an even greater triumph. That a man with such a condition could have written such dynamic music was overwhelming! It brought tears to my eyes to think that I had contributed in some small way by looking after him.
He dressed rather like a wild man himself. His hair was always untidy, his skin marked with spots and his mouth set in a downward curve. He took no care of his appearance and walked around our city with his clothes carelessly arranged. This was because he was concentrating on his next composition.
Helping him move house many times, preparing his meals and looking after his everyday comforts were my reward for a life living so close to such a musical genius. I consider myself a lucky man!
1. The author was most likely to be Beethoven’s _______.| A．student | B．doctor | C．servant | D．relative |
| A．Beethoven’s music was underestimated at that time. |
| B．Beethoven’s work was inspired by his fear and anger. |
| C．Beethoven’s music stayed in step with the mainstream music of the time. |
| D．Beethoven lost his ability to hear when first conducting his ninth symphony. |
| A．Because the performance was a complete success. |
| B．Because he played a part in Beethoven’s success. |
| C．Because Beethoven was completely deaf then. |
| D．Because the audience cheered for Beethoven. |
| A．intolerant but cheerful |
| B．stubborn but reasonable |
| C．changeable but dedicated |
| D．unsociable but easy-going |
8 . Volunteer in Africa
Dreaming of volunteering in Africa? International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ) will enable you to be immersed in vibrant cultures, discover unique wildlife and make valuable contributions to the local communities.
Common questions about volunteering in Africa
What volunteer work in Africa does IVHQ offer?Whether you want to volunteer and teach English in Africa, support construction projects, wildlife volunteering, or nursing and medical volunteer abroad projects, IVHQ has volunteer work in Africa that is suitable for volunteers with a range of skills and experience.
How much does it cost to volunteer in Africa?Our fully hosted Africa volunteer programs start from as little as $20/day! This includes your accommodation, meals, airport pickup, orientation and comprehensive support services that you won’t find elsewhere.
Is it safe to volunteer in Africa?We have a comprehensive approach to managing safety and reducing risks across all of our programs, which gives volunteers the knowledge and confidence they need to stay safe, secure and healthy. This includes:
All local teams are trained in volunteer management, are required to undertake first aid training and ensure that programs adhere to IVHQ’s Risk Management Policy.
All IVHQ volunteers receive pre-departure and 24/7 in-country support, are required to have travel insurance and are strongly encouraged to take our online pre-departure training which can be accessed for free.
How to volunteer in AfricaApplying to volunteer in Africa is simple! Once you’ve decided which country you want to volunteer in and which Africa project you would like to join, you can apply. It’s free, only takes a few minutes and there is no commitment needed at this stage. Our team of Volunteer Travel Specialists will then guide you through the next steps to secure your spot and start preparing for your trip.
1. In Africa, IVHQ volunteers can ________.| A．manage construction projects |
| B．organize program orientation |
| C．work as language teachers |
| D．undertake first aid training |
| A．Volunteer projects suitable for all. |
| B．An online pre-departure training. |
| C．Well-trained local communities. |
| D．Lectures on cultural difference. |
| A．Selecting countries and projects. |
| B．Obtaining passports and visas. |
| C．Making some commitments. |
| D．Arranging accommodations. |
9 . A quick increase of dopamine (多巴胺) shifts mice into a dreamy stage of sleep. In the mice’s brains, the chemical messenger triggers rapid-eye-movement sleep, or REM, researchers report in the March 4 Science.
These new results are some of the first to show a trigger for the shifts. Understanding these transitions in more detail could ultimately point to ways to treat sleep disorders in people.
Certain nerve cells in the ventral tegmental area of the mouse brain can pump out dopamine, a molecule that has been linked to pleasure, movement and learning, which is then delivered dopamine to the amygdalae, two almond-shaped structures deep in the brain that are closely tied to emotions.
Using a molecular sensor that can tell exactly when and where dopamine is released, the researchers saw that dopamine levels rose in the amygdalae just before mice shifted from non-REM sleep to REM sleep.
Next, the researchers forced the mice into the REM phase by controlling those dopamine-producing nerve cells using lasers and genetic techniques. Compelled with light, the nerve cells released dopamine in the amygdalae while mice were in non-REM sleep. The mice then shifted into REM sleep sooner than they typically did, after an average of about two minutes compared with about eight minutes for mice that weren’t prompted to release dopamine. Stimulating these cells every half hour increased the mice’s total amount of REM sleep.
Additional experiments suggest that these dopamine-making nerve cells may also be involved in aspects of narcolepsy (嗜睡症). A sudden loss of muscle tone, called cataplexy, shares features with REM sleep and can accompany narcolepsy. Stimulating these dopamine-making nerve cells while mice were awake caused the mice to stop moving and fall directly into REM sleep.
The results help clarify a trigger for REM in mice; whether a similar thing happens in people isn’t known. Earlier studies have found that nerve cells in people’s amygdalae are active during REM sleep.
Many questions remain. Drugs that change dopamine levels in people don’t seem to have big effects on REM sleep and cataplexy. But these drugs affect the whole brain, and it’s possible that they are just not selective enough.
1. What can we learn from this passage?| A．People with sleep disorders could benefit from the research. |
| B．Dopamine is generated in two almond-shaped structures. |
| C．Dopamine levels rose after mice shifted to REM sleep. |
| D．An increase of dopamine can trigger REM in people. |
| A．the entire brain |
| B．REM sleep and cataplexy |
| C．drugs affecting dopamine levels |
| D．people suffering from sleep disorders |
| A．To introduce two stages of sleep of all animals. |
| B．To explain dopamine as a trigger for REM in mice. |
| C．To present a new way to cure sleep disorders in people. |
| D．To propose a pioneer research interest in brain structure. |
10 . Paul Durietz is a 76-year-old social studies teacher from Illinois. On September 1, he set a Guinness World Record for the world’s longest teaching career. He has been teaching for 53 years-since he was 23 years old.
Mr. Durietz became interested in history after hearing stories from his father. He made up his mind about becoming a social studies teacher when he was just 11 years old, mainly because of his love of history.
Mr. Durietz got his first teaching job at Woodland Middle School in Gurnee, Illinois in 1970. Ever since then, he’s been teaching social studies at the same school. For him, teaching is never boring because every day is different. He loves sharing his knowledge of history with students.
Things have changed a lot since he began all those years ago. When he started, he wrote on a blackboard with chalk, and the students used paper textbooks. These days, he and the students use computers and digital whiteboards.
Though technology has changed a lot, in Mr. Durietz’s eyes, the students are still pretty much the same-except that now they have cell phones.
And with or without technology, Mr. Durietz has used creative activities to help his students learn. For example, he has organized virtual field trips, geography contests, and special days about the US Civil War. To help his students learn about politics, he has even organized mock (模拟的) elections at school, which his students enjoyed most.
For much of his 53 years as a teacher, Mr. Durietz has been in charge of the social studies program at Woodland. In that time, he has helped to guide over 20 other social studies teachers at the school. To his extreme pride, he has even had students come back and tell him that they became history teachers because of him.
Mr. Durietz wasn’t really trying to set a record. He was just doing what he loved. He has no plans to retire any time soon. He hopes to break his own record. He also hopes to set another record as the teacher who’s worked the longest at the same school.
“Keep working on what you love to do in life,” he always says.
1. Mr. Durietz received an award from Guinness for ______.| A．being the oldest teacher in Illinois |
| B．being the best social studies teacher |
| C．having the longest years of teaching |
| D．working 53 years at the same school |
| A．Sharing his knowledge of history. |
| B．Students enjoying the mock elections. |
| C．Guiding over 20 other teachers at Woodland. |
| D．Students following his example to be teachers. |
| A．Passionate. | B．Generous. | C．Ambitious. | D．Confident. |
| A．One is never too old to learn. |
| B．Be famous as young as possible. |
| C．You have got to like what you do. |
| D．When work is a pleasure, life is joy. |
