1 . 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.

2. What can we learn from the passage?

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.

3. What is conveyed in the last paragraph?

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.

2 . 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.

2. Why did the author mention the tipping in Italy?

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.

3. What was the driver’s response to the 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.

4. What can we conclude from the passage?

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.

3 . Ecoducts: The Safe Way to Cross the Road

How does an animal cross a road safely? The short answer is: it often doesn’t! Every year around the word, thousands of animals are killed or injured by cars, trucks, and trains on our busy roads and railway systems.

France was the first country to build wildlife crossings to help animals get across roads safely. The French designed these structures to protect animals from the busy traffic. Since then, many other countries have also built wildlife crossings.    1    

Ecoducts, also called “ green bridges”, are structures that engineers build over big roads and highways.    2    Cars, vans, and trucks go under the ecoducts, through a tunnel, and the animals walk over the ecoduct, above the road or highway.

At Banff National Park, in Alberta, Canada, park employees have labored hard to make more than 40 ecoducts. Some of the ecoducts in Banff are bridges that cross over the highway.    3    Others are called underpasses. These are tunnels that go under a road. Most ecoducts have soil and plants on them which provide a good environment for wildlife and encourage animals to use the structures. Some ecoducts, including many in Canada and in Florida, are made extremely big so that black bears, deer, and the Florida panther will use them.

    4    Perhaps you’re distrustful about this idea. You shouldn’t be, because animals do use them! At first animals can be a little unsettled of the crossings. Experts say that some bears can take as long as five years to start using them. When animals realize that the ecoducts are safe, they use them a lot! So far, since Banff National Park began to make notes about the ecoducts in 1997, eleven different species of mammals have used the overpasses and underpasses more than 200, 000 times !

Ecoducts are a great way to protect wildlife from traffic.    5    But for now even snakes can get itself across a road safely thanks to ecoducts!

A．Were endangered animals saved from dying out?

B．But do animals really use these man-made bridges?

C．These are called overpasses because they go over a road.

D．They allow many different types of animals to cross safely to the other side.

E．In the Netherlands there are over 600 special bridges and tunnels, called ecoducts.

F．Countries will be building many more of these structures around the world in the future.

G．France used to be known for its dangerous car crashes with animals until the roads were upgraded.

4 . Slow schools and slow education can refer to different aspects of education. Some people use the term slow schools to refer to schools that are attempting to bring slow food to the cafeteria or dining room. For others it has far more implications and includes aspects of connection to knowledge, tradition, moral purpose and all that is important in life. In this sense it refers to the curriculum (课程), the way it is delivered, the process of learning, management of the school, and even if school is the best vehicle through which to educate our children. So in this sense, it refers to bringing the slow movement into education.

In many Western countries that have Anglo-Saxon origins, governments and schools have strict control structures in place and schools are driven by standardised curricula with tests and targets to ensure uniform outcomes. The emphasis is on the outcome not on the process. The process is about things like how ideas are conceptualised, how can we support learning and the knowing of how to learn, as well as the love of learning and investigating.

Slow education is also about connection to knowledge and to learning—real learning. It is about doing no harm and having respect for all living and non-living things. Slow education is a concept of ‘ecological literacy’. Michael Stone and Zenobia Barlow have put together a collection of authors in Ecological Literacy: Educating our Children for a Sustainable World to give us ways to adapt to the way we live on Earth and the way we can educate our children to their highest capacities. This book is recommended to parents and educators who are engaged in creative efforts to develop new curricula and improve children’s ecological understanding. Slow education is about supporting our children to develop values and ethics (道德规范) that will enable them to live a joyous life in the slow lane.

The similarities of debate about Fast Food vs Slow Food and the debate about Fast Schools vs Slow Schools are self- evident upon reflection. Fast schools like fast food are not concerned with the process, preparation and connection. They are concerned with the standardised end product which in the case of schools is the results from standardised tests and targets, and in the case of food is the standardised hamburger or fried chicken etc. ，that look like all others the outlet produce quickly.

The process of education is not about supplying students with lumps of information to be repeated on demand. It is about enabling students to learn how to learn. It is also about giving them opportunities to hear what others have learnt (knowledge) and to then discuss, argue, and reflect on this knowledge to gain a greater understanding of its truth for them and of how this knowledge will be of use to them.

1. What does the underlined phrase “uniform outcome” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．The same results.	B．The unique courses.
C．The positive effects.	D．The special clothes.

2. Why does the writer mention Michael Stone and Zenobia Barlow’s book?

A．To present the purpose of slow education.

B．To encourage people to develop new courses.

C．To prove slow education is popular among parents.

D．To offer materials to learn about ecological literacy.

3. What can we infer from the passage?

A．Education is a mirror reflecting the world.

B．People should rethink what to teach in schools.

C．We should reflect on ourselves on a daily basis.

D．Better reading skills should be attained in school.

4. What is the best title of the passage?

A．Slow Schools- connecting children to life.

B．Slow Food- -turning schools into a new style.

C．Slow Education- -helping students get better grades.

D．Slow Movement- -being different from the fast world.

5 . Scientists are getting a better look at the universe thanks to the new James Webb Space Telescope ( JWST)—the largest, most powerful space telescope ever built. It was sent into space on a rocket on Dec. 25, 2021 and is now located about 1. 6 million kilometres away from Earth. It moves around the sun, keeping in line with Earth.

Scientists released the first images taken by the telescope in July 2022. One of these images shows the most distant view of the universe ever seen. Other images from the JWST include Jupiter and Mars, as well as two exoplanets (planets not in our own solar system). The telescope has also captured (捕获) images of the Southern Ring Nebula, a cloud of gas surrounding a dying star, as well as the Carina Nebula, where newly forming stars can be seen.

The JWST observes only infrared light. The further away something is in the universe, the longer it takes for its light to reach us on Earth. As light travels through space, it stretches out into longer and longer wavelengths. As it gets longer, it becomes invisible to humans, and is called infrared light.

Because the JWST sees infrared light, it is able to see further away—and further back in time—than other telescopes. It also records more details of the objects it observes. Scientists hope this will help them learn more about the origins of the universe, and better understand things like black holes, or how planets and galaxies are formed.

The images the telescope sends back to Earth do not look like the photographs we see from scientists. Because the JWST records only infrared light, the images it sends back appear black to a human eye. However, they actually contain many different shades of grey that represent different wavelengths of infrared light.

Scientists working with the images use filters ( 过滤器) to separate the different wavelengths. Then they give each wavelength a different colour so it can be seen by a human eye. When all of these filtered layers (层) of colour are combined, they create the colourful pictures that scientists send out. Adding colour to the images not only makes them more interesting for people to look at. It also helps scientists see more details in the images, which will help them better understand what they are looking at.

1. According to Paragraph 3, the infrared light________.

A．is the light from nearby stars

B．cannot be seen by human eyes

C．reaches the earth earlier than other lights

D．travels in space with shorter wavelength

2. What can we learn from the passage?

A．The pictures sent back by JWST are beautiful.

B．JWST goes around in the same way as the sun does.

C．The formation of the black holes was recorded by JWST.

D．JWST has shown the farthest view of the universe by now.

3. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．How scientists use JWST to take photos.

B．Why JWST is better than other telescopes.

C．What scientists discovers in space with JWST.

D．How JWST helps scientists explore the space.

6 . Alejandro Buxton’s candle business started with a headache. The 12-year-old’s mom suffers from allergies, and something in their house was causing her head to hurt. After going to the hospital, they discovered the cause of the headache: the candles. His mom had no choice but to get rid of the scented (有香味的) items.

However, he knew his mother really loved candles. To lift her spirits, he set up a lab in the family’s kitchen in the fall of 2019 and made a candle using only natural ingredients, such as soy and coconut waxes (蜡) and essential oils. Chemicals in her old candles were causing the headaches. He named his first product Jurassic Orange, which is similar to the fruit in color and smell. Jurassic Orange was a hit with his mom, whose headaches disappeared. But Alejandro wasn’t done experimenting. Within a few months, he had about six scents, including Chunky Sweaters and Cozy Socks, which smells like a fruit drink mixed with a pine forest.

In September 2020, he put his first collection of candles on Etsy, the online marketplace that specializes in handmade goods. He also sold candles at seasonal markets, such as the one in downtown D. C. where the vice president was shopping for holiday gifts last year. He recommended two candles to the vice president. She took some of his advice.

Jesse Benites, general manager of a big shopping mall, said the vice president’s visit “skyrocketed” Alejandro’s fame. A senior manager contacted Alejandro and invited him to rent one of the 12 retail carts at the mall. On September 1,2022, Smell of Love Candles opened on the second level of the shopping center. Alejandro is the mall’s youngest business owner. Inside the mall, Alejandro turned a large room into his production facility, where he and his staff make 600 to 700 candles a week. There were altogether 25 scents on the shelf. He continued to make new scents and wanted to see all his candles in every single household and love and joy come into the houses.

Alejandro’s candle business makes a good profit, but for him, the money he earned is not just for his own college fund but for local charities.

1. Alejandro started his business because he wanted to________.

A．solve his mother’s problem

B．earn some money for the family

C．make more people love candles

D．change the way candles are made

2. What do we know about Smell of Love Candles?

A．It was visited by the vice president.

B．It mainly sells candles on the Internet.

C．It teaches people how to make candles.

D．It will offer new scents of the candles.

3. The money Alejandro made will be used to____.

A．open more chain stores

B．help more people in need

C．invent new scents of the candles

D．promote his candles to more families

4. According to the passage, which words can best describe Alejandro?

A．Organized and loving.	B．Smart and outgoing.
C．Caring and creative.	D．Generous and honest.

7 . Surrounding Science

A new Science Museum app explores common objects in the world around you. If you’ve played the mobile game Pokémon Go, you’ll know that its monsters can be found wherever you walk. Now the technology behind that game is being used for a new app from the Science Museum.

It’s called Wonderlab AR and is free to download from the app stores on Apple and Android mobile phones. The aim is to encourage people to get outside and learn about the science in our everyday environment—from traffic lights and electric car charging points to cashpoints, telephones and even toilets. Instead of catching monsters, in this game you’re looking for “discoveries” (as the app calls them) from different fields of science: including electricity, forces, light, maths and sound. The app uses augmented-reality (AR) technology from a company called Niantic, which is best known as the developer of Pokémon Go.

That’s why Wonderlab AR looks quite a lot like that game, showing you a map of the “discoveries” in your current location in the real world. You’ll see them on the map but to collect them, you have to walk to their real-world location. Although the Science Museum is in London, the app works anywhere in the country and there are lots of things to discover near you.

Alongside the app, there is also a new website from the Science Museum called Wonderlab+ (tinyurl. com/TWJ-Wonderlab). This site is for young people aged seven to 15 years old and is a mixture of fun maths and science hands-on activities, including YouTube videos, online quizzes, questions and games.

Both the app and website are based on the Wonderlab galleries that people can visit at the Science Museum in London and the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford, England. The app and website allow people who live in other parts of the UK to learn more about the science of everyday objects and experience the exhibitions.

1. With the new app Wonderlab AR, you can________.

A．learn about science around you

B．visit the science museum online

C．catch monsters like in Pokémon Go

D．locate any science museums nearby

2. From the passage, we know that Wonderlab +________.

A．is designed for both children and adults

B．answers people’s questions about science

C．shares various resources about science

D．provides a chance to experiment in the labs

3. The author writes this passage mainly to________.

A．invite people to go to the science museum

B．attract children’s attention to science learning

C．introduce a new science museum app and a website

D．compare the differences between the app and the website

8 . 阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号所给词的正确形式填空。

In the 17^th century, people believed more in the church than in facts, and people like Galileo Galilei,    1    proved the idea that “the Earth is not the center of the universe”, were often punished by the church with no one    2    (come) to their defence. The church and many people tended to ignore the facts and didn’t want to challenge    3    they had always comfortably believed. It is not surprising that people wanted to believe these primitive ideas as they had been put forward    4    the great philosopher Aristotle.

9 . 阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号所给词的正确形式填空。

A recent study found that extreme environmental change could cause an “extinction domino effect.”    1    it may seem unimportant if we lose one rat species, it matters because all species    2    (connect ) through their interactions in a web of life. A balanced ecosystem is one in which each species plays an important role and relies on the services provided by other species    3    (survive). Healthy ecosystems are more productive and resistant to disruptions.

10 . 阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号所给词的正确形式填空。

When I started teaching science last year, I wasn’t very    1    (success). I could tell from my students’ behaviour that they found my lesson quite boring. I felt quite a lot of stress but then I realized that I needed to make a change. I decided to use a lot more practical    2    (example ) and experiment to help the students see what I    3    (talk) about instead of just listening. I also changed my teaching approach to involving more group work. Fortunately, it worked and now my students tell me they love my classes.