1 . People who spend time without distractions enjoy the moments alone with their thoughts more than they think they will, according to a new study.
For the study, researchers compared expectation versus their actual experiences for a total of 259 participants across six experiments to measure how much people enjoyed being free from distraction.
One experiment asked participants to predict how much they thought they would enjoy sitting alone without doing anything else for 20 minutes. People enjoyed sitting alone with their thoughts far more than they predicted, researchers said.
“Humans have a striking ability to immerse themselves in their own thinking,” said study lead author Aya Hatano of Kyoto University in Japan. “Our research suggests that individuals have difficulty appreciating just how engaging thinking can be,” Hatano continued. “That could explain why people prefer keeping themselves busy with devices and other distractions, rather than taking a moment for reflection and imagination in daily life.”
Researchers said their findings were consistent along several variations of the experiment. One experiment, for example, had participants sit in a dark area with no visual stimuli(刺激物).
Another experiment split up the participants into groups. One sat alone, thinking, while the other checked the news on the Internet. The group sitting alone predicted they would enjoy the activity far less than the group reading the news. Yet both groups reported similar levels of enjoyment at the end.
Study co-author Kou Murayama said people who think their life will be less boring by distracting themselves from their thoughts risk missing the opportunity to positively engage with themselves without relying on such stimulation.
Researchers noted that sitting alone with one’s thought was not rated a particularly enjoyable task, but it was better than participants thought. There are also dangers for some, they added.
“Not all thinking is naturally rewarding, and in fact some people tend to fall into cycles of negative thinking,” Murayama said.
1. How did the researchers get their findings?| A．By observing participants’ daily habits. |
| B．By analyzing a series of previous studies. |
| C．By asking participants to complete various tests. |
| D．By comparing what participants expected with reality. |
| A．Diverse experimental designs. | B．Different participant groups. |
| C．Varying patterns of thinking. | D．Similar experimental results. |
| A．Constant distractions may make life less boring. |
| B．Relying on distractions to avoid boredom is unwise. |
| C．Engaging with one’s thoughts can always be beneficial. |
| D．Balancing distraction and self-reflection is unachievable. |
| A．Fitness. | B．Business. | C．Psychology. | D．Entertainment. |
In the summer of 2005, Kathryn Fumie graduated from university and moved into an apartment to start her career. She was learning how to cook for herself, and one day, she decided to cook a hard-boiled egg by putting it in a mug (大杯) of water in the microwave.
She let the egg cook for a bit, then pulled the mug out and looked down at it. And that’s when the egg exploded in her face, burning her skin and eyes.
It was a terrible injury, and the pain was unbearable. Luckily, a roommate was available to call her an ambulance. When it arrived, the EMT (急救医疗医生) who cared for her during the 45-minute drive to the hospital helped to keep her calm.
She was extremely uncomfortable. She felt everything burnt and everything just was on fire. She kept asking him if he could do something, and if she could have a cold pack. And she was just begging for a cure.
The EMT calmly explained that he couldn’t give her a cold pack—he said he wanted to save as much of her skin as possible, and that extreme cold could cause even more damage. She had to just bear it until they got to the burn unit.
He talked her through what he was doing to take her mind off the pain. They also chatted about her new job as a receptionist at a travel agency. Most importantly, he made her feel like she was going to be OK.
He had an amazing voice, and just was so calm. And he made sure that she got passed off to the right people at the hospital.
Fumie ended up staying in the burn unit for four and a half days. About two months later, she went back to work at the travel agency.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右;2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
One day, a man walked up to the reception desk.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________It was then that she realized he was the EMT from that ambulance ride.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3 . “Slow down!” is a phrase many of us heard as kids while we were eating. You may remember your parents telling you that wolfing down your food would result in a stomachache.
While eating your meal, be sure to give enough time to chew each bite before you swallow. This means you shouldn’t feel big chunks of food going down your throat. Chewing each mouthful anywhere from 15 to 30 times, depending on the food.
It’s also good to keep yourself hydrated while eating. Take sips of water every few mouthfuls. Not only can this encourage some much-needed pauses, but it can help you feel fuller.
It’s often tempting to watch TV or play with your phone while eating your meal.
| A．And they were right. |
| B．If you’re eating mindlessly, you may eat rapidly. |
| C．Mindful eating means engaging all of your senses. |
| D．It can also help soften tougher foods while chewing. |
| E．But such distractions can prevent you from eating slowly. |
| F．Make sure you’re setting aside sufficient time for each meal. |
| G．It can also be helpful to put your hand or fork down between each bite. |
International Tea Day is celebrated every year on May 21. On this day, tea lovers unite in celebration of their favorite beverage. International Tea Day also promotes ways
In 2005, tea-producing countries came together to celebrate International Tea Day. These countries
Estimates show that as the world population increases, so will
Besides
5 . Theo works day and night in the tulip (郁金香) fields in the Netherlands and never complains of sore muscles. How is this possible?
Theo is an artificial intelligence, or AI, robot that looks for diseased flowers each spring. The work prevents viruses from spreading among the valuable plants. The robot looks for troubled tulip bulbs and des troys them if necessary. They are removed from the healthy ones in a processing center after the harvest.
There are 45 robots like Theo working in the tulip fields of the Netherlands. Their work becomes important as the winter turns to spring and peak season nears. People come from around the world to see the colorful flowers.
Allan Visser’s family has been growing tulips for three generations. This is the second season that he has used a robot. He said it is very expensive—the same as a sports car—about $200,000. In the past, knowledgeable farmers would walk the fields looking for tulips that showed signs of sickness.
“I prefer to have the robot because a sports car doesn’t take out the sick tulips from our field,” he said, “Yeah, it is expensive, but there are less and less people who can really see the sick tulips.”
The robot has been trained to detect the sick plants. Red stripes show up on the leaves of infected plants. Rolling slowly through the fields at about one kilometer per hour, the robots search for sick tulips. Visser explained that the robot has cameras and takes thousands of photos of the tulips. And then, the AI software considers the photos and decides which tulips need to be killed.
H2L Robotics is the company that makes the robots. Erik de Jong is the managing director. He said all of the knowledge they use in the computer program that informs the robot comes from tulip farmers like Theo van der Voort. He is the farmer that the robot is named after.
Van der Voort retired after 52 years of looking for sick flowers in his fields. “It’s fantastic,” he said, “It sees just as much as I see.”
1. What can we infer from Visser’s words?| A．The robot has strong muscles. | B．The robot is costly but beneficial. |
| C．He fails to employ expert farmers. | D．He has a strong desire for a luxury car. |
| A．How the robot operates. | B．How much the robot costs. |
| C．How fast the robot moves. | D．What the robot is made of. |
| A．Skeptical. | B．Tolerant. | C．Disapproving. | D．Enthusiastic. |
| A．An Intelligent “Farmer” | B．An Imaginary Robot |
| C．An Innovative Company | D．An Expert Surgeon |
6 . Season Guide
Explore what’s in store for 2024 and plan your year of fantastic nights out.
West Side Story28 April—27 May 2024, Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour
A musical masterpiece returns to Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour in a thrilling, larger-than-life staging. Dynamic dance numbers and fireworks soar across the harbour. A must-see if you love Romeo and Juliet, showstopping song and dance numbers, a touching ending.
Tosca24-30 May 2024, Margaret Court Arena
25 June-16 August 2024, Sydney Opera House
A thriller with exciting music, opera’s best villain (反派主角) and an unforgettable ending, Tosca will keep you on the edge of your seat. A must-see if you love stories full. of action, films about love and war, amazing choral music.
The Magic Flute9-16 November 2024, Geelong Arts Centre
Start an exciting journey and meet many amazing characters in Mozart’s The Magic Flute. A must-see if you love adventure stories, famous music, happy endings, opera performed in English.
Watershed: The Death of Dr Duncan14-16 June 2024, Sydney Opera House
An impressive new operatic work by some of Australia’s most celebrated creative talents, bringing a real-life tragedy, and eventual triumph (巨大成功), to the stage. A must-see if you love choral music, stories of triumph over adversity, visually stunning and physically thrilling productions.
1. Which event lasts the longest?| A．Watershed: The Death of Dr Duncan. | B．Tosca. |
| C．The Magic Flute. | D．West Side Story. |
| A．Both involve choral music. | B．Both have happy endings. |
| C．Both are based on real life. | D．Both will be held in Margaret Court Arena. |
| A．West Side Story. | B．Tosca. |
| C．The Magic Flute. | D．Watershed: The Death of Dr. Duncan. |
“And that’s ‘The Ray of Hope’ for you!” Asta said as she ended her book review. She took a deep bow and was given thundering applause. I, too, gave applause. I was happy for my friend. Well, I was pretending to be happy for her. Deep down inside, I was rather feeling envious of Asta. She was always the one who makes speeches, debates and tells stories to others. Me? No! I had stage fright and was always the shy, quiet one who was never courageous to speak in front of others. I had never managed to do a presentation without stammering(结巴). Every time I saw someone making a speech, I would imagine myself in his or her place, receiving the applause and praise.
I was walking to the canteen with Asta. She, as usual, was looking at the script. She had been chosen to be the presenter for the National Day Celebration. I sighed to myself. Why could I not be like her, always loud and brave? If only there was a way to prove myself...
Just then, I caught a glimpse of a poster on the noticeboard.
“Minute to say it?” I read the poster out loud.
It was a competition where one has to prepare a speech about a particular topic and summarize it on the stage within one minute. This could be my big chance to overcome my stage fright! And the best part was, if I won the competition, I would receive a mini-trophy (小奖杯).
Without thinking twice, I grabbed a form and filled in it. I took a seat in the canteen with Asta and told her what I had done, after which she said that she had also signed up for the competition. Suddenly, regret hit me like a 20-pound hammer. I was competing against Asta who was the best speaker in the school! I was bound to lose! Why was I so ill-fated? I just wanted a chance to prove myself that I could overcome my stage fright.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
The big day finally arrived.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Next, it was Asta’s turn.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________8 . Dave Hall led Surprise Squad, an organization to bring surprise to those in need, on a mission to spread joy at a local Albertsons store. Their
She
Dave
He stood in the checkout
He thanked Dave wholeheartedly and left the store, carrying not just groceries but a moment of
| A．plan | B．experience | C．style | D．movement |
| A．regular | B．unique | C．random | D．specific |
| A．suggested | B．revealed | C．insisted | D．referred |
| A．afraid | B．confident | C．full | D．uncertain |
| A．schedule | B．solution | C．gesture | D．strategy |
| A．felt | B．noticed | C．kept | D．left |
| A．Initially | B．Hurriedly | C．Excitedly | D．Absolutely |
| A．adventures | B．investments | C．hesitations | D．struggles |
| A．path | B．point | C．line | D．corner |
| A．cared for | B．insisted on | C．thought of | D．gave up |
| A．basket | B．store | C．vehicle | D．hand |
| A．needed | B．provided | C．expected | D．ignored |
| A．remarked | B．regretted | C．judged | D．required |
| A．creative | B．calm | C．positive | D．evident |
| A．curiosity | B．kindness | C．generosity | D．ambition |
A pair of scissors, a piece of paper, and a pair of dexterous (灵巧的) hands. That’s
The art of paper-cuttings goes beyond mere craftsmanship. It is a form of expression deeply
Today, paper-cuttings continue to decorate Chinese homes,
10 . Compared to robots, human bodies are flexible, capable of fine movements, and can change energy efficiently into movement. Drawing inspiration from human gait, researchers from Japan crafted a two-legged biohybrid robot by combining muscle tissues and artificial materials. This method allows the robot to walk and pivot.
“Research on biohybrid robots, which are a mix of biology and mechanics, is recently attracting attention as a new field of robotics featuring biological function,” says corresponding author Shoji Takeuchi of the University of Tokyo, Japan. “Using muscles as actuators allows us to build a compact robot and achieve efficient, silent movements with a soft touch.”
The research team’s two-legged robot, an innovative bipedal design, builds on the legacy of biohybrid robots that take advantage of muscles. Muscle tissues have driven biohybrid robots to crawl and swim straight forward and make turns—but not sharp ones. Yet, being able to pivot and make sharp turns is an essential feature for robots to avoid obstacles.
To build a nimbler robot with fine and delicate movements, the researchers designed a biohybrid robot that copies human gait and operates in water. By alternating the electric stimulation between the left and right leg every 5 seconds, the biohybrid robot successfully “walked” at the speed of 5.4m m/min(0.002 mph). To turn, researchers repeatedly zapped the right leg every 5 seconds while the left leg served as an anchor.
The robot made a 90-degree left turn in 62 seconds. The findings showed that the muscle-driven bipedal robot can walk, stop, and make fine-tuned turning motions.
“Currently, we are manually moving a pair of electrodes to apply an electric field individually to the legs, which takes time,” says Takeuchi. “In the future, by integrating the electrodes into the robot, we expect to increase the speed more efficiently.
The team also plans to give joints and thicker muscle tissues to the bipedal robot to enable more complicated and powerful movements.
1. What is the weakness of a robot?| A．Awkward to move. | B．Complex to operate. |
| C．Tough to control. | D．Easy to lose energy. |
| A．More stylish. | B．More flexible. | C．More intelligent. | D．More suitable. |
| A．Add more power to the bipedal robot. | B．Expand the use of the bipedal robot. |
| C．Better the bipedal robot’s movements. | D．Apply an electric field to the bipedal robot. |
| A．Biohybrid robots are a mix of biology and mechanics |
| B．Human bodies are flexible, capable of fine movements |
| C．Making sharp turns is essential for robots to avoid obstacles |
| D．Scientists designed a two-legged robot powered by muscle tissues |
