1 . Smiling’s A Stress Reliever

A University of Kansas study found that participants who were asked to smile during stressful tasks had lower heart rates during stress recovery. So it seems even forcing yourself to look happy helps manage tricky situations.

    1     The fact smiling reduces your heart rate when you’re stressed is also likely to have a knock-on effect on blood pressure. Other research has shown blood pressure doesn’t rise when people are exposed to humour.

Beaming (笑容满面) boosts immunity. A smile releases certain hormones in the brain, including serotonin (血清素), which is associated with an improvement in immune function.     2     Depression, on the other hand, can weaken your immune system.

A smile can relieve your pain. Being amused also prompts the release of endorphins (内啡肽) in the brain.    3     In one study, participants who smiled while being injected reported 40% less pain than those holding a neutral expression.

Looking happy encourages positivity.     4     A 2022 study of 3,878 participants in 19 countries found people’s happiness rating was higher when they smiled.

Smiling makes you welcome to others and helps you connect with them. Fortunately, with enough practice, smiling can become an automatic behavior. You can use certain situations as cues to smile. You might remind yourself to smile when you hear someone laugh or while you’re in the process of making tea. You could set a note on your phone to help remember to smile.    5    

A．Smiling can reduce heart rate.

B．Smiling may lower blood pressure.

C．They are the body's natural painkillers.

D．Study found that smiling can make one live longer.

E．So, if you want to stay well, you should smile more.

F．Smiling can boost mood, not just a response to happiness.

G．Thinking of a favorite person or happy memory can make you smile too.

2 . In a video shared online, a young photographer, Lily, is seen confidently directing a well-known action movie star for a photoshopot. Even though the actor is very tall, she is not nervous. She tells him what to do like a real professional, even though she’s still quite young.

“Given his size, I asked him to make more pronounced movements,” said Lily, reflecting on the shoot in a recent interview. The young shutterbug (摄影爱好者) has already taken photos of several personalities and has earned a significant following online, with her work receiving millions of likes.

Lily’s journey into photography began when she was just four years old, with a simple point-and-shoot camera. Her father, recognizing her natural ability to connect with people, encouraged her to explore street photography. At the age of five, she captured a portrait of a renowned musician-turned-actress during a chance encounter in a store, which quickly went viral on the social media.

Since then, Lily has been receiving numerous requests to photograph top talents. “The more I photograph in public places, the more recognition I get, which in turn leads to more chances to work with well-known figures,” she explained.

Because of her young age, some have questioned how she manages to secure such high-profile shoots. Her father, who assists with minor post-production edits, explained that her unique perspective was what attracted the attention of talent agencies. “Through Lily’s lens (镜头), subjects show a different side,” he said. “Her photos capture a softer, gentler aspect of people, celebrity or not.”

Addressing concerns about the use of filters and heavy editing, Lily insists that her images are minimally processed. Her ultimate goal is to evoke (唤起) emotions through her photography and, eventually, to become a full-time portrait photographer. For now, she continues to hone (磨炼) her craft and enjoys the present moment.

1. What phenomenon is described in the first paragraph?

A．A girl is directing a film.	B．How a girl is photographing.
C．Children need social activities.	D．How a short video is produced.

2. What made Lily gain more attention?

A．She photographed many action movies.	B．A famous actress offered to help her.
C．Her father made her skills known.	D．Social media played a significant role.

3. How does Lily differ from professional photographers in photographing?

A．She is good at adjusting lens.	B．She constantly learns from others.
C．She photographs from a special angle.	D．She gains recognition from celebrities.

4. What is Lily’s attitude to improving her skill?

A．Hesitant.

B．Determined.

C．Pessimistic.

D．Negative.

3 . Southern Africa is home to most of the world’s black and white rhinos. Because of global warming, the weather in this area is changing quickly. People have worked hard to protect rhinos from being hunted, but until now, no one has really looked at how the changing weather might hurt these animals.

A research team from the University of Massachusetts Amherst has recently reported that the area will be affected by both higher temperatures and changing precipitation (降水) and the rhinos are more sensitive to rising temperatures, which will quickly increase above the animals’ acceptable maximum threshold.

Over the last 100 years, Africa’s average monthly temperatures have gone up by 0.5℃ to 2℃. Scientists think that in the next 100 years, it might get even warmer, up to 2 more degrees. This change in weather might also change how much rain we get. But here’s the thing：For animals like white and black rhinos, which people have been trying to protect for a long time, will the heat or the rain changes hurt them more? This is a big question because rhinos don’t have sweat to cool down. They stay cool by taking baths and staying in cool shady spots.

To understand how changing climate will affect rhino populations, lead author Hlelowenkhosi S. Mamba and his colleague, focused their efforts on five large national parks representing diverse landscapes in southern Africa that are home to most of the rhinos. They have found that temperature conditions in all study parks will become increasingly unsuitable for both species, but it is predicted that white rhinos will be affected earlier than black rhinos.

“This research highlights the importance of using climate predictions tor both park and rhino management,” says Randhir. “We propose that park managers now think about increasing water supplies, tree cover, watching for stress and planning to allow rhino migration as the world warms.”

1. How are rhinos traditionally protected?

A．By building their living habitats.

B．By saving them from illegal hunt.

C．By monitoring their physical health.

D．By removing their breeding surroundings.

2. Which can best replace the underlined word “threshold” in paragraph 2?

A．range

B．register

C．average

D．content

3. What is a means for rhinos to fight against heat?

A．Cooling heat off by sweating.	B．Drinking much water.
C．Migrating to other places.	D．Bathing in the water.

4. What is the key suggestion for park managers to help rhinos adapt to climate change?

A．Predicting the weather.	B．Buying new species.
C．Boosting habitats.	D．Restricting visitors.

4 . While there are already apps that guide blind users to a bus stop’s approximate location, those people may unknowingly end up standing too far away from the actual stop. A new app addresses that shortcoming by letting the smartphone’s camera in on the act.

Known as All_Aboard, the AI-based app was developed by a team of scientists at the Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts Eye and Ear treatment and research center. It’s made to be used along with a third-party GPS-based online navigational (导航的) map.

Users start by using other apps to get to a bus stop’s location. They then open All _Aboard and proceed to hold their smartphone up so that its back camera can “see” the surrounding street. Drawing upon a deep learning neural network which was trained on around 10,000 images of bus stops within that city, the app is reportedly able to visually identify the target stop’s sign if it’s within a range of up to 15 meters away. Once the sign has been spotted, the app guides the user via sonar-like beeps (哔哔声) which change pitch and speed as the person gets closer to the bus stop.

In field tests, 24 legally blind volunteers used both online maps and All _Aboard to locate 20 bus stops—10 in an urban setting and 10 in a suburban environment.

When it came to getting close enough to those stops, online maps alone had a success rate of just 52%, whereas All _Aboard boosted the number to 93%. Additionally, while the average distance between the map’s endpoint and the actual bus stop was 6.62 meters with online maps, it was just 1.54 meters with All _Aboard.

“Our findings suggest that the All _Aboard app could help travelers with visual impairments (视力受损) in navigation by accurately detecting the bus stop, and therefore greatly reducing their chance of missing buses due to standing too far from the bus stops,” said Massachusetts Eye and Ear’s Assoc. Prof. Gang Luo. “This study indicates that computer vision-based object recognition capabilities can be used in a complementary (补充的) way and provide added benefit to purely mapping-based, macro-navigation services in real-world settings.”

1. What is the author’s purpose of writing paragraph 1?

A．To introduce the topic.

B．To highlight other apps.

C．To show the new app’s shortcomings.

D．To detailedly compare the new app with others.

2. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．The importance of camera in smartphones.

B．The potential advantage of the new app.

C．How the new app All _ Aboard works.

D．Why users get closer to the bus stop.

3. What can we infer about All _ Aboard from the data given in paragraph 5?

A．High accuracy.	B．Good reputation.
C．Perfect property.	D．More application.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．Blind Users Benefiting From Science

B．A New App Is In The Charge Of Its Users

C．Online Maps Needing Improvement To The Bus Service

D．All _ Aboard Making Navigation Efficient For The Blind

5 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Why does the man ask the girl to go to bed?

A．She will take a test tomorrow.

B．They will have a holiday tomorrow.

C．She will have classes tomorrow morning.

2. Which subject does the girl need to improve?

A．English.

B．Math.

C．History.

3. What will the girl do next?

A．Go to sleep.

B．Get her textbook.

C．Play video games.

6 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. How long is the lecture about ants?

A．30 minutes.

B．45 minutes.

C．60 minutes.

2. Where is the documentary The Secret Life of Birds on show?

A．In Theater A.

B．In Theater B.

C．In Theater C.

3. What will the listeners do at 2:30 p.m.?

A．Gather in the Exhibition Room.

B．Visit the Insect House.

C．See a film.

4. Who will host the event Encouraging Garden Wildlife?

A．David Crocker.

B．Monica Chaddha.

C．The speaker.

7 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. How does the man get to the woman’s house?

A．By taxi.

B．On foot.

C．By bus.

2. What is the woman having trouble with?

A．Singing songs.

B．Sleeping at night.

C．Learning Chinese.

3. How does the woman feel about the man s suggestion?

A．She is willing to give it a try.

B．She thinks it’s a waste of time.

C．She thinks it is useless.

4. What did the man do yesterday?

A．He downloaded a song.

B．He discovered a new website.

C．He used his phone for directions.

8 . Lyn Story is a retiree in Fort Worth, Texas. She had a lot of _________ time on her hands until she met Apryl Goodwin, who had been diagnosed with uterine cancer (子宫癌).

Apryl had no transportation and didn't know what to do. So she sought for _________ on the community app Nextdoor. Someone _________ and said, “I’ll take you to your _________.” She ignored it because it was a stranger and didn’t accept it until Lyn _________ her again and said, “I’ll take you. I mean it. I’m _________ and sincere.”

That _________ was Lyn, and over the last year, she has taken Apryl to more than 25 radiation appointments, six chemotherapy treatments and _________ doctor visits. Apryl said Lyn was like her guardian.

Lyn’s _________ doesn’t stop there. Months after meeting Apryl, she was on the Nextdoor app again when she __________ a post from Kevin Horrigan, who is legally blind. “Lyn’s really a kind woman,” said Kevin. “She really is, because I can’t __________.”

Tough times made Kevin come back to work after retiring. Now Lyn __________ his burdens. Lyn drives him to work or she picks him up from work. Kevin says what Lyn has done helps him __________.

Lyn said she started thinking of herself as a bad-weather friend. “You know, fair-weather friends only __________ you when everything’s good for you,” she explained. “But a bad-weather friend is there to help you in times of __________.”

Filled with love, Lyn’s story is life changing for so many.

1.

A．valuable

B．free

C．boring

D．extra

2.

A．help

B．forgiveness

C．space

D．treatment

3.

A．came off

B．got around

C．spoke up

D．went away

4.

A．settings

B．gyms

C．fences

D．appointments

5.

A．phoned

B．evaluated

C．messaged

D．found

6.

A．honest

B．satisfied

C．fortunate

D．renowned

7.

A．doctor

B．friend

C．novelist

D．stranger

8.

A．selfless

B．countless

C．helpless

D．careless

9.

A．dream

B．ambition

C．kindness

D．intention

10.

A．noticed

B．received

C．ignored

D．expected

11.

A．imagine

B．drive

C．walk

D．run

12.

A．reduces

B．restores

C．arranges

D．promotes

13.

A．reasonably

B．immediately

C．greatly

D．generally

14.

A．forget

B．accompany

C．train

D．warn

15.

A．peace

B．survival

C．danger

D．need

9 . Singapore is a lively island country known for a mix of cultures and tastes. Here are four popular dishes that offer a true taste of Singapore.

Hainanese Chicken Rice

This dish is a favorite and is very simple yet very tasty. The chicken is cooked in water to be very soft and is served with rice that has been cooked with chicken soup, along with a bit of spicy sauce. Each part of this dish is carefully made to make the eating experience even better.

Bak Kut Teh (Pork Ribs Tea)

A strong and healthy breakfast choice, Bak Kut Teh is a dish that warms you up. Even though tea is in the name, it's not a drink. It's a tasty soup made by cooking pork bones with Chinese herbs and spices. The soup is usually eaten with rice and has a bit of a spicy taste that wakes up your taste buds, a great way to start the day.

Katong Laksa

Laksa is a hot noodle soup that shows Singapore's mix of cultures. The soup has a thick coconut milk(椰奶) base with a strong smell of spices like lemongrass and tamarind. It's often filled with things like shrimp, fishcakes, and soft tofu, making it a full and satisfying meal that pleases your mouth with each bite.

Char Kway Teow (Stir-Fried Rice Noodles)

If you like food that's a bit smoky and tasty, try char kway teow. This noodle dish is a must-eat at Singapore's food stalls. It's cooked in a wok(炒菜锅) with things like clams, Chinese sausage, and long beans, then flavored with a sauce that is both tasty and a little sweet. The last step is to add a bit of chopped chili, which gives the dish a nice little spicy taste.

1. How is the chicken in Hainanese chicken rice typically prepared?

A．It is roasted in an oven.	B．It is cooked to be very soft.
C．It is cooked with a sour sauce.	D．It is roasted with herbs and spices.

2. What is Bak Kut Teh?

A．A kind of cattle bone.	B．A kind of drink.
C．A kind of rice.	D．A kind of soup.

3. Which of the following dishes is described as having a smoky and tasty flavor?

A．Char kway teow.	B．Bak Kut Teh.
C．Katong laksa.	D．Hainanese chicken rice.

10 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What kind of music does the man like?

A．Lively music.

B．Dance music.

C．Classical music.

2. What does the woman do when she listens to music?

A．She does some cooking.

B．She does homework.

C．She surfs the Internet.

3. Why is the man going to listen to classical music?

A．Because he is sad.

B．Because he is a lively person.

C．Because it is good for the brain.

4. What does the woman advise the man to do?

A．Listen to the radio.

B．Download some music.

C．Go to the concert.