1 . In recent studies we have been investigating mirror writing by typical 4- to 6-year-old children. The term is used because the characters — numbers and capital letters — are reversed (反向), yet are correct when looked at in a mirror.

Mirror writing entered the scientific literature in 1878. The explanations for the phenomenon were not only insufficient but also often wrong. One of them is — writing with the left hand. Throughout the 20th century, scientific journals have published mirror writing mostly produced by left-handed children. Even today, left-handedness is often the favorite explanation of teachers when children produce mirror writing.

The explanation we find for the phenomenon of mirror writing of characters works on two successive levels, the first cerebral and the second behavioral. The cerebral level shows that the brain removes orientation (left or right) when storing images, a process called symmetrisation or mirror generalization. This mirror-generalization process leads children aged 5 to know, from memory, the shape of the characters, but not their left/right orientation. Given the features of the process — horizontal mirror in the visual modality (视觉模式) — it is important to note that the initial learning of the form of the characters by the children is mainly visual, and that the children only produce horizontal mirror writing.

At the behavioral level, when children write the characters from memory, they must give them an orientation. In countries whose primary languages are written in Latin characters — written from left to right — children most often point them toward the right. This leads them to reverse mainly the left-oriented characters: J, Z, 1, 2, 3, 7, and 9. However, when spatial constraints cause them to write from right to left, the children instead reverse the right-oriented letters.

Since this explanation has nothing to do with the handedness of the children, it can be predicted that right-handed children will reverse characters almost often as left-handed children, and that – left-handed or right-handed – children will primarily reverse left-oriented characters in Western culture. This is because they strictly orient the characters in the direction of writing.

1. What aspect of a character does mirror generalization help children to know?

A．Its form.	B．Its pronunciation.
C．Its meaning.	D．Its orientation.

2. Which paragraph shows why mirror writing is reversed horizontally rather than vertically (垂直)?

A．Paragraph 2.	B．Paragraph 3.
C．Paragraph 4.	D．Paragraph 5.

3. Which of the following is likely to be reversed by a child writing from right to left?

A．M.

B．C.

C．8.

D．9.

4. What can we learn from the study?

A．Handedness is the main reason for mirror writing.

B．Right-handed children won’t write reversed characters.

C．Left-handed children reverse right-oriented characters more often.

D．Children in the US tend to primarily reverse left-oriented characters.

2 . Lena Mars and her parents had taken a trip to Costa Rica. While enjoying one of the country’s many beautiful beaches, the girl’s parents gave her a snack. But it turned out that she wasn’t the only one who was hungry: A wild iguana (鬣蜥) appeared unexpectedly as the girl at e her cake by the water. The iguana ran up to the girl and bit her on the back of her left middle finger, causing her to drop the cake. The animal then ran off with the snack, but it did leave something else behind.

The Mars immediately took the girl to a local clinic, where a doctor disinfected the wound with alcohol and gave her some antibiotics (抗生素). The wound appeared to have cleared up in about two weeks. It was five months later, when Lena’s parents noticed a coin-sized bump (肿块) on her hand in the same spot causing mild pain, that they thought they should take her to another doctor.

The doctor removed the 2-centimeter mass and took a closer look at the growth in the lab and discovered that the child had a rare infection that more commonly causes a tuberculosis-like illness in fish. It’s ubiquitous in fresh and salt water but rarely infects humans. Typically, when humans are infected, it’s after a wound has been exposed to the bacteria in water.

Most antibiotics alone don’t work on these kinds of infections, so the doctor gave the girl a different medical treatment often used for skin infections. She responded well to the treatment.

“Generally, iguanas will go about their day. But like any wildlife, if they start associating people with food, they’re going to risk coming closer.” said Anna Meyer, operations manager at a zoo in Florida. “The lesson here is that no one should feed wildlife, because they will most likely give you a bite.”

1. What can we learn about Lena Mars?

A．She tried to feed an animal.	B．She was bitten by an iguana.
C．She left the cake on the beach.	D．She found a rare wild animal.

2. Why did Lena’s parents take her to another doctor?

A．The antibiotics were harmful.	B．They distrusted the first doctor.
C．Her wound became infected.	D．She took the medicine wrongly.

3. What does the underlined word “ubiquitous” in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Common.

B．Dangerous.

C．Lively.

D．Useful.

4. What did Anna Meyer want to say about feeding wildlife?

A．It is good for wildlife.	B．It puts animals in danger.
C．It is a risky behavior.	D．It gets us close to nature.

3 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。

1. Why did the speaker make the appointment?

A．To visit his new neighbour.

B．To have his house examined.

C．To organize a family outing.

2. What did the speaker fail to do last Monday?

A．Call the examiner in advance.

B．Charge the man for his service.

C．Make the paperwork ready.

3. What does the speaker suggest in the talk?

A．Staying energetic at all times.

B．Always being prepared.

C．Never fearing failure.

4 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。

1. What does the woman want Stuart to do?

A．Correct his mistakes.

B．Offer some suggestions.

C．Wait for rescue workers.

2. Why is the woman concerned about her travel?

A．She may lose the way.

B．She may feel homesick.

C．She may miss the flight.

3. Who should the woman turn to for directions according to Stuart?

A．Children.

B．Tourists.

C．Deliverymen.

4. What do we know about Stuart?

A．He is an experienced traveler.

B．He is a kind policeman.

C．He is a creative student.

5 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The audience and viewership for this year’s Spring Festival TV gala, which was aired on Feb 9, Lunar New Year’s Eve or Chinese Lunar New Year, both reached record     1    (high), according to ratings statistics.

    2    (support) by ultra-high-definition production, the gala was telecast on TV screens, public large screens, and mobile devices. A total of 250 million people watched the live streaming of the show via     3    (they) mobile phones with the total views reaching 420 million, up by 37.97 percent and 57.58 percent,     4     (respective), compared with 2023. The China Global Television Network (CGTN) worked with over 2,100 media organizations in about 200 countries and regions to live broadcast or report the show in 68 languages,     5    (result) in over 1.5 billion instances of viewing,    6     increase of 12.69 percent year on year.

This year, the gala, in addition     7    Beijing, had four branch venues. Audience enjoyed a diversity of local cultural elements from those places, such as folk     8     (music) instruments and folk dances.

Since its broadcast in 1983, the annual CCTV Spring Festival Gala     9     (become) an essential part of celebrations in the country to greet the Chinese New Year. As a major entertainment during Lunar New Year’s Eve, the gala marks the joyous moment     10     families gather together to celebrate.

6 . The beauty of love is that it can happen with the most unexpected person in the most unlikely places. In the case of a one-year-old stray puppy in Duplin County, North Carolina, that “person” happened to be a bright _________ stuffed unicorn (独角兽) at a local Dollar General store.

It is unclear how the adorable Labrador mix, now called Sisu, first caught sight of the _______ of his life. However, once he did, there was no stopping the pooch from trying to _______ it from the shelf in the store. On his first attempt, he _______ through the doors and made a beeline for the _______ aisle (通道), only to be caught by the staff. Not discouraged, Sisu made four more _______, only to be gently driven away by the shop assistants.

After Sisu attempted for the fifth time, the store owner _______ the Duplin County Animal Services. When animal control officer named Samantha Lane arrived, Sisu was sitting in the store’s parking lot _______ awaiting his next chance to get his beloved unicorn. The officer, who has a “soft spot for sad stories,” couldn’t bear to see the _______ puppy. So, she bought the $10 unicorn and placed it in the front seat of her truck. Not ________, the stray pooch willingly followed.

On March 26, 2021, the shelter staff ________ a photo of Sisu and his friend on Facebook, ________ their story as well. The heartwarming post went viral, and within five days, Sisu had found a(n) ________ home. The animal shelter, which is currently training the dog, has also ________ numerous purple unicorns from fans who want to make sure Sisu is never ________ his favorite toy again!

1.

A．red

B．black

C．white

D．purple

2.

A．opportunity

B．love

C．fortune

D．challenge

3.

A．steal

B．touch

C．watch

D．find

4.

A．looked

B．pulled

C．cut

D．burst

5.

A．tool

B．clothing

C．toy

D．food

6.

A．barks

B．attempts

C．choices

D．mistakes

7.

A．called

B．helped

C．complained

D．attacked

8.

A．gently

B．leisurely

C．eagerly

D．angrily

9.

A．brave

B．shameful

C．regretful

D．heartbroken

10.

A．depressingly

B．surprisingly

C．disappointingly

D．confusingly

11.

A．posted

B．took

C．downloaded

D．found

12.

A．acquiring

B．imitating

C．adding

D．inventing

13.

A．shabby

B．permanent

C．fancy

D．costly

14.

A．borrowed

B．subscribed

C．received

D．bought

15.

A．without

B．around

C．between

D．against

7 . Most people, if you quizzed them, probably wouldn’t know how much of all global trade is done by sea. It’s one of several reasons that the pollution and carbon emissions from shipping gain much less attention than those from road transport and other industries. It’s over the horizon, out of sight and out of mind.

Today, the international shipping industry is the main mode of transport for around 90 per cent of world trade. It’s powered almost entirely by fossil fuels. Studies show that alternative technologies and zero-emission fuels — including electrofuels such as hydrogen, ammonia and methanol — have the potential to significantly reduce the industry’s carbon footprint and thus require urgent implementation (实施). There’s just one catch: they don’t exist yet.

Even if the technology were available, the infrastructure (基础设施) for that technology or fuel is going to take time to develop. And an even bigger challenge is going to be whether that methanol or ammonia fuel is green, which touches on other industries such as renewable electricity. Do we even have enough renewable electricity in the world to be able to generate these fuels? It’s a complex supply chain that requires cooperation across the industry. It’s not something that one company can solve by itself.

According to Piotr Konopka, senior manager for energy and decarbonisation (碳减排) programs at DP World, there are some simple behavioral changes that can help cut down on fuel used in the meantime, from the regular maintenance and reduced idling of port equipment to the implementation of weather routing that helps ships avoid rougher, more fuel-intensive stretches of water. “Of course, efficiency is unlikely to ever reduce emissions by more than five or ten per cent, but it’s definitely a low-hanging fruit,” he says.

“This is the last moment for the IMO to act decisively to eliminate shipping emissions” says Delaine McCullough, shipping emissions policy manager at environmental NGO Ocean Conservancy. “We need countries to demand that the IMO set strong emission-reduction goals and take action at home if the IMO fails to do the right thing.”

1. What makes people neglect shipping emissions?

A．Prejudice.

B．Nearsightedness.

C．Low intelligence.

D．Lack of knowledge.

2. What does the underlined word “catch” mean in Para 2?

A．Device.

B．Harvest.

C．Problem.

D．Prey.

3. Which is thought to be an easier and more practical way to reduce emissions?

A．Alternative fuels.	B．Efficient use of fuel.
C．Renewable electricity.	D．Advanced technologies.

4. Which best describes the structure of the passage?

A．①/②③/④⑤	B．①②/③④/⑤
C．①②③/④/⑤	D．①/②③④/⑤

8 . A common claim states that a sheet of paper cannot be folded in half more than seven times. But is this true?

In 2002, Britney Gallivan, then a junior in high school in Pomona, California, folded a single piece of paper in half 12 times. She currently holds the Guinness World Record for the most times to fold a sheet of paper in half.

The prompt that led Gallivan to accomplish this was an extra-credit challenge in math class to fold anything in half 12 times. Her teacher asked the students to fold something thicker: a piece of paper.

Gallivan said “it was very frustrating, as I had many unsuccessful attempts at trying to fold different papers in half. I began to question if folding paper in half more than eight times could be impossible.” However, Gallivan recalled. “I knew I needed to understand what was limiting the folding progression.”

The equations (方程式) that Gallivan came up with calculated how many times a sheet of paper could be folded. She found that in order to fold many times, a long thin sheet is needed — the more a sheet is folded, the thicker the resulting stack becomes, and once the stack becomes thicker than it is long, there is nothing left to fold. She ultimately set her record with a sheet of tissue paper she found online that was 4,000 feet (1,219 meters) — more than three-quarters of a mile, or over a kilometer long, Guinness World Records noted.

“Working on the problem took a tremendous amount of time and effort,” Gallivan said. “As frustrating as it was at times, I learned an immense amount from the experience, which has been valuable to me throughout my life in more capacities than one would expect.”

Since Gallivan set her record, others have made claims of folding a sheet of paper more than 12 times. Still, “I anticipate that my current record will be surpassed,” Gallivan said.

1. What prompts Gallivan to accept the challenge?

A．Peer pressure.

B．Mathematics anxiety.

C．Academic requirement.

D．Guinness World Records.

2. Under what circumstances is it impossible to fold a paper in half more times?

A．The stack is as thick as it’s long.

B．The paper is neither long nor thin.

C．The stack is thicker than it’s long.

D．The paper is longer than it’s thick.

3. What can we learn about Gallivan’s attempts?

A．It’s risky.

B．It’s fruitless.

C．It’s meaningless.

D．It’s energy-consuming.

4. What can we infer from the passage?

A．Gallivan’s record is impossible to break.

B．Folding paper in half is merely a math problem.

C．Folding things in half may not be limited to 12.

D．Folding paper 12 times is a required credit in high schools.

9 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What do people usually have on a bucket list?

A．Exciting plans and ideas.

B．Things to make the most of life.

C．Things they want to do before death.

2. What did Helen begin to do after knowing she had cancer?

A．Make a bucket list.

B．Learn to draw.

C．Write books.

3. How many things were on Helen’s list for living?

A．Five.

B．Forty-five.

C．Fifty.

4. What is the speaker’s advice?

A．Not waiting until tomorrow to do something.

B．Being more careful when making a plan.

C．Not following someone else’s ideas.

10 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What is the colour of the woman’s side of the room?

A．Blue.

B．Pink.

C．White.

2. What does the man say about his brother Max?

A．Max is younger than him.

B．Max will graduate from university soon.

C．Max allows him to use his electronic equipment.

3. How did the woman feel when her sister went camping last week?

A．Excited.

B．Lonely.

C．Worried.

4. What is hard for the man when his brother is in the room?

A．Playing music loudly.

B．Playing with his friends freely.

C．Doing his homework peacefully.