1 . We all try to spend our days doing engaging things, but the reality is that there’s a lot of boring work which also must be done. Whether it’s washing the dishes, filing papers, entering data, or any of the countless dull yet critical tasks that keep our homes, organizations, and communities running, we all have less-than-exciting tasks we have to do. Of course it’s not always easy to get ourselves to stick to these tasks, even if we know we should. What does it take to persist (坚持) when work is boring?

Researchers have explored this question from many angles and studies have shown that people may persist longer when they monitor their progress, receive rewards, or when a task is made more fun. These findings have direct effects on how we design products and policies. For instance, companies are increasingly offering incentives to encourage employees to get more exercise, and managers are carrying out various game strategies to make employees’ work more fun.

Recent research by Harvard University, however, suggests that for tasks that don’t require a lot of attention, there may be a better approach. Researchers conducted a series of studies with over 2,000 participants and found that in many cases, people stop working on tasks earlier than expected not because they aren’t motivated enough, but because the tasks do not need enough attention.

Often, strategies designed to increase persistence will involve changing something about the work itself — but you can only make washing the dishes so exciting or mentally stimulating (振奋人心的). Rather than endlessly attempting to make boring tasks less boring, it can sometimes be more effective instead to pair these activities with other tasks that require more attention. This concept is called tangential immersion (切入式专注法).

Basically, the mind seeks to be engaged. We experience boredom when doing tasks that require less attention than we have available, and this leads us to quit those tasks too early. But if there is a second activity in which we can involve ourselves at the same time with the low-attention task, it can occupy that extra attention, reducing boredom and thus increasing persistence.

1. In what circumstance may people continue with a boring task?

A．When they feel motivated.	B．When they want to kill time.
C．When they are full of energy.	D．When they lack attention.

2. What does the underlined word “incentives” in paragraph 2 refer to?

A．Instructions.

B．Rewards.

C．Programmes.

D．Positions.

3. Why did the participants quit their tasks earlier than expected?

A．The tasks were beyond them.	B．The studies took too much time.
C．The tasks demanded less attention.	D．The participants were not devoted.

4. How can we focus on a boring task according to tangential immersion?

A．By making it more challenging.	B．By checking the progress repeatedly.
C．By refreshing the mind regularly.	D．By pairing it with a demanding one.

2 . Zhang Qian, an outstanding diplomat (外交官) and explorer in the Han dynasty, with a pioneering and adventurous________as well as a strong and unyielding character, was ________as the “pioneer of the silk road”,   “the first Chinese to open the eyes to see the world” and “the Columbus of the________”.

As early as 2,000 years ago, Zhang Qian was_________on a mission to seek allies (同盟国) in the west of China to________the enemies in northern tribes. Along the way, no matter how difficult the environment was, his________was firm. But soon Zhang was ________ by the Huns just as he left Han territory and was held prisoner for a dozen years.

After an eleven spring and autumn recycling, the Huns’________ became loose. Hence, Zhang ran away with his personal_________. They continued to travel west without any dry food and drinking water. Due to the excellent skill of shooting arrows, they ________ by eating birds and animals along the way. After several days, they ________ arrived in Amu Darya Area. However, people there enjoyed their life and didn’t want any war. Though Zhang didn’t finish his mission, he brought back precious_________ of the Western Regions.

Due to the________of Zhang Qian, the Silk Road started. Through his diplomatic practice, the bridge of friendly exchanges between the Han and western countries was________, and the cultural and economic exchanges between the cast and the west were promoted. Zhang’s journey to the Western Regions breathed new ________ into the civilization and progress of the whole world.

1.

A．will

B．spirit

C．team

D．tradition

2.

A．played

B．dressed

C．mistaken

D．honored

3.

A．north

B．east

C．south

D．west

4.

A．assigned

B．frozen

C．withdrawn

D．stuck

5.

A．compromise with

B．take over

C．fight against

D．learn from

6.

A．statement

B．position

C．faith

D．reputation

7.

A．captured

B．persuaded

C．threatened

D．challenged

8.

A．watch

B．atmosphere

C．investigation

D．requirement

9.

A．cattle

B．waitresses

C．cooks

D．guards

10.

A．surrounded

B．survived

C．sheltered

D．strengthened

11.

A．constantly

B．violently

C．extensively

D．eventually

12.

A．secrets

B．valuables

C．knowledge

D．slaves

13.

A．greed

B．wealth

C．effort

D．violence

14.

A．constructed

B．reformed

C．preserved

D．assessed

15.

A．smell

B．vitality

C．format

D．discipline

3 . 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。

For Greek photographer George Doupas, Beijing is home now. During the past decade, he has been photographing the city, capturing its beauty     1     sharing these photos online and in exhibitions.

“This     2     (true) represents Beijing — the old and the new, nicely mixing together,” Doupas said while showing his photograph of the Zhihua Temple, a delicate Ming Dynasty building. It     3     (locate) in front of a modern office building, Galaxy SOHO, which features weaving bridges and interlocking passageways.

With rich historical heritage, Beijing     4     (be) an important center of traditional Chinese culture since the Ming Dynasty. Doupas often gets     5     (lose) in the city’s splendid ancient architecture. Meanwhile, he is also amazed by the modern city     6    (combine) high-end businesses and various industries. “It is fascinating to see a rapidly-developing city that invests so much effort in preserving its past, which is     7     I decided to pursue my career here,” he said.

Doupas is determined to continue with his career in China, hoping to serve as     8     bridge between China and the West. The     9     (display) that show his photos about Beijing have attracted a large audience in Greece and the Czech Republic.

“I call Beijing my home now,” he said, “I’ll keep sharing photos of China     10     the rest of the world.”

4 . To give a tip or not? If so, how much? They can be headaches even for the most experienced tourists. This week, the main political parties in the UK have finally come to rescue by passing laws to forbid bars and restaurants taking tips from the customers.

However, not every country in the world takes the matter as seriously as the British, who are believed to have invented the custom in the 17th century — originally as a noble practice of giving small gifts to the so-called “inferior (低等的) classes”. Later, tipping has become a habit widely accepted in the world, although it is influenced by a nation’s culture and values.

A common joke among Americans is that only getting tax return is more confusing than tipping. Tips were imported into the country in the 19th century, when wealthy Americans began travelling to Europe. The custom was originally disapproved in the US. Critics accused tippers of creating a class of people who “begged for favors”. Fast forward to the 21st century and you will still find Americans debating the pros and cons. But tipping is now completely ingrained (根深蒂固的) in the national soul.

Like many Asian countries, China is largely a no-tipping culture for decades it was actually prohibited and considered illegal. To this day, it remains relatively uncommon.

Japan’s complex manner system includes tipping. It is socially acceptable on special occasions such as weddings, but on the other occasions, it can actually make the receiver feel ashamed, if not abused. Even on occasions where tips are expected,the money is expected to be sealed in special envelopes as a sign of gratitude and respect. Otherwise, it will be refused because tips are usually included in the payment for the service.

1. What’s the original purpose of tipping?

A．To please the ordinary people.

B．To praise people’s good deeds.

C．To indicate people’s thanks to the poor.

D．To show noble kindness to the lower class.

2. What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Americans are used to giving tips.

B．It is quite normal to tip in America.

C．Tipping is very complex in the US.

D．Getting tax return is simpler than tipping.

3. What can be inferred about tipping in Asia?

A．Tips are totally forbidden in China.

B．Tipping will become popular very soon.

C．Good services should be put before tips.

D．Tips can be accepted for special celebrations.

4. In which section of a newspaper may this text appear?

A．Law

B．Culture

C．Economy

D．Tourism

5 . Most recently, Zhang Chaofan has been honored as a national ethical role model at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Over the past six years, Zhang has donated 1.35 million yuan and raised 5.2 million yuan from the public to help more than 400 people with health problems — including teachers with severe cancer, disabled children and autistic (自闭症的) children in poor families — learn traditional Chinese culture.

She has also made more than 700 public welfare speeches at universities and in poor mountain areas, teaching people how to gain self-esteem, confidence, self-reliance and self-improvement.

The young girl was born without a left forearm in Changchun, Jilin Province, but her constant drive to become stronger has inspired many people.

In 2015, Zhang rejected an offer of postgraduate study from a famous university and set up a calligraphy and painting school in Changchun. When she found that some parents were unable to afford their children’s education fees, she made the lessons free and began providing 300,000 yuan annually to help them through her foundation.

“I think it’s important for teenagers to receive quality education because they are the future of the country,” she said. “I will make great efforts to help them get equal opportunities to pursue their dreams and inspire them to do their best.”

In early 2020, her school stopped all courses because of the pandemic, but she didn’t stop her public welfare activities. She raised materials and donations worth more than 8 million yuan. Then she sent masks, protective suits, and daily necessities to medical workers.

“Women in the new era should have the courage to create value and also have a sense of social responsibility,” she said. “It is my great honor to be elected as a role model. This will become a driving force for me to forge ahead and pass on the seeds of public welfare through even greater efforts.”

1. What do we know about Zhang Chaofan?

A．She donated all her money to help people in difficulty.

B．She will be elected as a national ethical role model in Beijing.

C．She made many public speeches at universities in poor mountain areas.

D．She provided many free lessons for the children who couldn’t afford them.

2. According to the passage, which words can best describe Zhang Chaofan?

A．Enthusiastic and entertaining.	B．Devoted and responsible.
C．Capable and creative.	D．Professional and talented.

3. What will Zhang Chaofan do in the future according to the last paragraph?

A．She will teach girls to win more prizes through her courses.

B．She will influence many girls like her to be painters and calligraphers.

C．She will continue her career and spread her public welfare activities.

D．She will encourage women in the new era to be courageous and sociable.

4. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．Only the strong-willed girl can reach her goals.

B．Disability and experience made the girl strong.

C．A girl with the broken wing followed her dream bravely.

D．Kindness and generosity helped the girl be well-known.

6 . Buying furniture is easier than ever. You can even order a new table and chairs online without ever leaving home. But did you ever think about how furniture is made? The process begins with trees but now researchers have found a better way: growing it in a lab instead of a forest. Instead of cutting down trees and adding to deforestation, Velasquez-Garcia said, “If you want a table, then you should just grow a table.”

The research group found a way to actually grow plant tissue (组织) — wood and fiber — in a lab that is similar to the way cultured meat is grown. While there is still a long way to go to actually grow a table, the team was able to grow structures from cells from zinnia leaves.

Making furniture and other items from biomaterials could eliminate cutting down trees in forests. “The way we get these materials hasn’t changed in centuries and is very inefficient,” said Velasquez-Garcia. “This is a real chance to avoid all that inefficiency.”

There are other benefits to using lab wood too. Lab grown wood can be handled to take on any shape — like 3 D printing — so it may be possible to build a table without glue or screwing parts together.

Beckwith, a mechanical engineering PhD student, was inspired by a visit to a farm to try to make land-use more efficient and environmentally sound. “That got me thinking: Can we be more strategic (战略上的) about what we’re getting out of our process? Can we get more yield for our inputs?” she told MIT News. “I wanted to find a more efficient way to use land and resources so that we could let more farmlands remain wild, or to remain lower production but allow for greater biodiversity.”

Today, the two largest uses of trees are to make wood products and paper. When new biomaterials become readily available, forests will lose their economic value and will be preserved for their environmental, health, and recreational value. These researchers, like Velasquez-Garcia, are speaking for the trees.

1. What does the author think of growing furniture according to Paragraph 1?

A．It turns out to be convenient.

B．It’ll cut down daily expense.

C．It might have a bright future.

D．It’s as important as making furniture.

2. What does the underlined word “eliminate” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Risk.

B．Fancy.

C．Remove.

D．Delay.

3. What is the purpose of Beckwith’s growing furniture?

A．To make large profits.

B．To keep biodiversity.

C．To increase production.

D．To use wild resources.

4. What’s the key to protecting forests?

A．Wide use of new biomaterials.

B．Less use of wood products and paper.

C．Making effective forest laws.

D．Caring more for the environment.

7 . 为了有一个美好的校园环境，请你代表学生会向全校发出倡议。要求内容包括以下要点并阐述你的理由。主要内容包括：
1. 别乱扔垃圾，爱护花草树木；
2. 不得高声喧哗；
3. 循环使用资料；
4. 保持教室整洁。
注意：1.词数120左右；2.注意文章连贯性。
Dear friends,
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 . By now over 400 million books written by Jack ________.They ________well every time each of them comes out.

A．have sold,are sold	B．have been sold,sell
C．had been sold,sold	D．had sold,sell

9 . Such ________the case, she had to admit to have stolen the money.

A．be

B．was

C．being

D．had been

10 . Family vacations are a must whenever you have time.As a matter of fact,you never have to spend a lot of money taking a break because this can be done in various ways.       1    .

To begin with,you can just stay in a place near your house as long as you have the chance to be with your family.You can also have just a simple dinner where your family members can just talk to each other and have fun.    2    .In addition,it provides you with relaxation and moments to share with your family.    3    .That is because at the end of the day what matters the most is not how much money you have spent,but the quality of time you have given to your family.

You also need to search for new destinations for your family vacation so that you can at least be in a place that you haven't been to before.    4    .This will not only be beneficial to/you,but also to your children.Then you can all share your thoughts and views about the new things that you are seeing.You have to focus on your children while you are on vacation,too,because every child needs attention and time.

    5    .You need to spend some time with your family at least once a week and talk about the things that have happened.This is the best time to connect with your family.

A．You need to talk about the stress at work.

B．Lastly,you should take family vacations on a regular basis.

C．There is no need for you to spend a lot of money.

D．A family vacation is indeed the best chance to spend more time with your family.

E．Wear your sunglasses and sunhat when you go to the beach.

F．Here are some of the ways in which you can have a vacation with your family.

G．In this way,you will have the chance to learn about new cultures, new ways of living, and even new languages.