1 . Restrictive uniforms could be preventing primary school pupils, especially girls, from being physically active, research suggests. In countries where most schools require students to wear uniforms, fewer young people reach the World Health Organization’s minimum recommendation of 60 minutes of physical activity a day across a whole week, according to a study by the University of Cambridge.

There was a greater difference between girls and boys of primary-school age in countries where uniforms were common. The finding was not copied among children of secondary-school age. This may be owing to the exercise younger children get throughout the day — for example, through running, climbing and active play at break and lunchtimes. The findings confirm earlier evidence that girls feel less comfortable participating in active play if they are wearing certain types of clothing such as skirts or dresses.

Dr. Mairead Ryan, a researcher at the institute of education and MRC unit at Cambridge, said, “ Schools often prefer to use uniforms for various reasons. We are not trying to suggest a blanket ban on them, but to present new evidence to support decision-making. School communities could consider design, and whether specific characteristics of a uniform might either encourage or restrict any opportunities for physical activity.”

A 2021 study in England found the design of girls’ PE uniforms prevented students from participating in certain activities. Other studies have suggested girls are much shyer about taking part in physical activity when wearing uniforms in which they do not feel comfortable. Dr. Esther van Sluijs, senior author and MRC investigator (调查员), said, “Girls might feel less confident about doing things like cartwheels and tumbles in the playground, or riding a bike on a windy day if they are wearing a skirt or dress. Social expectations tend to influence what they feel they can do in these clothes. Unfortunately, when it comes to promoting physical health, that’s a problem.”

The WHO recommends that young people get 60 minutes of at least moderate-intensity (中等强度) physical activity a day. The Cambridge study confirmed previous observations that most children and teenagers were not meeting this recommendation — especially girls, who have a gap of 7.6 percentage points with boys.

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

A．To state the findings.	B．To make a comparison.
C．To explain a phenomenon.	D．To justify an assumption.

2. Why do girl students feel less convenient in some uniforms?

A．They have less physical activity daily.

B．They have much labor work at school.

C．Certain uniforms limit their physical activity.

D．Certain uniforms make them act well in active play.

3. What does Dr. Mairead Ryan probably agree with?

A．It’s better to restrict physical activity.

B．It’s better to support decision-making.

C．Uniforms should be banned strictly in schools.

D．Schools should think about the uniform design.

4. Which is the most suitable title for the text?

A．Proper uniforms can set students free

B．Schools are responsible for uniforms

C．Students can benefit a lot from uniforms

D．Uniforms may prevent younger girls from being active

2 . The Forest Eye project aims to create the largest living forest feature in England by growing 5,000 alder, beech and maple trees into the shape of a child’s eye. The trees are being planted in Dalby Forest, North Yorkshire, with the help of local young people. The trees will form an eye 300 meters wide that will be visible from the sky in about six years, when they have grown.

The project hopes to focus on the importance of young people’s ideas for creating a health y natural environment. It was designed by a company called Sand in Your Eye and has been created by Forestry England, an organization that protects forests and woodlands.

Josephine Lavelle, director at Forestry England, says, “Having the gaze of a child growing in the heart of this beautiful and ever-changing forest is a powerful symbol of how we need to listen and respond to the needs and vision of future generations.”

The project also aims to highlight the important role that forests play in fighting climate change. As well as providing a home for wildlife, trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and create oxygen that humans need to breathe. When the trees have grown, they will provide a place for lots of wild animals, like bats, birds and small mammals to live. The Forest Eye will also create a space for people to explore and connect with nature.

Jamie Wardley, artistic director at Sand in Your Eye, has plenty of experience creating pieces of “land art”. These are huge drawings and sculptures made from grass, ice and sand, including a 60-meter portrait of Swedish climate-change campaigner Greta Thunberg on a school field in Yorkshire. He says, “The trees are my paint.” “Our work is about prompting people to think deeply and respond emotionally to some of the biggest issues facing us, including the climate crisis.” Wardley also plans to develop the Forest Eye into an even bigger project. “It is our ambition to create the whole face of a young girl at the same scale, measuring 2,000 meters across. Those trees that are planted in the Forest Eye are the very beginning of this,” he says.

1. What can we know about the project?

A．It is planting trees to form an eye.	B．It is aimed at creating artworks.
C．It is proposed by the local youth.	D．It is carried out in the largest forest.

2. What does the fourth paragraph mainly talk about?

A．The argument for the project.	B．The benefits of tree.
C．The value of children’s ideas.	D．The fight against climate change.

3. Which of the following can best describe Jamie Wardley?

A．Ignorant.

B．Adventurous.

C．Emotional.

D．Creative.

4. Which is the best title for the article?

A．Land arts take off	B．Tree planting catches on
C．Giant eye planting kicks off	D．Environmental groups spring up

3 . Two and a half months before the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season officially begins, and almost six months before it enters its peak (高峰), weathermen are already predicting (预测) that it could be particularly active.

Officially, hurricane season begins from June 1 and runs through November. One reason is that sea surface temperatures in the tropical (热带的) Atlantic are already at record highs.

Meanwhile, another significant potential factor in this year’s hurricane season is taking shape thousands of miles away in the Pacific. Over periods ranging from three to seven years, the waters of the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean warm and cool in turn as a result of a repeating climate pattern called the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). El Niño makes Atlantic hurricanes less likely to form but La Niña does.

During the 2023 season, ENSO was in an El Niño period. However, by the time the 2024 season starts, it will have changed into a “neutral(中立)” period, but that by the peak months, it is likely to have changed fully into a La Niña.

“How quickly that change occurs can affect everything as well,” says DaSilva, a lead hurricane weatherman. “There’s a lag time. So, while we expect the change to occur in mid-summer, it may not be until late summer or fall where we really see those effects across the Atlantic basin.” As a result, he says, this year’s hurricane season could remain particularly active deep into November.

Of course, no report can predict when individual storms will come or the paths they will take, but DaSilva warns that those who live in areas likely to suffer hurricanes, especially around the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, should prepare. “If a tropical storm system comes into this area, it could rapidly strengthen, potentially close to land,” he also warns. “And that’s why people need to be careful and have their hurricane plans ready. Because any system with these kinds of conditions can explode very quickly. That’s what we’re concerned about.”

1. What is the function of Paragraph 1?

A．To give advice.	B．To explain the season.
C．To introduce the topic.	D．To inform a weather report.

2. What is a reason for this year’s hurricane season?

A．The hurricane season has entered its peak.

B．A repeating climate has changed weather in summer.

C．The sea surface temperatures are the highest of all time.

D．El Niño makes Atlantic hurricanes more likely to form.

3. What do the underlined words “a lag time” in Paragraph 5 probably mean?

A．A time delay.	B．A time in a zone.
C．A time waste.	D．A time in advance.

4. What does DaSilva agree with about this year’s hurricane season?

A．It can be exactly predicted ahead of time.

B．People needn’t worry about hurricane season.

C．It may be eventually controlled by weathermen.

D．People can’t be more careful about hurricane season.

4 . Popular destinations boosted by films, TV dramas

Over the past year, several films and TV dramas have put their shooting locations into the public spotlight. Let’s take a look.

Jiangmen in Guangdong province

As a hometown for many overseas Chinese, Jiangmen in Guangdong province, where the drama The Knockout was filmed attracts a crowd of tourists and TV fans. Currently, travel bookings had a 144 percent month-on-month rise.

Taiyuan Ancient County in Shanxi province

Filmed within a community, the movie Full River Red grasps the most important part of the buildings, winding streets and characteristic ancient courtyards of the Taiyuan Ancient County in Shanxi, leaving a lasting impression on the audience. During last year’s Spring Festival, the county witnessed a stream of over 400,000 tourists, more than the previous Spring Festival holiday.

Qingdao in Shandong province

Another hot film during last year’s Spring Festival was The Wandering Earth 2, which shows impressive and grand sci-fi scenes. Interestingly, 90 percent of the film was actually shot in Qingdao Shandong province. For sci-fi fans or film lovers, visiting Qingdao to explore the movie’s filming locations has become a popular trend.

Shanghai

Shanghai, known as the “magic city” in China, has once again attracted the public’s attention with the recent popularity of the TV series Blossoms Shanghai. Data from Shanghai’s tourism monitoring reveals that the city welcomed 7.2 million tourists, a year-on-year increase of 16.27 percent during the holiday.

1. If you’re interested in science fiction, which film or TV drama can you see?

A．The Knockout.	B．Full River Red.
C．The Wandering Earth 2.	D．Blossoms Shanghai.

2. What do the listed cities have in common?

A．They attract more and more young people.

B．They are the hometown of many overseas Chinese.

C．They produce the most famous films or TV dramas.

D．They are increasingly popular because of films or TV dramas.

3. Where can the text most probably be taken from?

A．A science fiction.	B．A travel brochure.
C．A history book.	D．A literature novel.

5 . Over the past years, Zhenyu has attempted to pass continuous exams. When the results of the latest postgraduate entrance exam were released on Feb 26, _________, Zhen felt a sense of relief and ease, as if he had seen it coming.

During his time at school, his teachers believed he had _________ and was suited for further academic pursuits (追求). “It was a _________ of pure creativity. I could receive all kinds of _________ from teachers and classmates to complete my film projects,” Zhen said. “How wonderful it would be if I could continue this as a postgraduate!”

With these _________ in mind, Zhen decided to take the postgraduate entrance exam. For him, the English and political theory exams _________ challenges, leading to his first failure. He _________ again the following year. Despite his efforts, he failed again. Determined to become a postgraduate, he kept _________ the exam and preparing for it, to the extent that it eventually became a daily routine and habit.

_________ preparing for the exams over the past years, Zhen tried different jobs to support himself. He was __________ to find that almost all of his young colleagues were also taking various exams. “It seemed that if you didn’t take some kind of exam, you would become an outsider, __________ from society, and lacking common ground with your peers,” Zhen said. “But in fact, I only __________ life after passing the exam and never really thought over what my life would be like after finishing my postgraduate studies, or if I could even enter one.”

After so many __________ , he is no longer afraid of failing. It took Zhen many years to realize that the postgraduate entrance exam is not the only choice in life. “If someone were to ask me about my __________ for the future, I’d say I aim to __________ life with a sense of freedom.” So now he can face up to the result.

1.

A．meanwhile

B．surprisingly

C．cautiously

D．likewise

2.

A．curiosity

B．opportunity

C．potential

D．passion

3.

A．time

B．collection

C．waste

D．record

4.

A．support

B．duty

C．prejudice

D．preference

5.

A．empathy

B．challenges

C．expectations

D．sympathy

6.

A．faced

B．obtained

C．met

D．posed

7.

A．competed

B．denied

C．dropped

D．registered

8.

A．passing

B．missing

C．retaking

D．rewriting

9.

A．After

B．While

C．Whereas

D．As

10.

A．happy

B．sad

C．disappointed

D．surprised

11.

A．kept

B．disconnected

C．strengthened

D．discouraged

12.

A．dreamed of

B．built up

C．weighed up

D．wrestled with

13.

A．interventions

B．changes

C．virtues

D．letdowns

14.

A．concern

B．ambitions

C．career

D．experiences

15.

A．divide

B．reserve

C．embrace

D．tolerate

6 . Zong Qinghou, a soft drinks giant from Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, died of an illness at the age of 79. There has been much mourning at his passing on Feb. 25, 2024 as he was well-known as the founder of a company, headquartered in his hometown in the late 1980s, which later developed into the Wahaha Group, a major soft drinks company.

He is known to the public for three things — his rags-to-riches rise, his long-term frugal (节俭的) lifestyle, and his devotion to promoting China’s national industries. Forbes ranked him, with a wealth of about $5.9 billion, No.53 among Chinese billionaires last year.

Yet besides, it is also worthwhile to think over the question about whether his success in business can be imitated today and what lessons policymakers can learn from his self-made business success as they try to enrich the soil for setting up business.

Before winning a contract (合同) to work as a salesperson of a small school-run factory selling writing materials, iced treats and soft drinks in Hangzhou in 1987, Zong worked as a traveling salesman for nearly a decade after working for 15 years on various posts in local farming communities with Grade-9 education.

His sharp business sense, which he owed to poverty instead of the genes (基因) of the Zhejiang business community, enabled him to recognize business opportunities at a time when the country had just carried out the change from a planned economy to a socialist market one.

The broad space he enjoyed as a sales representative of the factory enabled him to continuously sharpen his sales strategies and enlarge his network of business partners. That not only helped him gather the start-up funds he later used to contract the whole factory, but also influenced his later management style, which he summed up as always trying to make things simpler.

As he told the media, it is the spirit of adventure of his generation and their down-to-earth work style that deserve attention, not his lifestyle, which was a personal choice.

1. Which aspect of Zong Qinghou does Paragraph 2 focus on?

A．His habits.	B．His interest.
C．His lifestyle.	D．His achievements.

2. Why is Zong Qinghou’s early experience mentioned in Paragraph 4?

A．To tell how he won contracts.	B．To tell how different his life was.
C．To show the ways to run a business.	D．To show its influence on his business.

3. What made Zong Qinghou find the chance to start his business?

A．His sharp sense in business.	B．His broad space and freedom.
C．His long-term simple lifestyle.	D．His business community’s genes.

4. Which of the following best describes Zong Qinghou?

A．Modest.

B．Determined.

C．Knowledgeable.

D．Humorous.

7 . Do you really need a new phone every 2 years?

If you’re looking to replace or upgrade your smartphone in the coming year, think it over.     1     Do you simply have the desire to get the new, shiny tech? There are some issues to consider besides the new device’s affordability.

Our desire to always have the newest smartphone comes at a high environmental cost. According to Swappie, which repairs and resells iPhones, 1.4 billion new smartphones forecast to be shipped this year will generate 146 million tons of planet-warming emissions.     2    

What can you do ?

Resist the desire to upgrade. If your phone still works, get as much life as you can out of it. “The greenest smart-phone is the one you already own,” Stratton said.

Get it fixed. If your phone breaks, get it repaired directly by the manufacturer or take it to a store to repair your phone brand.     3    

Sell it instead of throwing it. You can sell your used smartphone to specialized repairing companies like Swappie to give it a second life.     4     This is because of the materials used to produce them.

    5     If your phone is completely broken and cannot be sold, you can still recycle it. You just need to do a little bit of research into how and where to correctly recycle it.

A．Make it functioned.

B．Recycle it properly.

C．Do you really need a new phone?

D．Broken phones can still be valuable.

E．Where can you get a new smartphone?

F．83% of them come from producing, shipping and first-year usage.

G．A broken or out-of-order phone can often be fixed through easy repairs.

8 . China’s tourism market showed a better-than-expected performance over the eight-day Spring Festival holiday, which started on Feb. 10.

The latest figures from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism showed that traveler numbers as well as tourism-related income during the holiday reached record highs, thanks to people’s ever-stronger desire to travel, enough market supplies and good tourism policies.

The ministry said on Sunday that the domestic tourism market saw 474 million trips during the holiday, up 34.3 percent year-on-year. The number marked a 19 percent increase compared with the same holiday period in 2019. Domestic tourism-related income reached 632.69 billion yuan ($87.95 billion) during the holiday, a striking increase of 47.3 percent year-on-year and 7.7 percent growth from the same holiday period in 2019.

Xiao Peng, a researcher with travel portal (旅游网), Qunar, said that the longer holiday this year — it usually lasts seven days in other years — made tourism-focused trips a more popular choice among the Chinese.

Southern destinations with warmer climate or tropical views, such as Kunming, Yunnan province, and Sanya, Hainan province, remained top choices for tourists, according to travel agencies. Return-flight tickets in economy class departing Sanya were sold out early, leaving only tickets in business or first class.

Tuniu, another travel portal, said that destinations and museums with a rich cultural atmosphere or those highlighting cultural elements of the dragon were favored by travelers marking the beginning of the Year of the Dragon.

In addition, some northern destinations with snow and ice views also proved popular during the holiday. Among them, Harbin Ice-Snow World in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang received 329,000 visits from Feb 10 to Wednesday — the first five days of the holiday — with the traveler number marking a surge of 115 percent from the previous year, according to Harbin’s culture and tourism bureau.

Besides the prosperous domestic tourism, the home and abroad tourism market also delivered a surprisingly good performance during the holiday.

1. How is Paragraph 3 organized?

A．By listing data.	B．By giving examples.
C．By quoting sayings.	D．By analyzing the reasons.

2. What can we learn about the longer holiday from Xiao Peng?

A．It brought a rich cultural atmosphere.

B．It made warmer destinations top choices.

C．It attracted people to northern destinations.

D．It made tourism-focused trips more well-received.

3. What might the author write about following the last paragraph?

A．The travel to-and-from overseas.	B．Good tourism policies overseas.
C．Destinations with warmer climate.	D．Domestic tourism-related income.

4. Where is the text probably taken from?

A．A history textbook.	B．A popular website.
C．A detective novel.	D．An academic article.

9 . Motivation involves inspiring and encouraging individuals or a team to willingly and enthusiastically pursue a common goal or objective. Motivation isn’t something just bound to leaders or a workplace.     1     There must always be a reason to do something in life, which is called motivation. Let’s take a look at motivation from a leader’s perspective. Here are some of the characteristics that you should know about.

    2    

In order for the employees to be motivated, a leader must adjust the personal goals alongside the organization’s goals. It cannot work any other way. If you are aiming to be a successful leader, then you need to express a convincing view that resonates (共鸣) with the team members’ personal values. Reach out to their values, notice what makes them tick and arrange that with the organizational goals.

Communication

Needless to say, effective communication is a must if you want your workforce to be motivated, and that too for a long period of time.     3     When this is done in a proper manner, you will start seeing fruitful results. Leaders communicate the purpose and significance of tasks and projects, making team members understand why their contributions matter.

Recognition and Reward

There cannot be any kind of motivation without proper recognition and reward. May it be any kind of workforce, they need a reason to perform better. Leaders recognize and reward team members for their efforts and achievements.     4    

Long-Term Focus

Motivation needs to be there for a long time.     5     Motivation is typically focused on the long-term development and growth of team members. Good Leaders invest in their team’s skills, capabilities, and personal development.

A．Adjustment with Values

B．Motivation and Adjustment

C．It is something that is present in all of us.

D．Listen to their needs and then convey your needs.

E．Short-term performance boosts can not last long after all.

F．This can include both inside rewards and outside rewards.

G．It involves inspiring individuals to pursue a common goal.

10 . Female view

Art by women painters and sculptors from across the country is on display at the ongoing exhibition, Colors. The show runs until March 17 and is held in celebration of International Women’s Day, which falls on Friday. The Shandong Artists Association launched the annual exhibition in 2017 to encourage female artists and to offer them a platform for their talents.

9am-5pm, closed on Mondays. 11777 Jingshi Lu, Lixia district, Jinan, Shandong province. 0531-8130-5063/6.

Cultural peak

Ink artist Huang Binhong (1865-1955) spent a lifetime carrying on his country’s cultural origin. Immortal Legacy is an ongoing exhibition at the Art Museum of Beijing Fine Art Academy that casts light on Huang’s rich world of art, his belief in cultural tradition and the range of his alternative role as a wise culture scholar. The show runs until April 21.

9am-5pm, closed on Mondays. 12 Chaoyang Gongyuan (Park) Nanlu, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-6502-5171.

Timeless beauty

In celebration of Chinese New Year, Immortal Brushwork of Danqing, a long-term exhibition that opened in early February, brings together dozens of paintings ranging from the Song (960-1279) to Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.

9am-5pm, closed on Mondays. 62 Pingjiang Dao, Hexi district, Tianjin. 022-8388-3000.

Calligraphic sage (圣人)

Lin Sanzhi is recognized as one of the leading calligraphers of the 20th century. My Admiration of Ancient Masters, an exhibition at the Anhui Art Museum, reviews Lin’s efforts in calligraphy, poetry and Chinese painting. Lin is praised as the “modern sage of caoshu script”.

9am-5pm, closed on Mondays. 1 Chengdu Lu, Binhu New District, Hefei, Anhui province. 0551-6280-6800.

1. Which exhibition is held every year?

A．Colors.	B．Immortal Legacy.
C．Immortal Brushwork of Danqing.	D．My Admiration of Ancient Masters.

2. If you’re an enthusiast for calligraphy, where can you appreciate such an exhibition?

A．In Jinan.

B．In Beijing.

C．In Tianjin.

D．In Hefei.

3. What do the listed exhibitions have in common?

A．They are all ongoing exhibitions.

B．They have the same open and closed time.

C．They show paintings from the same dynasties.

D．They encourage female artists to show their talents.