1 . Do you feel like there are too many things to do in a day, but not enough time to do them? If so, you’re experiencing what researchers call time poverty.
If you want a satisfying social life, buy time for it. You might pay to have a disliked housework done by others, get a direct flight instead of a cheaper one with a stopover, or pay extra to drive the fastest route home.
Another way to get more time is to give it away. In one study, researchers asked people to devote part of their Saturday morning to doing something for themselves that they weren’t already planning to do or doing something for someone else. The people who gave away their time later felt like they had more of it.
If you have too many things to do and not enough time to do them, try to cut back on some things.
| A．Time poverty is a sign of the times |
| B．Helping others expands our sense of time |
| C．Buying time is a good way to free you from the boredom of repeated tasks |
| D．The choices we make with our time greatly affect our happiness and social lives |
| E．Then invest your free time in something socially engaging |
| F．You don’t have to keep up with the pace of the modern world |
| G．Yet, feeling short on time is associated with lower level of happiness and connection |
2 . As the underwater robot OceanOneK carefully navigated toward the upper deck railing of the sunken Italian steamship Le Francesco Crispi about 500 m below the Mediterranean’s surface this month, roboticist Oussama Khatib felt as though he himself were there.
OceanOneK looks like a human diver from the front, with eight multi-directional thrusters (推进器) that allow careful operation underwater. The robot’s touch-based feedback system and 3D vision produced incredibly realistic sensations that equaled what he would have experienced were he down below, rather than above onboard the control ship. Observing through OceanOneK robot’s eyes and feeling through its hands, Khatib perceived a new dimension of colorful life — pink and green and orange — layered on and around the ship. He felt the resistance of the water and could recognize the shapes of the historic relic around him.
The mission of OceanOneK to these depths had two purposes: to explore places no one has gone to before and to show that human touch, vision, and interactivity can be brought to the sites far-removed from where people can operate.
While OceanOneK had many noteworthy adventures and successes during two multi-stop trips around the Mediterranean, the accomplishment of the team and the ship’s crew was demonstrating functional autonomy at nearly 1,000 m down. It was this advance that earned OceanOne’s renaming to OceanOneK.
“This is the first time that a robot has been capable of going to such a depth, interacting with the environment, and permitting the human operator to feel that environment,” said Khatib. “It has been an incredible journey.”
“Distancing humans physically from dangerous and unreachable spaces while connecting their skills and experience to the task promises to fundamentally alter remote work,” said Khatib. “Robotic avatars (化身) will search for and acquire materials, build structures, and perform disaster prevention and recovery operations — be it deep in oceans and mines, at mountain tops, or in space.”
1. How does OceanOneK work?| A．By sending operators deep down the ocean. |
| B．By enhancing divers’ vision underwater. |
| C．By creating an at-the-scene experience. |
| D．By measuring the resistance of water. |
| A．The origin of OceanOneK’s name. |
| B．The demonstration of the ship’s crew. |
| C．The noteworthy successes of the team. |
| D．The adventures around the Mediterranean. |
| A．Their promising future. | B．Their technical advances. |
| C．Their present applications. | D．Their scientific significance. |
| A．OceanOneK: Taking on a New Dimension of Colorful Life |
| B．OceanOneK: Connecting Human Sensations to Deep Sea |
| C．Robotic Avatars: Saving Human from Disasters |
| D．Robotic Avatars: Altering Human Work Patterns |
3 . While many high-achieving students will spend their summers volunteering, working part-time jobs, or interning (实习), another great opportunity available to high schoolers is summer programs.
Experiences in ArchitectureDates: July 7 — 11
Location: University of Chicago
This workshop is perfect for high school students in architecture and design. In order to prepare them for a career in architecture, the two-week program promises to provide the study of the discipline at the college level while introducing them to life on a college campus.
Immersion (沉浸) into ASLDates: June 15 — 22 (overnight); June 24 — 29 (day camp)
Location: Gallaudet University
This program is designed for students who are either beginning or intermediate (中级的) signers and want to become more fluent. Participants will work with advanced ASL (American Sign Language) instructors and their assistants who are similarly deaf or hard of hearing, learn about deaf culture and history, and explore the nation’s capital. Students may participate in a residential or day camp program.
Conway School of NursingDates: July 15 — 19
Location: George Washington University
This one-week program hopes to introduce students to careers in nursing. Taught by the nursing teachers and aided by upper-class nursing students, participants will learn about the moral values guiding the work.
High School Drama InstituteDates: July 8 — 26
Location: Columbia University
Though this intensive three-week program is super-selective and a limited number of students are chosen to participate, it is a perfect fit for students with a passion for the performing arts. Participants develop acting skills focusing on voice, movement, and gesture, strengthen their dancing and singing skills, and learn what it takes to prepare for college auditions (试演).
1. What will Experiences in Architecture offer to participants?| A．Interning positions. | B．Pre-college courses. |
| C．A career in design. | D．On-campus tours. |
| A．Experienced teacher assistants. | B．Residential ASL programmers. |
| C．Staff members with hearing problems. | D．Starters and Intermediate ASL learners. |
| A．Experiences in Architecture. | B．Immersion into ASL. |
| C．Conway School of Nursing. | D．High School Drama Institute. |
Leo and Matt, both aged 16, are best friends who shared a passion for environmental sustainability. They were both students at a bustling high school in the heart of the city, a school that was infamous for its morning and afternoon traffic jams. The narrow streets leading to the school were always clogged (堵塞) with cars, buses, and bicycles, causing a great deal of inconvenience and pollution.
“Look what we are suffering every day!” complained Leo. “Isn’t there a solution to the problem?” Matt sighed.
They decided to take matters into their own hands and find a solution to the sticky problem. Initially, they made some speeches, distributed leaflets and volunteered to relieve the traffic congestion (拥堵), trying to persuade some parents to park their cars a little farther away the school and not to use cars too often. But two weeks passed, there was nothing better. Then they realized it was no easy work to deal with the trouble. They needed more hands for help and a well-thought-out plan for it.
They first gathered ten schoolmates who shared the same ambition. Then they started to conduct a thorough survey to understand the root causes of the traffic congestion. They interviewed students, teachers, and parents, as well as observed the traffic patterns during different times of the day. They learned that the majority of the congestion was caused by parents dropping off and picking up their children, as well as the lack of sufficient parking spaces.
Armed with this information, the team designed a detailed plan. They proposed the creation of a carpool system for students, encouraging them to share rides to reduce the number of vehicles on the road. They also suggested dedicated drop-off and pick-up zones, clearly marked with signage, to help streamline the process.
To further reduce congestion, they advocated for the construction of bike racks (架子) and encourage students to cycle to school. They even proposed a rewards system for those who chose sustainable modes of transportation.
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。
With their plan in hand, Leo and Matt presented it to the school authorities.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A few months passing by, the school traffic congestion had significantly improved.
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2.揭示画面所反映的问题；
3.谈谈你的看法。
2.请按如下格式作答。
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6 . Many years ago, I swam the English Channel and people think I’m a superhuman and fearless. Last year I
But when January came around, I decided to have another
In the end, it took me four hours and 29 minutes to complete the
| A．paid | B．waited | C．entered | D．searched |
| A．consulted | B．published | C．reported | D．accepted |
| A．event | B．market | C．game | D．pace |
| A．hesitant | B．passionate | C．wrong | D．curious |
| A．life | B．try | C．plan | D．date |
| A．wetter | B．deeper | C．closer | D．faster |
| A．eventually | B．predictably | C．surprisingly | D．fortunately |
| A．row | B．number | C．handful | D．pool |
| A．if | B．after | C．because | D．although |
| A．put off | B．concentrated on | C．ended up | D．set about |
| A．tough | B．same | C．longest | D．dangerous |
| A．similar | B．polite | C．loud | D．common |
| A．field | B．collection | C．range | D．symbol |
| A．frightened | B．embarrassed | C．relieved | D．tired |
| A．memory | B．fear | C．concept | D．dream |
7 . Generations of parents have told their children to practice their musical instruments. They have good reason for it: learning an instrument is not only associated with better educational attainment but also cognition (认知) and even intelligence scores in children. But does this musicality translate to better cognition (thinking) later in life?
A recent study showed that musical people had better memory and executive (决策的) function than those with less or no musicality. This makes sense as continued engagement in cognitively stimulating activities, such as playing an instrument, should result in continued brain health benefits.
Singing is a very popular musical activity as it allows joining musical groups, such as choirs. But does singing provide the same cognitive benefit as playing an instrument? According to the study, singing can result in better executive function but not memory, suggesting that playing an instrument has additional brain health benefits. However, when singing is done in choirs, there is good evidence that being engaged in social activity is good for our brain health.
Many people might remember the famous “Mozart Effect”, which was based on a 1993 study showing that when students were played Mozart, they scored higher on intelligence tests. Sadly, the current study found having played the recorder for three years at primary school might not have that big an impact on our cognitive performance. So, passively listening to music doesn’t seem to provide any cognitive benefits.
Playing an instrument or singing seems to have benefits to our brain health in aging, according to the study. What is yet to be established is whether this would also help prevent future cognitive decline or dementia. Still, considering the overall cognitive and social benefits of learning an instrument or singing in a choir, it might be worth engaging in such cognitive stimulation as we age. Our parents would be proud of us.
1. Why do parents intend their kids to play an instrument?| A．They suppose it can broaden the kids’ horizons. |
| B．They design the kids to be musicians in the future. |
| C．They expect to equip the kids with critical thinking. |
| D．They think it can improve the kids’ study and thinking. |
| A．It has better memories. | B．It has social benefits. |
| C．It requires more energy. | D．It shapes brain development. |
| A．To show cognition relies on active engagement. |
| B．To display the real role that music plays in study. |
| C．To list similarities between music and study. |
| D．To demonstrate how to play a recorder properly. |
| A．Why Do People Prefer Singing? | B．What Musicals Can Do for You |
| C．How Music Boosts Your Brain | D．Where Shall We Find Musicality? |
8 . Like many eco-conscious films, I’ve seen Don’t Look Up many times, and shown it to my friends and family whenever anyone suggests a movie night. I rarely pass up the moment to educate my loved ones on any possible disaster or crisis in an entertaining or thought-inspiring way. It’s a refreshing break from the usual doom-mongering that conversations can often get into. The power of cinema in communicating the climate crisis plays a critical role in affecting public attitudes and behaviors in relation to environmental justice.
Films appeal to our emotions in a way scientific presentation, academic papers or broadcast interview rarely can. Accordingly, films have an unusual way of engaging our emotions, which is a vital step in driving changes in people’s behavior. Films can make full use of this by presenting climate messages within fantastic narratives (叙述) that seasoned movie watchers will be familiar with. In the case of Don’t Look Up, it’s about meteor (流星) strikes. For The End We Start From, it’s extreme flooding. In First Reformed, climate activism is the predominant focus.
Films and TV dramas can also bring the vastness of climate disaster down to earth by integrating everyday events. The TV series Years and Years, launches climate issues into public debate, helping viewers relate to the characters’ experiences. The End We Start From, set in an extreme flood in London, follows the everyday experience of having a newborn child. This creates a heart-felt emotional connect ion between the themes of the film and the viewers’ own experiences. The Day After Tomorrow, the first hit released in 2004, enhances public awareness and concern through its vivid imagery of environmental disaster.
Films like this generate a strong empathetic (同理心的) connect ion that can help people change the way they behave far more than facts and data can. Of course, the growing type of climate change cinema is not always scientifically accurate. But if cinema is to be used more forcefully as a tool to raise the public awareness of climate crisis, then accuracy is not entirely necessary: it is the emotional connection and thrilling storytelling that are most crucial.
1. What does the underlined word “doom-mongering” probably mean?| A．Misfortune. | B．Imbalance. | C．Disbelief. | D．Irrelevance. |
| A．They can change environmental efforts. | B．They can uniquely create emotional link. |
| C．They can help viewers out of their trouble. | D．They can solve social issues academically. |
| A．By inferring results. | B．By analyzing reasons. |
| C．By giving examples. | D．By making comparisons. |
| A．Disaster films are educational and entertaining. |
| B．Scientific accuracy is a necessity for disaster films. |
| C．The growing popularity of cinema is not desirable. |
| D．Public awareness of entertainment needs raising. |
9 . More than 30 years ago, Jadav Payeng started planting trees on a barren sandbar (贫瘠的沙洲) near his birthplace in India’s Assam region. That day, the then-16-year-old noticed many snakes washed up on the sandbar after a flood. They were dying due to heat exposure at a rapid rate. “How can I help them?” Then he had an idea: Trees can provide shade for them!
Jadav lives on an island, Majuli, which is in the middle of the Brahmaputra River. It begins at the base of the Himalayas, at the meeting of a fan of rivers that drain (流走) snowmelt. At one time, villages upstream had redirected the river, creating more forceful currents around the island and carrying away the soil, thus damaging the natural habitats of its wildlife. As a consequence, much of the island became barren sand, and an entire community was at risk of being displaced.
Jadav also noticed that nobody was doing anything about it besides watching their part of the world disappear. So, he started to put his idea into action — every day, one or two or three at a time. He took notes of how they grew, harvested their seeds, grew saplings (树苗) in his hut and planted before going off to work.
Now that once-barren sandbar is a 1,360-acre forest, home to many animals: deer, Bengal tigers, Indian rhinoceros and even a group of 100 elephants that visit every year. There are now native grasses that have taken root in the shade and varieties of native trees grown from seeds that have washed ashore. But most importantly, the island that is also home to a few hundred people is holding its own against the bad weather. Standing beside one of the first trees he planted 30 years ago, Jadav tells us: “It’s a little thing, something anyone can do.”
1. What was Jadav’s original aim to plant trees?| A．To save the snakes from heat exposure. | B．To protect the snakes from extinction. |
| C．To produce materials to stop flooding. | D．To use the leaves to create more shades. |
| A．Villagers’ ignorance of ecology. | B．Villagers’ redirecting the river. |
| C．The extreme weather conditions. | D．Loss of wildlife’s natural habitats. |
| A．Frank and learned. | B．Subjective yet reliable. |
| C．Determined and careful. | D．Smart but hot-tempered. |
| A．What the forest means to the wildlife. | B．How ecology benefits the human kind. |
| C．How Jadav feels about his simple deeds. | D．What difference Jadav’s efforts have made. |
Sharing New Year with Strangers
I come from a large multicultural family, spread out across the globe. Despite being found in distant corners of the world, we’re a tight-knit family that makes an effort to stay close and keep in touch. New Year has always been a special time for us and a chance for us all to come together, no matter where in the world we might be.
My aunt Samantha, known affectionately by everyone in the family as Mantha, loved New Year and always went out of her way to make it cosy and magical for everyone around her. Mantha was kind, fun and full of energy so it wasn’t hard to get into the New Year spirit when she was around.
This year was no exception. Mantha drove three hours from her house in Bournemouth to visit everyone two weeks before New Year and to drop off presents to her friends still in the area. We chatted merrily about our plans, laughed at how organized Mantha was — presents already bought and wrapped and the freezer full ahead of the big day — and kissed goodbye when it was time to leave. So just several days before New Year, when Mantha’s son called us saying Samantha had passed away suddenly at home, none of us could quite believe it. I’d only been messaging her the day before, sharing voice notes like we always liked to do.
Mantha had had a blood clot (血块) that had unfortunately travelled to her lung and despite the paramedic’s best efforts, they were unable to save my beloved, fun, wonderful aunt.
So close to New Year, none of us felt like celebrating and we decided we’d have a quiet day at home, surrounded by family. The silence lasted until my sister-in-law, Vera, told us about some colleagues of hers who’d just arrived in the UK far away from friends and family. And they were eager to experience a proper English New Year.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 开头已给出。
Paragraph 1:
Hearing this, we were in a dilemma.
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When the day finally came, we welcomed them into our house.
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