1 . “Why birds sing is relatively well-understood,” says Ins Adam, a behavioral scientist at the University of Southern Denmark. The big question for her was: Why do birds sing so frequently?

Previous research suggests that constant singing uses a lot of energy and exposes birds to others, making them vulnerable by revealing their location and territory, which is highly dangerous. However, in a new study published in the journal Nature Communications, Adam and her colleagues offer a new explanation for this risky behavior. They suggest that songbirds may need to exercise their vocal (发声的) muscles to maintain top performance in their songs.

These findings may also be relevant to human voices. Adam points out that if we apply these bird results to humans, any period of not speaking might lead to a loss in vocal performance. This insight suggests that songbirds could one day help us improve how we train and restore our own voices.

Adam assumed the muscles that produce birdsong required daily exercise, so she designed an experiment on zebra finches — small Australian songbirds. Light is what attracts the birds to sing, so she prevented them from singing for a week by keeping them in the dark almost around the clock. The only exceptions were a few half-hour periods each day when the lights were turned on so the birds could eat and drink.

After a week, the birds’ singing muscles lost half their strength. Adam then tested whether this muscle loss affected the quality of the birds’ songs. Although she couldn’t hear any difference when comparing a male’s song before and after the period of darkness, a group of female birds showed a clear preference: six out of nine preferred the song from a male who had been exercising his singing muscles daily.

“This study highlights that achieving mastery in any skill requires a lot of practice,” says Ana Amador, a scientist at the University of Buenos Aires who was not involved in the research.

1. Which of the following best explains “vulnerable” underlined in paragraph 2?

A．Rarely found.	B．Easily targeted.
C．Directly poisoned.	D．Actively defended.

2. Why are human voices mentioned in the text?

A．To illustrate Adam’s idea by comparison.

B．To assess Adam’s previous work accurately.

C．To show the significance of studying birdsong.

D．To stress the distinction between human voices and birdsong.

3. What is the basis for Adam’s experiment?

A．Birds need little practice for better singing.

B．Light is a contributory factor in birds’ singing.

C．Weakening muscles result in less attractive songs.

D．Male birds produce songs to attract female birds.

4. What’s the best title for the text?

A．Singing Invites Trouble to Birds

B．Songbirds Help Restore Human Voices

C．Vocal Muscles: the Secret of Birds’ Singing

D．Daily Singing: Essential for Birds’ Vocal Muscle Fitness

2 . Summer often encourages people to spend time in a pool, lake, or ocean. Water can be both refreshing and relaxing—and it’s also a great setting for doing a heart-healthy workout, whether that’s swimming laps or doing water aerobics (有氧运动) .     1    

Swimming is a full-body exercise that uses nearly every muscle in your body to force you forward. And because you’re horizontal (水平的) in the water, blood doesn’t pool in your lower body like it does when you’re exercising upright.     2     Your heart becomes more efficient, which means your heart rate is a little lower during swimming compared with other types of exercise.

Still, swimming requires a certain amount of skill. If it doesn’t come naturally to you, water aerobics can be a good alternative.     3     The simplest version is pool walking or jogging done in water that’s at least waist-deep. Added resistance translates to extra calorie burn compared with land-based exercise. For example, a 150-pound person burns about 250 calories jogging for 30 minutes on land.     4     You can also do other moves like jumping jacks (开合跳) for a do-it-yourself water workout.

    5     Water treatment features one-on-one exercises with a doctor for a number of sessions. Doing gentle exercise while staying in water takes stress off your joints, and the water’s warm temperature has a positive effect.

A．Water can be an ideal setting for people with injuries.

B．But jogging in water for 30 minutes burns about 350 calories.

C．In fact, water-based exercise offers several unique advantages.

D．Doing water aerobics also targets the heart and muscles together.

E．The conditions doctors treat include balance problems and body pains.

F．That increases blood flow toward the centre of your body and your heart.

G．Moving your body through water provides far more resistance than through air.

3 . Four of the Best Riverside Stays in Europe

Water World, the Netherlands

Anna Biesbosch is a small log house in De Biesbosch national park, a wetland near Dordrecht. There’s a wood-burning stove (炉子) for heating, cooking and hot water, and electricity from solar panels on the roofs. Swimming is prohibited in front of the house because of the beavers (海狸) there, but there is a swimming spot a short walk away.

From €999 a night for two adults and a child.

An Island on an Island, Germany

Gut Uselitz, a 16th-century house on Rügen Island, now houses seven modern holiday apartments. The apartments, which sleep two to six, can be rented separately, or the whole house can be hired. The nearest beach is Streler Sund, a 10-minute drive away, and guests can go boating and sailing nearby.

From €140 a night, sleeps two.

Family Fun, Algarve, Portugal

This Portuguese farmhouse is in hills close to the Funcho River, with five double bedrooms and a family bathroom. There is a big pool and birding areas. The property is on the Via Algarviana walking path, and you can go surfing. It is a five-minute taxi ride from the train station.

From €190 a night, sleeps 10.

Private Rive Pier, Croatia

The Old Oak House is a restored farmhouse on the banks of the Korana River. The three-storey house has three bedrooms, a natural spring, and woodland in the grounds, where guests can best enjoy parties with several friends. Mountains and the towns are a short drive away.

From €1,050 a week, sleeps six.

1. What might be a disadvantage of Anna Biesbosch?

A．No access to electricity.	B．High price.
C．No swimming spot nearby.	D．Food shortage.

2. What is special about Gut Uselitz?

A．It has a long history.	B．It can accommodate over 100 guests.
C．It offers water sports competitions.	D．It’s within reach of the train station.

3. Which house best suits visitors keen on bird watching?

A．Anna Biesbosch.	B．Gut Uselitz.
C．The Old Oak House.	D．The Portuguese farmhouse.

4 . Callie Clemens was close to falling asleep at around 11 p. m. Just then a (n) _______ message on the Weibo page she runs — Lost & Found Pets — caught her eye. A puppy had been spotted crossing a road quickly in her neighbourhood. Weak _______ had been heard from inside a nearby drain (下水道) , so there was likely another puppy— maybe more than one — _______ down there.

Clemens sprang out of bed and _______ to the scene. Once there, she heard _______ cries echoing (回响) through the drain. She grabbed her son’s _______ from her car and then walked down. She wasn’t well _______, and was not expecting to go into the drain. But nobody else was around and puppies were stuck in. Somebody had to do it! It was 700 meters of total _______. She lowered herself with the only light from her flashlight and searched for any _______ sound. Around midnight, staffers from the local SPCA, an animal protection organisation, arrived and ________ Clemens in the drain.

They searched end to end, side to side. ________, at about 3 am, they found a tiny black puppy. While Clemens was still underground, one staff spotted another dog standing outside at one exit of the drain. “We were very excited,” says Clemens, adding that the puppies weighed about five pounds and four pounds ________. They were named Timmy and Tony and ________ by the SPCA.

Clemens’s ________ doesn’t surprise people in her neighbourhood. “Once she becomes focused on a ________ situation, she is unstoppable.”

1.

A．emergency

B．warning

C．security

D．advertisement

2.

A．whispers

B．cries

C．noises

D．clicks

3.

A．attached

B．thrown

C．stuck

D．abused

4.

A．walked

B．ran

C．flew

D．drove

5.

A．frequent

B．sharp

C．desperate

D．joyful

6.

A．gun

B．flashlight

C．ball

D．machine

7.

A．informed

B．motivated

C．directed

D．equipped

8.

A．danger

B．water

C．darkness

D．quietness

9.

A．frightening

B．possible

C．surprising

D．deep

10.

A．joined

B．arrested

C．left

D．awarded

11.

A．At last

B．In addition

C．In that case

D．As a matter of fact

12.

A．totally

B．respectively

C．obviously

D．suitably

13.

A．made up

B．put away

C．found out

D．taken in

14.

A．determination

B．optimism

C．strategy

D．gentleness

15.

A．adoption

B．trial

C．rescue

D．violence

5 . “The water will turn to steam, which will power cars.”

“Yeah, that’s a really cool idea.”

This conversation is part of a lesson about technologies that reduce planet-heating pollution. It was lectured by Kirstin Milks, a science teacher at Bloomington High School.

Climate change is the story of today’s young people’s lives. But Milks says, “Our students need to know not just the stuff we hear about in the news, but also the actual difference we can make in our shared future.”

Creativity is at the core of her lesson. After students learn the basics of climate engineering, they’re asked to come up with interesting wild ideas to slow global warming. In the first round of brainstorming, students imagine lots of ways to reflect light back into the atmosphere, like covering the desert in shiny glitter (闪光) , Next, students are asked to consider the potential limitations and risks to their ideas. Take glitter in the desert for example: “How are we going to make sure that the glitter doesn’t get eaten by the rock pocket mouse... or snakes?” Milks asks. The students suggest making the glitter large and smooth enough so it won’t be eaten by animals or otherwise harm them. For their final assignment, students present their concepts, including their expected benefits and risks.

Ben Kravitz, an assistant professor of earth and atmosphere science at Indiana University, who has carefully watched the whole lesson, says, “The neat thing about seeing all of these ideas come out of the classroom is it’s not ‘I can’t do it’. It’s ‘we can do it’. Humans, when they get together, can do amazing things. And that’s what gives me hope.”

1. What might be a purpose of Kirstin Milks’ lessons about climate change?

A．To find innovative ways to power cars.

B．To encourage students to read news critically.

C．To make science basics more accessible to students

D．To inspire students to play their part for the society.

2. What does paragraph 5 mainly talk about?

A．Procedures of the lesson.	B．The core value of creativity.
C．Potentials of different students.	D．The key concept of solutions.

3. Which can best describe Kirstin Milks’ way of teaching?

A．It prioritizes practical application.	B．It focuses on theoretical knowledge.
C．It encourages creative problem-solving.	D．It highlights the risks of climate change.

4. Why does the author mention Ben Kravitz in the last paragraph?

A．To prove Milks’ point.	B．To praise Milks’ virtue.
C．To support Milks’ practice.	D．To express Milks’ hope.

6 . It was 25 years ago, but I clearly remember the meeting when I drew a simple drawing of the vagus nerve (迷走神经) , showing the signals it carried from the brain to the body to turn off inflammation (炎症) .

So it is with attraction and some confusion that I observed this decades-old discovery become a new social media trend. Lots of influencers suggest you can stimulate your vagus nerve by pressing your neck, singing or jumping in cold water. On TikTok alone, the vagus nerve has gathered more than 185 million views.

But a very real distinction should be made between what influencers call vagus nerve “stimulation” and the vagus nerve-stimulating devices approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat certain illnesses. There are two vagus nerves on each side of your neck, made up of over 100, 000 fibres. Research from my lab and others shows that small, pacemaker-like (像心脏起搏器的) devices can turn on the inflammatory reflex (反射) to control the release of inflammatory proteins.

But before accepting free social media advice on this topic, I recommend checking the evidence. Scientusts are just starting to map and understand what the 100, 000 vagus nerve fibres do. So, when you are advised to stimulate your vagus nerve by taking an ice bath, you should ask: “Which of my vagus nerves?” The answer is that no one knows. In the lab, we can use specific, complicated techniques to stimulate selected vagus nerve fibres. We can force a communication flow from the brain to slow down the heart. But putting yourself in an ice bath isn’t selective. It activates lots of vagus nerve fibres, and it also activates other nerves that control your fight or flight responses.

So, sing a tune or even jump in a cold shower if your doctor say “yes”, but as you cool down and think about the decades of scientific work that started you on the journey to stimulate this powerful nerve, just recall that there is still more work—much more, in fact—to be done.

1. What does the author’s simple drawing show?

A．The popularity of social media.	B．The way to stimulate inflammation.
C．The function of the vagus nerve.	D．The route from the brain to the body.

2. What do we know about the vagus nerve-stimulating device?

A．It is a small pacemaker.	B．It activates inflammatory reflexes.
C．It controls fight or flight responses.	D．It is the same as vagus nerve stimulation.

3. How can we excite the vagus nerve in the author’s opinion?

A．By applying special techniques.	B．By taking an ice bath.
C．By slowing down the heart rate.	D．By selecting the vagus nerve fibre.

4. What does the author imply in the last paragraph?

A．Ice showers are medically approved methods.

B．Social media is the main source of healthcare.

C．The vagus nerve hasn’t been fully understood yet.

D．Health advice should be regulated through social media.

7 . 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 village homes sit partially hazy (朦胧的) , with their white walls and black roofs     1     (stand) out among the greens of the trees. The hazy     2     (reflect) of the sunlight off the leaf creates a clear texture (纹理) reminding people     3     the Impressionists' approach to light and shadow, yet the stillness of the colours and the lines is altogether Eastern in its charm.

The painting, Autumn Haze, is the work of Lin Fengmian, one of the     4     (master) of 20th century art. Featured alongside other works by Lin and his student Wu Guanzhong as part of a recent special exhibition at the China Art Museum in Shanghai, it seemed to pose a question: Is it possible to redefine what makes a painting, especially a landscape painting. “Chinese” ? Lin,     5     was born in 1900, thought the answer     6     (lie) neither in looking back at traditional landscape paintings nor in the complete acceptance of Western art,     7     rather in the integration (融合) of East and West. Lin believed that Chinese art should combine the forms of expression in the West and the     8     (emotion) needs of Eastern art.

Lin also argued that basic art training should take nature as its subject and apply scientific methods to reproduce objects     9     (correct) as the basis for creation. To that end, he asked his students to be among nature and draw there. Such practice was meant not to force them to make naturalistic art but to allow artists unrestricted creativity as they tried     10     (grasp) the essence (本质) of things.

8 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

Everything changed for me when I entered high school. Among 790 freshmen, I never saw a single person I knew from middle school. At home I was just as lonely. My elder brother was a senior and was making decisions about his future in college. My little brother didn’t want anything to do with me. My older sister was outgoing and never without her friends. “They all fit in.” I thought.

The comfort came—my mom was there waiting for my coming back. I was about to run towards her, hug her and get the bad feelings off my chest when I heard, “Carole, your bedroom’s a disaster. Why can’t you keep it clean? ”

Another strike! The last thing I needed was criticism from my mother. I just wanted a few warm words from her. “Mom, I… ” I tried to explain my suffering but was interrupted by a telephone ring.

“One minute, Carole.” Mom walked away and answered the phone. It seemed that she was negotiating something with her editor. I saw her sitting down by her desk, nodding her head now and then, and carefully taking notes. I knew she was a great writer and mother, strict with herself and affectionate towards us. I also knew she was busy all these days, but still, I couldn’t help feeling disappointed and upset.

I went back to my room and pulled out my maths exercise. I started working out the first problem. Almost immediately, I saw I’d made a mistake. “Wrong again!” I thought. I tore the paper out of my notebook, balled it up in my fist and threw it at the wastepaper basket. The paper ball landed on the floor. By the time I finished my homework, the floor had been littered with paper balls. Out of something unknown, it gave me a kind of satisfaction to see the mess I’d made. I kicked the paper balls under the bed and left the room without tidying it up.

The next day, I came home to an empty house. I dragged myself to my bedroom as usual.

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。

When I opened the door, I was astonished to see a fairly tidy room.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I read the note again and again, and felt a weight lifted from me.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10 . Why you should be eating more pulses (豆类)

World Pulses Day is February 10, so we need get to know some popular pulses and know their benefits.     1     Pulses are rich, colourful superfoods such as lentils, chickpeas and dried beans. They promote good health, contribute to food security, and are delicious.

Healthy and nutritious (有营养的).

Maintaining good health means a healthy choice of foods. Pulses are healthy foods that benefit our overall health.     2     Pulses are also nutritious, meaning they provide the body with vitamins and minerals the body needs.

    3    

You can buy pulses almost all year round, and all types are recognized as a kitchen staple (主食). Pulses are more affordable than meat. And they are an inexpensive source of protein, especially important in countries where meat and dairy products are not easily accessible or too costly. Adding pulses to stews and bolognese sauces will help reduce your shopping bill. These little changes will make your sauce-based meals healthier, tastier and more filling.

Great for the environment.

    4     Farmers need less irrigation (灌溉) water for growing pulses than other crops, and the roots are deeper and more abundant, which are important factors when cultivating in dry regions where other crops fail. Pulses release nitrogen into the ground, a process known as nitrogen fixation. This has a positive effect, improves the quality of the soil and reduces the need for fertilizers.

Economical and versatile (多用途的).

Essential and delicious pulses are economical and easy to prepare.     5     Never salt the beans before you start cooking, doing this will make them tough. Don’t cook beans in the soaking water. A pinch of baking soda will speed up the cooking of your beans.

A．Delicious and special.

B．Cooking pulses is not complicated if you respect the three golden rules.

C．An affordable, practical choice.

D．How they are good for our health.

E．Pulses boast sustainable agriculture.

F．Why should we be eating more throughout the year?

G．In other words, pulses will help prevent us from being sick.