1 . Sargassum is the smelly seaweed piling up on beaches across the Caribbean. It isn’t something most people ________ kindly. But for Omar de Vazquez, a gardener, it was something like a(an) ________.

Years ago, as part of his gardening business, Omar launched a beach cleanup service to ________ the leafy seaweed. But, as its ________ intensified, he started considering how to turn it into something useful, and in 2018 he ________ a way to use it in building blocks. He started his company—SargaBlock to market the bricks which are being ________ by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) as a sustainable solution to a current environmental problem.

“When I look at SargaBlock, it’s like looking in a ________,” he says, comparing his company to overcoming his personal ________, including drug and alcohol addiction. “That was a time when I felt unwanted and ________, like the sargassum people complained about.”

Luckily, Omar grew up in nature and poverty, which ________ his character and turned him into someone who takes action. He wanted to make something good out of something everyone saw as bad. Omar then put his idea into ________, mixing 40% sargassum with other organic materials, like clay, which he then puts into a block-forming machine. The process was ________.

The UNDP selected Omar’s work for their Accelerator Lab, which ________ and recognizes innovative solutions to environmental challenges globally. The idea is that some of the most timely and creative ________ come from locals suffering from environmental dilemmas ________.

1.

A．look upon

B．bring in

C．give up

D．come across

2.

A．game

B．gift

C．race

D．trouble

3.

A．access

B．harvest

C．remove

D．process

4.

A．heat

B．image

C．presence

D．movement

5.

A．worked out

B．called for

C．showed off

D．turned down

6.

A．highlighted

B．undervalued

C．overemphasized

D．withdrawn

7.

A．window

B．mirror

C．dictionary

D．puzzle

8.

A．struggles

B．fears

C．desires

D．opinions

9.

A．appreciated

B．infected

C．interrupted

D．rejected

10.

A．fitted

B．shaped

C．revealed

D．described

11.

A．operation

B．words

C．bills

D．profit

12.

A．straightforward

B．transforming

C．natural

D．consuming

13.

A．combines

B．provides

C．identifies

D．drafts

14.

A．responses

B．reminder

C．appeal

D．issues

15.

A．alongside

B．offshore

C．underneath

D．firsthand

2 . Aptitude Tests Recommendations

Aptitude tests are helpful to job seekers of all ages. While career quizzes explore your values and work style, aptitude tests provide a more objective evaluation of your skills, helping you select a career you’re most likely to succeed in. Below are some of the best aptitude tests out there.

Clifton Strengths

The Clifton Strengths program was created based on research around leadership. The research in question pointed to common strengths among successful leaders, like strategic thinking, adaptability and communication. To complete the test, you must answer around 150 questions, each within 20 seconds. Allen Cheung, a tech blogger, notes that CliftonStrengths is more valuable than your average career test because it includes “tricky questions which aren’t as easily gamed”.

Red Bull Wingfinder

Developed and tested out by psychology experts, the Red Bull Wingfinder assesses your thinking under pressure. Questions include image sorting, logic puzzles and leadership-related questions. Once you complete the test, you’ll receive a nine-page report and career coaching tailored to your results.

SEI Development Report

The SEI Development Report is an extensive EQ aptitude test that has timed right-and-wrong answers that assess eight fundamentals, including emotional literacy, emotional management and empathy. At the end, you’ll receive a 20-page report with recommended courses on workplace EQ development.

CareerOneStop

While it only takes a few minutes to complete, the CareerOneStop Skills Assessment will help you rank both your technical and soft skills. The career suggestions at the end can be sorted by relevance, annual wages, and job outlook, coupled with with professional coaching or consultation improve your skills.

1. What do aptitude tests mainly assess for job seekers?

A．Their work ethics.	B．Their career interest.
C．Their preferred work style.	D．Their professional competence.

2. What is a unique feature of Clifton Strengths?

A．It evaluates leadership skills.	B．It is developed by experts.
C．It includes challenging questions.	D．It offers a comprehensive report.

3. Which test suits a job seeker who prefers categorized suggestions and career coaching?

A．Clift on Strengths	B．Red Bull Wingfinder
C．SEI Development Report	D．CareerOneStop

3 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Why does the speaker give the talk?

A．To introduce a course.

B．To announce a campus fund.

C．To promote a student-led project.

2. What is Madeline Kizer’s major?

A．Psychology.

B．Film production.

C．Marketing.

3. Which aspect of requirements is mentioned?

A．Commitment to the project.

B．Time of admission to the university.

C．Hours of academic study in a major.

4 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What did the woman forget to do?

A．Send out invitations.

B．Invite Linda.

C．Check out the recipe.

2. Where does the man suggest they shop for ingredients?

A．At the convenience store.

B．At the bakery.

C．At the organic market.

3. What does the man say about getting some desserts?

A．It’s fantastic.

B．It’s unnecessary.

C．It’s costly.

4. What are the speakers talking about?

A．Cooking techniques.

B．Their trip to Pompeii.

C．Plans for a dinner party.

5 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What does the man want to do?

A．Get a new student card.

B．Look for his student card.

C．Post information on a campus board.

2. Where did the man last see the card?

A．On the train.

B．In the computer lab.

C．At the railway station.

3. What happened to the man’s student card?

A．It was stolen.

B．It was found on campus.

C．It was misplaced in his backpack.

4. How does the man sound when he learns that his student card was found?

A．Annoyed.

B．Relieved.

C．Confused.

6 . What did Jane do last Saturday?

A．Go to the fashion show.

B．Visit the art museum.

C．Study at the university.

7 . I’m in a coffee shop in Manhattan and I’m about to become the most disliked person in the room. First, I’m going to interrupt the man reading quietly near the window and ask for a drink of his latte. Next, I’m going to ask the line of people waiting to pay if I can cut to the front of the queue. This is how I chose to spend my last vacation. Here’s why.

Growing up, all I ever heard about was “EQ.” It was the mid-1990s, and psychologist Daniel Goleman had just popularized the concept of emotional intelligence. Unlike IQ, which tracked conventional measures of intelligence like reasoning and recall, EQ measured the ability to understand other people — to listen, to empathize (共情), and to appreciate.

My mother, an elementary school principal, prized brains and hard work, but she placed a special emphasis on Goleman’s new idea. To her, EQ was the elixir (万能药) that separated the good students from the great after they left school. She was determined to send me into the adult world with as much of this elixir as possible.

But when I finally began my first job, I noticed a second elixir in the pockets of some of my colleagues. It gave their opinions extra weight and their decisions added impact. Strangest of all, it seemed like the anti-EQ: Instead of knowing how to make others feel good, this elixir gave people the courage to do the opposite — to say things others didn’t want to hear.

This was assertiveness (魄力). It boiled down to the command of a single skill: the ability to have uncomfortable conversations. Assertive people — those with high “AQ”— ask for things they want, decline things they don’t, provide constructive feedback, and engage in direct confrontation (对峙) and debate.

A lifetime improving my EQ helped me empathize with others, but it also left me overly sensitive to situations where I had to say or do things that might make others unhappy. While I didn’t avoid conflict, I was always frustrated by my powerlessness when I had to say or do something that could upset someone. This is my problem and I’m working on it.

1. Why did the author act that way in the coffee shop?

A．To improve a skill.	B．To test a concept.
C．To advocate a new idea.	D．To have a unique vacation.

2. What do we know about the author’s mother?

A．She thought little of IQ.

B．She popularized Goleman’s idea.

C．She was a strict mother and principal.

D．She valued EQ as the key to greatness.

3. What does the word “it” underlined in the fourth paragraph refer to?

A．EQ.

B．AQ.

C．Empathy.

D．Courage.

4. According to the passage, those with high EQ but low AQ are likely to be ______.

A．successful leaders	B．people pleasers
C．terrible complainers	D．pleasure seekers

8 . Whether you live in a house, cottage, flat or rented property, we all love and treasure our homes — so protecting your property with a comprehensive home insurance policy should be a priority. But what should you consider when purchasing your next home insurance policy? Here are some key points.

VALUE YOUR VALUABLES

We all take possessions away from the home, including items such as jewelry, mobile phones, tablets, and handbags. When buying home insurance, always discuss this. A policy that provides overseas cover means you can often save money on your travel policy — since you don’t need to insure these items twice.

WATCH OUT FOR WATER

If there’s damage to your property caused by an escape of water, you may have additional costs in removing and replacing any other part of the building while accessing the source of the leak. Trace and access cover is important as it could save you a substantial amount of money should your property develop a leak.

ACCIDENTS HAPPEN

One in four home insurance policies don’t include accidental damage cover. Accidental damage cover is recommended as even the most careful person could accidentally knock their television when decorating or even while cleaning the carpet.

It may surprise you to learn comprehensive home insurance — which includes all the important levels of cover as standard—may not cost as much as you might think. Leading insurance broker Higos Insurance Services recently revealed that 66 percent of their clients have paid less than 240 for their new home insurance policy in 2023.

1. How does overseas cover benefit a client?

A．By including travel essentials in it.	B．By enlarging coverage to home repairs.
C．By avoiding double-insuring valuables.	D．By offering discounts on travel packages.

2. Which covers risks of loss or damage caused by a leaking roof?

A．Property cover.	B．Overseas cover.
C．Accidental damage cover.	D．Trace and access cover.

3. Whom is this text most likely intended for?

A．Property investors.	B．Travel insurance buyers.
C．Home insurance seekers.	D．Personal finance enthusiasts.

9 . What Does Our Body Language Reveal

    1     People tend to judge us far more on our physical appearance, including our mannerisms, than by what comes out of our mouths. To give the right impression, it’s important to understand what we are conveying non-verbally and how our unconscious signals are being received by the people we interact with.

Smiling is a powerful tool in your body language collection. Perhaps you smile a lot in the hope of appearing friendly.     2     In some Asian cultures, smiling too much is seen as a signal that you’re not a serious person and may lose you some respect.

If you’re trying to hide nervousness you’d better avoid smiling too much, too. Also be aware that nervous people often hug themselves, rub their forehead, and shift their body weight from one foot to another to create a slight rocking motion.     3    

If you’re trying to show that you are listening sympathetically to what someone has to say, try tipping your head slightly and nodding very slightly. This gesture implies you are listening with interest. If you’re talking to someone and a third person joins, turn your body towards them slightly to include them and make them feel valued.     4     A single nod of the head is also a strong gesture of coolness when listening to another person.

To build trust quickly? Try mirroring. Adopting a similar stance (站姿) to the person you are engaged with indicates your interest and helps develop trust. Use this with caution, though.     5     Mirroring only works when they don’t realize what you’re doing.

A．Don’t obviously copy your companion.

B．Our body language speaks volumes about us.

C．Control these habits to appear more composed.

D．Our body language barely overshadows our verbal communication.

E．Just be aware that it might make you seem less professional at work.

F．We tend to position our body and feet toward the person of interest to us.

G．By contrast, a failure to angle your body towards them implies “Unwelcome”.

10 . My mother died of breast cancer when she was merely 50 in 1970. Afterwards, the comment repeated most often was: “You’ll need to be careful for the rest of your life because it may have been passed to you.” In 1994, the first ever breast cancer gene testing arrived. I jumped right to it and tested negative. I’m thankful for the science that has given me this preventive screening (筛查). Good for me, but is it good for everyone?

Here’s the catch. Research on genetic disease has been based mostly on European people, like me. The same went to the mapping of the human genes. The problem is that we know little about how new treatments might work for people of other races. If we diversify patients in clinical trials, we can realize the promise of personalized medicine for everyone, not just white patients. Faced with the unfair phenomena in medical research, what should we do to resolve the problem?

Not only do we need more diverse populations participating in research, but we also need diversity among biomedical researchers and medical professionals to make efforts. That makes research stronger and builds trust with diverse communities. A medical team is working on this now. They are building a diverse next generation of gene editing researchers by teaching high school and community college students from different backgrounds about promising technologies like gene editing to encourage them to become future researchers. This sort of educational outreach can also help to build trust in the medical and research communities. The team leader, John Cooper, PhD, has been outspoken about the current inequalities of delivering new technologies to all people at a fair cost.

Numerous scientists and medical leaders are working to change the situation. While science wasn’t yet far enough along to save my mother, I have harvested the benefits of advanced research and so should we all.

1. What is the function of paragraph 1?

A．To explain the cause of her mother’s cancer.	B．To show her concerns over medical inequalities.
C．To indicate the side effects of genetic testing.	D．To emphasize the progress in the medical field.

2. What does the underlined words “the catch” in paragraph 2 refer to?

A．A previous study.

B．An urgent appeal.

C．An underlying issue.

D．A workable solution.

3. What might enable new treatments to benefit all?

A．Conducting research on genetic diseases.	B．Delivering speeches to interested students.
C．Building confidence in potential medical researchers.	D．Popularizing technologies in various communities.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards the advanced research?

A．Supportive.

B．Dismissive.

C．Opposed.

D．Impartial.