Going abroad was the toughest decision I’ve ever faced. Being an introverted (内向的) and quiet girl, I tend to keep to
Landing in Beijing was like coming home. This city that I had never been to
Choosing to study in China stands as
2 . Salad is good for you, generally speaking, so growing fresh greens in orbit seems like a winning way for space workers to stay healthy. New research suggests that as nutritious as space salad might be, it could pose something of a risk to astronauts.
The problem is growing leafy plants like lettuce (生菜) in space can come with a side dish of bacteria (细菌), according to a new study from a team at the University of Delaware. In tests on plants grown in modeled micro-gravity, they were shown to actually be more sensitive than normal to the Salmonella enterica (SE) (沙门氏菌).
We know that the International Space Station (ISS) is home to a lot of aggressive bacteria, and if these space virus were to cause widespread sickness in an astronaut crew, it would mean lives were at risk. “You don’t want the whole mission to fail just because of a food safety outbreak,” says plant biologist Harsh Bais from the University of Delaware.
Bais and his colleagues used a device to perform some clever rotation tricks in the lab, putting lettuce plants into a similar state as they would be in micro-gravity. They then added SE bacteria to the leaves. What was interesting — and surprising — was that the tiny stomata (气孔) in the lettuce opened up to allow the bacteria to get in. Ordinarily, the job of the stomata is to keep dangerous attackers out, while at the same time helping the plant to breathe.
The researchers then added a more helpful species of bacteria, one that typically protects plants from external stressors. Again, the defense didn’t work in micro-gravity — suggesting there’s something about this state that disables the chemical reactions that the lettuce would normally use to keep itself safe.
Add in what we know about space bacteria being particularly tricky, and this is a potential problem. The team behind the study wants to see a lot more research into making sure our foodstuffs are safe outside of orbit.
1. Why can’t lettuce be grown in ISS?| A．Its leaves takes up too much space. | B．It brings in illness-causing bacteria. |
| C．It is only a side dish to astronauts. | D．It can’t grow well in micro-gravity. |
| A．Negative. | B．Sensitive. | C．Enthusiastic. | D．Unconcerned. |
| A．They kept lettuce from breathing. | B．They ensure the safety of lettuce. |
| C．They failed to function as expected. | D．They stopped all bacteria coming in. |
| A．SE, the Worst Bacteria in Space | B．Greens for Salad, a Risk in Space |
| C．Lettuce, Plant Samples Used in Space | D．Food Safety, a Key Problem in Space |
3 . At just a few inches long and living on an affordable diet of flakes, goldfish are often viewed as the world’s most unnoticeable pet — a kind of gateway animal to prepare new caregivers for cats and dogs to come. But their blank stare and expression cover up a little-known and somewhat horrifying fact: Released into the wild and upping their caloric count goldfish can develop into massive fish, damaging local ecosystems.
According to The New York Times, the Great Lakes are currently suffering from an inflow of goldfish. They eat everything from algae (海藻) to plants to animals without backbones and can reach 16 inches to 19 inches in length, weighing in at 4 pounds. And all that consumption is destructive. The goldfish swallow plants that native fish eat. They also consume algae, which promotes further algae growth. Because they’re resistant to changing water temperatures, they can be lasting trouble. They are also forcing native fish out of their natural habitat.
Researchers have observed a significant increase in the goldfish population over the past few decades, a likely consequence of people releasing pets that then reproduce. It’s possible that tens of millions of goldfish now live in the Great Lakes; similar goldfish problems have also been observed in Australia.
Possible interventions include electrical currents that would kill the fish and netting to capture them and control the population in breeding grounds identified by tracking.
Goldfish grew popular in the U.S. in the late 19th century,when the U.S. Commission on Fisheries gave away thousands of them in Washington D.C They’re fairly crafty fish with the capacity to learn some simple tricks. Advocates say the typical fishbowl is too small for them and recommend a tank of at least 20 gallons per fish so they have room to move.
With the right environment, goldfish can reproduce fast and live for decades. But if you’re not interested in keeping them, experts at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service suggest donating them to a school, pet store, or interested party — not a local pond.
1. How can goldfish grow super big?| A．By growing uninterruptedly in a tank. | B．By staying together with other fish. |
| C．By living with considerate caregivers. | D．By eating enough food in a big lake. |
| A．They eat up local fish. | B．They help keep biodiversity. |
| C．They occupy the habitat of native fish. | D．They promote the spread of algae. |
| A．Goldfish population is increasing fast. | B．Capturing goldfish becomes very difficult. |
| C．Goldfish are growing too big to live in a tank . | D．Tracking goldfish’s breeding grounds is impossible. |
| A．Pitiable. | B．Foxy. | C．Cute. | D．Popular. |
| A．energetic | B．realistic | C．dramatic | D．romantic |
5 . You’ve sized up the benefits of volunteering, looked over your schedule, and decided you have both the time and desire to give back to your community.
Identify your values.
If you’re motivated to serve the less fortunate, you might target organizations that work with housing-insecure populations, people with disabilities or members of historically disadvantaged groups. Motivations for volunteering are as diverse as the volunteers harboring them.
Try to involve the whole family.
Many parents who volunteer turn giving back into a family affair. Community service is a great way to teach kids the value of selflessness.
Once you find a well-run organization that aligns with (符合) your availability, values, talents, and objectives, work with your contact there to set a volunteer schedule that fits your life. If you’re exploring a frequent engagement — say, a weekly or biweekly commitment —think carefully about how much time you can afford to donate. It’s better to commit to shorter or less frequent volunteer hours than to take on an unmanageable workload.
| A．What motivates you to give back? |
| B．Don’t bite off more than you can chew. |
| C．Are you ready to build a list of ideal places to volunteer? |
| D．It’s also an opportunity to spend more time with your family. |
| E．Don’t overthink the process of finding opportunities to volunteer. |
| F．Whatever your motivations are, there’s an organization out there that needs your help. |
| G．Now comes the most difficult part: finding volunteer opportunities that are right for you. |
6 . Is it better to have powerful generative AI systems open or closed? This question is quickly becoming a significant technological and ideological (思想上的) debate in our times!
Supporters believe they help more people use the technology, create new ideas, and make it more reliable by encouraging outside inquiry. Smaller open models are cheaper to make and use, and they add competition to a field mostly controlled by big US companies like Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI, who have spent billions on making huge, private, and closely controlled generative Al systems.
However, those who disagree say that open models could cause a lot of problems. Bad people can use them to spread false information that is personalized, and terrorists might use them to create cyber or bioweapons. Geoffrey Hinton, one of the pioneers of modern AI, has warned that open source allows more crazy people to do crazy things.
Supporters of open models disagree, finding it ridiculous that open generative AI models enable people to access information that they can’t find on the internet or from a bad scientist. They also point out that big tech companies only talk about the dangers of open models to help themselves compete and become more powerful in the market.
However, this debate also involves an ideological aspect. Yann LeCun, the chief scientist at Meta, holds the belief that controlling technology may give rise to a knowledge gap, as only a chosen group of experts would be qualified and wise enough to deal with knowledge.
In the future, we will use AI systems to search and use the huge amount of digital knowledge created by humans. We should not want a handful of Silicon Valley companies to control that access. Wendy Hall, royal professor of computer science at Southampton university, says we do not want to live in a world where only the big companies run generative Al. Nor do we want to allow users to do anything they like with open models. “We have to find some compromise,” she suggests.
We should avoid a strict either-or approach when it comes to AI models. Both open and closed models have their strengths and weaknesses. As these models improve, we will need to adjust the balance between encouraging competition and keeping control.
1. What can we learn from this passage?| A．It needs billions of dollars to develop open-source models. |
| B．Only self-selecting experts can handle open models wisely. |
| C．Small open models boost AI competition at a lower cost. |
| D．Users can do anything they like with open models recently. |
| A．Because it allows more crazy people to do crazy things. |
| B．Because it limits competition in the AI field. |
| C．Because it slows down new and exciting AI innovation. |
| D．Because it restricts access to digital knowledge. |
| A．supportive | B．puzzled |
| C．unconcerned | D．opposed |
| A．Why Open AI Models Are the Future |
| B．How to Create Powerful AI Systems |
| C．Where does the Debate on Open AI End |
| D．Open vs. Closed AI: The Great Debate |
7 . Top Five Youngest Olympics Gold Medal Winners of All-Time
Marjorie GestringMarjorie Gestring of the US was only 13 years and 268 days old when she won the gold medal for her country. The diver won the medal at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games to become the youngest individual Olympic gold medalist. She would have won more gold medals considering her talent if it were not for the World War Ⅱ.
Klaus ZertaKlaus Zerta was only 13 years and 283 days old when he won a gold medal at the 1960 Olympics in Rome, Italy. Klaus was from West Germany but represented the unified team of Germany at the Olympics. Moreover, he is the youngest confirmed male athlete to win a gold medal in the history of the Summer Olympics.
Nishiya MomijiThe ongoing Tokyo Olympics saw a few record-breaking feats in the skateboarding event. Japan’s Nishiya Momiji became the first ever women’s Olympic skateboarding champion. The athlete is merely 13 years and 330 days old, which makes her one of the youngest individual gold medal winners in the history of the Olympics.
Fu MingxiaChinese female diver Fu Mingxia is popular for being one of the youngest Olympic diving champions. She was born on August 16, 1978, and won a gold medal at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. She was 15 days older than Nishiya Momiji when they each won their first Olympic gold medal. Fu Mingxia dominated the sport throughout the 1990s with her skills in extremely difficult dives. In the coming years, she won three more Olympic gold medals and a silver across the platform and springboard events.
Nadia ComaneciNadia Comaneci is from Romania and is a five-time Olympic gold medalist. In 1976, she became the first gymnast to receive a perfect score of 10. She was merely 14 years old when she secured the Gold at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Interestingly, back then, a gymnast had to be 14 to participate but later the age limit went up to 16 years. Therefore, Nadia’s record cannot be broken.
1. What do we know about Marjorie Gestring?| A．She was the first women’s Olympic skateboarding champion. |
| B．She dominated the sport throughout the 1990s with her skills. |
| C．The war prevented her from achieving more. |
| D．A perfect score of 10 for a gymnast belonged to her. |
| A．13 years and 315 days old. |
| B．13 years and 345 days old. |
| C．13 years and 283 days old. |
| D．13 years and 268 days old. |
| A．News. | B．Sports. |
| C．Life. | D．History. |
8 . In 2010, Justin Horner was driving down a busy freeway in Portland, US, when his tire blew out. He
Three hours later,
As they slowly drove off, Horner unwrapped the tamale and discovered his
Months later, Horner shared his experience online, which
| A．came in | B．moved on | C．pulled up | D．dropped out |
| A．note | B．sign | C．call | D．deal |
| A．notably | B．eventually | C．secretly | D．immediately |
| A．race | B．traffic | C．nationality | D．language |
| A．examined | B．powered | C．cleaned | D．fixed |
| A．hesitated | B．attempted | C．refused | D．pretended |
| A．declined | B．appreciated | C．withdrew | D．accepted |
| A．promised | B．questioned | C．insisted | D．complained |
| A．snack | B．pie | C．soup | D．fruit |
| A．wallet | B．gift | C．money | D．key |
| A．simply | B．carefully | C．truly | D．slowly |
| A．wave | B．bow | C．sigh | D．touch |
| A．confirmed | B．updated | C．made | D．drew |
| A．expressed | B．practiced | C．invented | D．promoted |
| A．regional | B．universal | C．funny | D．creative |
9 . You may have noticed a phenomenon among students today. Although there are exceptions, this generation is advanced intellectually, but behind emotionally. They are missing many of the marks of maturity they should have.
From an intellectual perspective, students today have been exposed to so much more than I was growing up —and far sooner. They’ve consumed information on everything before they graduate from middle school. Everything is coming at them sooner.
On the other hand, students have been delayed in their emotional growth. They seem to require more time to actually “grow up” and prepare for the responsibility that comes with adulthood. This is a result of many factors, including well-intentioned parents who always keep their eyes on their children, not allowing them to experience the pain of maturation.
There is another reason why teens struggle with maturation. Scientists are gaining new insights into remarkable changes in the brain that may explain why the teen years are so hard on young people and their parents. From ages 11-14, kids lose some of the connections between cells in the part of their brain that enables them to think clearly and make good decisions.
What happens is that the brain reshapes itself, going through changes that will allow a young person to move into adult life effectively. Teens experiencing these brain changes can react emotionally, according to Ian Campbell, an expert at the U. C. Davis Sleep Research Laboratory. Mood swings and uncooperative and irresponsible attitudes can all be the result of these changes. Sometimes, students can’t explain why they feel the way they do. Their brain is changing from a child brain to an adult brain.
Regions that specialize in language, for example, grow rapidly until about age 13 and then stop. The part of the brain responsible for high-level reasoning and decision-making aren’t fully mature until the early 20s, according to Deborah Yurgelun-Todd, a neuroscientist at Harvard’s Brain Imaging Centre. There’s a period of time when the child part of the brain has been reshaped, but the adult part is not fully formed. They are “in-between” —informed but not prepared.
1. What causes the mismatch between teenagers’ intellectual and emotional maturity?| A．They don’t get enough information. | B．Their parents are too strict with them. |
| C．They have harder teen years than their parents. | D．Their certain brain regions aren’t fully mature. |
| A．They are very emotional. | B．They are weak in communication. |
| C．They behave like adults. | D．They have great reasoning ability. |
| A．Students know exactly why they have mood swings. |
| B．Emotional development causes changes in the brain. |
| C．The brain areas for different functions grow at different rates. |
| D．Parents are unaware of adolescents’ emotional changes. |
| A．Teens today experience a series of changes to become adults. |
| B．Teens now have slower maturity emotionally than intellectually. |
| C．Parents’ attitudes delay teenage emotional growth. |
| D．Scientists have found new evidence on teenager’s brain changes. |
The Empty Pot
A long time ago in China there was a boy named Ping who loved flowers. Anything he planted burst into bloom. Up came flowers, bushes, and even big fruit trees, as if by magic!
Everyone in the kingdom loved flowers too. They planted them everywhere, and the air smelled like perfume.
The Emperor loved birds and animals, but flowers most of all, and he tended his own garden every day. But the Emperor was very old. He needed to choose a successor to the throne (王位的继承人). Because the Emperor loved flowers so much, he decided to let the flowers choose.
The next day a statement was issued: All the children in the land were to come to the palace. There they would be given special flower seeds by the Emperor. “Whoever can show me their best in a year’s time,” he said, “will succeed me to the throne.”
This news created great excitement throughout the land! Children from all over the country swarmed to the palace to get their flower seeds. All the parents wanted their children to be chosen Emperor, and all the children hoped they would be chosen too!
When Ping received his seed from the Emperor, he was the happiest child of all. He was sure he could grow the most beautiful flower. Ping filled a flowerpot with rich soil. He planted the seed in it very carefully. He watered it every day. He couldn’t wait to see it sprout, grow, and blossom into a beautiful flower!
Day after day passed, but nothing grew in his pot. Ping was very worried. He put new soil into a bigger pot. Then he transferred the seed into the rich black soil. Another two months he waited. Still nothing happened. By and by the whole year passed.
Spring came, and all the children put on their best clothes to greet the Emperor. They rushed to the palace with their beautiful flowers, eagerly hoping to be chosen.
Ping was ashamed of his empty pot. He thought the other children would laugh at him because for once he couldn’t get a flower to grow.
His clever friend ran by, holding a great big plant. “Ping!” he said. “You’re not really going to the Emperor with an empty pot, are you? Couldn’t you grow a great big flower like mine?” “I’ve grown lots of flowers better than yours,” Ping said. “It’s just this seed that won’t grow.”
Ping’s father overheard this and said, “You did your best, and your best is good enough to present to the Emperor.”
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。
Holding the empty pot in his hands, Ping went straight away to the palace.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When the Emperor heard these words, a smile slowly spread over his face.
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