1 . A dramatic video emerged on social media last Friday. It showed the heroic efforts of Australian police as they
In the middle of the
The police chief, who played a key role in the
| A．applied for | B．commented on | C．put off | D．set about |
| A．vividly | B．abstractly | C．complexly | D．theoretically |
| A．farmers | B．officers | C．businessmen | D．photographers |
| A．ceremony | B．inspection | C．operation | D．reform |
| A．ecological | B．peaceful | C．calm | D．intense |
| A．making | B．requesting | C．changing | D．purchasing |
| A．right | B．proof | C．ambition | D．security |
| A．disturb | B．admire | C．protect | D．restrict |
| A．opening | B．trade | C．cloth | D．living |
| A．free | B．feed | C．tolerate | D．transform |
| A．game | B．meeting | C．rescue | D．surgery |
| A．pessimism | B．emergency | C．relaxation | D．comfort |
| A．broadcast | B．compete | C．check | D．aid |
| A．subjective | B．combined | C．humble | D．divided |
| A．adapt | B．delay | C．succeed | D．increase |
2 . In school, kids are told to drink water in class.
For many years, people have followed the unofficial advice of drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day, known as the “8×8 rule”. It’s said that this seems to have partly come from the guidance that was published almost 80 years ago. In 1945, the US Food and Nutrition Board of National Research Council advised drinking one millilitre (毫升) of liquid for every recommended calorie of food. This is equal to around two litres of water a day, or eight glasses per person.
There are, of course, undeniable benefits to drinking water.
So, next time you feel thirsty, reach for a glass of water, but otherwise, don’t worry about it!
| A．Your body knows what it’s doing. |
| B．Is that the probable origin of the “8×8 rule”? |
| C．So should we control our water intake at all? |
| D．Yet the reality is that individuals have different needs. |
| E．After all, drinking more water is far from unreasonable. |
| F．Announcers encourage us to remember our bottles on public transport. |
| G．Water helps our bodies regulate temperature, aids digestion and acts as a shock absorber for our joints. |
3 . Scientists are now digging into precisely why exercise holds so many benefits for our mental health and memory. The answer, studies say, lies in our brain chemistry.
Each time you work up a sweat, your body releases feel-good happy hormones (荷尔蒙), including endorphins, dopamine and endocannabinoids, the latter being responsible for the so-called runner’s high. Now researchers are also pointing to myokines (肌肉因子) as an important contributor to the mental health benefits of exercise. When our muscles contract, myokines are released into the bloodstream, helping your muscles and organs communicate. They think this communication increases resilience to stress, reduces symptoms of mental suffering and anxiety and has a direct effect on depression.
A 2021 scientific report published in Neuropharmacology showed evidence that myokines boost brain function, like improving memory and mood. “Myokines reduce systemic inflammation (炎症), which is especially beneficial for people with drug-resistant depression whose low mood is linked to high inflammation,” explains Dr Jennifer Heisz, an expert in brain health and associate professor in the department of kinesiology at McMaster University in Canada.
A recent study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine showed that treatment for depression can be much more effective when physical activity is added to the usual care. Participants found benefits after 12 weeks of exercising for 30 to 60 minutes a day. “While exercise is not a replacement for professional mental health treatment, physical activity can complement and enhance the effects of the treatment,” says lead researcher Ben Singh, a research fellow at the University of South Australia.
“It is amazing to consider how moving our bodies can heal our minds,” says Heisz. Whether you’re cycling, walking around your neighbourhood or doing yoga, getting sweaty is good for your body and mind. To get the biggest overall health boost, the key is to zero in on sports and activities you enjoy, so you’ll keep going back to them.
1. How do myokines boost our mental health?| A．By bonding muscles with organs. |
| B．By slowing down our bloodstream. |
| C．By contracting muscles through the body. |
| D．By releasing happy hormones in our brain. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Negative. |
| C．Uncertain | D．Approving. |
| A．Adapt to. | B．Give up. |
| C．Focus on. | D．Put off. |
| A．By making comparisons. |
| B．By presenting research findings. |
| C．By offering suggestions. |
| D．By conducting some experiments. |
4 . The maleo (塚雉), a bird with black feathers and a pink chest, is native to Indonesia’s Sulawesi island and a few neighboring ones. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which identifies wildlife across the world currently facing threats, estimates only 800 to 1,400 adult maleos remain in the wild. Experts do not know how many maleos still live across West Sulawesi island. They were only able to record the presence of nesting grounds in 23 villages based on reports from locals in the area. But of those, only 18 are considered active nesting areas.
Recently, the birds have been faced with new threats, which accelerate their decline. The Indonesian government plans to move the nation’s capital from Jakarta to a new city on Borneo island, which is just a six-hour boat trip apart from Sulawesi island. The island takes on the building of new roads and seaports to be used to transport materials to the new capital. Activities also include tree clearing, digging, and removing stones. The process already has changed the forest environment on West Sulawesi and is harming maleo nesting areas near the beach. These changes have made the trip for maleos to lay their eggs increasingly difficult.
Another problem has been poachers. The Associated Press reports that, regardless of official ban, they steal maleo eggs that the males’ parents have hidden in the sand, and sell the eggs for about $1 to people as food. The eggs are a traditional gift for many people in Mamuju and other parts of Sulawesi.
“As far as I know, maleo birds are in decline,” said Andi Aco Takdir, chief of the West Sulawesi Forestry Agency. He pointed to several reasons for the decline, including destruction of beach areas, and expanding human development activities. He added that government officials there are prepared to take steps to protect the maleos even with the new capital development. Andi said, “Nature conservation must be used as an achievement and must not be built leaving behind problems.”
1. Which word can be used to describe the maleos?| A．Endangered. | B．Adaptable. |
| C．Widespread. | D．Extinct. |
| A．The sudden changes of climate. |
| B．The disappearance of the forests. |
| C．The development of Sulawesi island. |
| D．The supporting work for the new capital. |
| A．People who hunt maleos for their meat. |
| B．People who live by selling maleo eggs. |
| C．People who engage in illegal hunting. |
| D．People who regard maleo eggs as gifts. |
| A．The new capital development might be stopped at once. |
| B．The government will balance conservation and development. |
| C．There seems to be a tough way for the new capital to develop. |
| D．The government will concentrate on solving urban problems. |
5 . It’s January and time to go back to school. For some, that might be a gloomy prospect after the joys of the post Christmas festive period. For me, though, it’s as exciting as a trip to Antarctica, also as scary as starting a job for which I’m not sure whether I’m qualified.
To be embarking on a master’s degree in Psychotherapy and Counselling at Regent’s University at 71 is perhaps an unlikely route for someone who dropped out of school at 17. But now I’ve come full circle to the conclusion that nothing, for me, feels more stimulating at this point in my life than learning new things. That studying, far from being the bore and the chore it used to be, is a treat.
Turning 70 came as something of a shock. I started to feel I was drifting (飘). Without a big project, and without any major family responsibilities, I was starting to feel I was lying on a bed of thorns. Friends of similar age were lapping up their lives, socializing and travelling. However, I longed for something more. Or perhaps not more, but different.
As the gloom grew, I thought perhaps I needed to see a therapist. A friend, a psychotherapist, suggested that while therapy might be useful, doing a course on the basics of psychotherapy and counselling might be more up my street. Without too much thinking, I decided to give it a shot.
So that’s how every weekday I beep (发出哔哔声) myself through the gate with my student pass, which makes me smile every time. I felt privileged to be exposed to a group of my fellow students who were willing to be open to me.
While ageing is an inevitable process, we can get rid of a lot of the rules about what’s age-appropriate. Studying for a master’s degree in old age is a challenge, but it has provided me with a new perspective on life. Hence, ageing should never limit your ambitions.
1. How did the author feel when going back to school?| A．Unrealistic. | B．Resistant. |
| C．Awkward. | D．Expectant. |
| A．She achieved nothing before. | B．She lived without a purpose. |
| C．She had to support her family. | D．She was separated by her fellows. |
| A．Keeping your passions alive. | B．Seeking support if needed. |
| C．Behaving age-appropriately. | D．Socializing with young students. |
| A．Returning To School — My Dream Since Childhood |
| B．My Efforts To Learn At An unlikely Age Paying Off |
| C．Learning — My Way To Overcome The Ageing Crisis |
| D．My Tough Journey To Pursuing A Master’s Degree |
When I was little, like many others, my family was so poor. All my clothes were hand-me-downs and my shoes were worn out. The shoes were only cast aside when they were too broken. I had a sister then. She and her family had moved west and settled down in Colorado. When she could, she helped out by sending us their old clothes.
One day, shortly before Thanksgiving, a package arrived from my sister. All of us eagerly gathered around as my mother opened it. Among the items inside, there was a pair of shoes that caught our attention. They were brown with pointy toes, unlike anything we had seen before. I wondered why my sister had chosen to send such unusual shoes.
My mother handed me the shoes, apologizing for the lack of options and explaining that I would have to make do with them as winter approached. The shoes were different from what I was used to, and I felt a mix of embarrassment and disappointment, unsure of how I would be seen by others.
The next day, I wore the shoes and went to school, anxious. When I reached the schoolyard, Timmy, a classmate, yelled, “Evan’s wearing girls’ shoes!” Instantly, the other kids turned their attention to me, and I hurried to the classroom, hoping to escape their judgment and trying to hide my feet.
By mid-morning, we were talking about the West. At about this time, our principal, Mr. Weber came into our classroom and joined the discussion. He excitedly talked about cowboys’ lives, “I remember the cowboys and their unique style. One thing that always stood out was their oxford shoes(牛津鞋).” Then he paused with his gaze fixed on my shoes.
Paragraph 1:Suddenly he stopped near my desk and went silent.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
Hearing Mr. Weber’s words, I looked down at my shoes, recalling my sister’s help for our family.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
My name is Nassra, a second-year student at Tanzania Institute of Accountancy as well as an artist of 22 years old. My journey through art has led me to become
What we usually consider waste may be useful when we think about it in a different light. Discarded (丢弃的) or waste items provide plentiful but largely
In my hands, glass bottles, plastic bags, and other waste items that would otherwise end up
People
8 . Until 2001, I had worked in a technology company for 20 years. On November 6, I learned I was going to be
Unwilling to let people
Jerry’s caring attitude made a difference to many lives, and I was
| A．promoted | B．investigated | C．estimated | D．fired |
| A．motivational | B．important | C．unscheduled | D．unexplainable |
| A．analyzed | B．encountered | C．predicted | D．restricted |
| A．occasion | B．nature | C．member | D．skill |
| A．emotions | B．excuses | C．decisions | D．conversations |
| A．shame | B．disappointment | C．amusement | D．worry |
| A．forget | B．guess | C．judge | D．announce |
| A．understanding | B．greetings | C．comfort | D．opinions |
| A．warned | B．informed | C．persuaded | D．reminded |
| A．optimistic | B．humorous | C．supportive | D．generous |
| A．protected | B．replaced | C．discovered | D．reemployed |
| A．compete | B．cooperate | C．interact | D．agree |
| A．recognized | B．challenged | C．ignored | D．infected |
| A．dream | B．example | C．tradition | D．advice |
| A．sensitive | B．harmonious | C．precious | D．attractive |
9 . Having too many choices be terrifying and cause anxiety, but you can overcome decidophobia (决策恐惧症).
Cut back your decisions.
Shall I, shan’t I?
Follow a series of steps. First write down the pros and cons of different options.
To avoid decision paralysis, set yourself a firm but realistic date by which you need to have picked your preferred option. This will also prevent you going down rabbit holes.
Ask yourself what someone whose judgement you respect—a wise boss, a great teacher, your father—would have said or done in the same situation.
Trust yourself.Making a decision is scary, but you’re the one who knows yourself best. To give yourself confidence, list the decisions you’ve made in the past that have worked out well and consider whether choices you consider bad were really that disastrous.
| A．Get perspective. |
| B．It’s even more helpful if they’re independent, rather than friends or family. |
| C．Decide what to do. |
| D．Here are several tips about how to make better better decisions |
| E．Think of all the decisions that you’ve ever made. |
| F．When you’re feeling overwhelmed with possibilities, it’s often easier to do nothing. |
| G．Consider how you feel about them, rather than simply the number of points for and against. |
10 . Hotter, drier conditions over the past four decades have been decreasing the rainforest birds’ body size while lengthening their wings, a study published in the journal Science Advances said on Friday. “This maybe an adaptation to hotter temperatures. Even in the middle of the primitive Amazon rainforest, we are seeing the global effects of climate change caused by people,” said Vitek Jirinec, lead author on the study.
The scientists have studied measurements and weigh-ins of 77 different bird species in the Amazon rainforest since the early 1980s. Nearly all of the bird species have gotten lighter as time goes on. On average, most species became about 2% lighter every decade. These birds don’t vary that much in size,” said co-author Philip Stouffer, a professor of conservation biology at Louisiana State University. “But when everyone in the population is a couple of grams smaller, it’s significant.”
The researchers found that bird species living in higher parts of the forest—as opposed to closer to the forest floor —saw the most pronounced changes in terms of body composition. Those are the species most exposed to high temperatures. Longer wings and smaller bodies mean that birds have to useless energy to move around, helping them stay cool.
Brian Weeks of the University of Michigan in 2019 researched the average sizes of 52 species of migratory birds in North America from 1978 to 2016. He also found all of them had smaller bodies and longer wings in 2016. This is another example of climate change-human actions globally—affecting a fundamental thing such as the size and shape of the birds. The same effect is likely to be true of other species across the world living in extreme environments.
1. What does the new study find about the birds in the Amazon rainforest?| A．They are flying much higher. | B．They have been physically longer. |
| C．They are more flexible than adaptable | D．They have got smaller and longer-winged. |
| A．By analyzing the collected data. | B．By referring to historical records. |
| C．By observing birds in the forests. | D．By cooperating with other research groups. |
| A．Less food available. | B．Decreased forest area. |
| C．Most exposure to the heat. | D．Inadequate shelter from storms. |
| A．To introduce a new topic. |
| B．To further stress bad effects of humans. |
| C．To popularize some knowledge about birds. |
| D．To tell the difference between the two studies. |
