1 . One day, I was standing on the boat when a very large female leopard seal swam by. I put on my diving gear and got my camera. I was
I jumped into the freezing water. Immediately, the seal swam toward me. Then she put my entire camera—and much of my
By now, she didn’t seem very
Those four days were the most incredible experience I ever had as a wildlife
A.amused | B.enthusiastic | C.cautious | D.frightened |
A.approach | B.rescue | C.treat | D.hunt |
A.leg | B.head | C.body | D.neck |
A.feel | B.arouse | C.reveal | D.overcome |
A.attacked | B.threatened | C.disturbed | D.confused |
A.disappeared | B.communicated | C.returned | D.competed |
A.digest | B.eat | C.seize | D.injure |
A.mouth | B.eyes | C.nose | D.stomach |
A.discipline | B.adopt | C.observe | D.feed |
A.powerful | B.dangerous | C.sensitive | D.gentle |
A.come across | B.come back | C.come over | D.come up |
A.drove | B.directed | C.took | D.waved |
A.manager | B.painter | C.advocate | D.photographer |
A.demand | B.work | C.expect | D.react |
A.intelligent | B.accessible | C.primitive | D.anxious |
A.Four. | B.Five. | C.Six. |
3 . Benefits of Personality Tests
Can identifying one’s personality type using the MBTI and other personality assessments really help? They may.
Better understand others
After taking a personality test and seeing our results, we can gain a better understanding of all the different perceptions and reactions that others might have to the same situation.
Identify our likes and dislikes
Maybe we’ve always hated talking on the phone but never really understood why.
Learning more about our personality type can also help us discover new ways to approach challenges. Knowing what might work best for our personality type can give us new ideas on how to solve problems, deal with stress, cope with conflict, and manage our work habits.
Recognize our strengths and weaknesses
Knowing what we are good at can be important in a wide variety of situations, whether we are picking a college major or thinking about running for a seat on our local school board. For example, if we know that we are an ISTJ (introverted, sensing, thinking, and judging) on the MBTI, we might recognize that certain aspects of our personality might qualify as strengths in some situations and weaknesses in others.
A.Know which situations are ideal for us |
B.Hold on to ideas about who we are |
C.While they reveal truth that showcases different aspects of personality |
D.Here’s an overview of the many benefits of personality tests |
E.This is important because we all have different ways of seeing and interacting with the world |
F.While our organizational skills and carefulness can be a major strength in our work |
G.Or perhaps we’ve always needed much time to think about a problem before making a decision |
4 . Have you ever seen your cat or dog eating grass? They do so because it can help their digestion, and many wild species use natural substances to prevent and control diseases. This is called “zoo pharmacognosy” or, more commonly, animal self-medication.
Scientists have discovered that tamarin monkeys use a specific tree resin (树脂) as medicine. In the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, scientists followed several groups of them to collect data. During one of these daily studies, tamarin monkeys were observed rubbing their bodies on the trunk of a tree. At first, researchers thought that they were marking their territory, a common behaviour in this species. Botanical experts later confirmed that the tree was a species of cabreuva, which is well known for its medical properties.
Researchers decided to place camera-traps in different sites at the foot of the tree to record future visits by tamarin monkeys. The records surprisingly showed that many animals living in the forest visited it. Totally, ten species were observed. For many of them, it was the first time that behaviors similar to self-medication had been observed. More surprisingly, one species spread resin on each other’s fur in pairs. In general, the species seemed to specifically visit the tree to acquire the resin and seemingly benefit from it, either healing their wounds or fighting back parasites (寄生虫).
While further studies are needed to identify the properties of the resin and thus confirm that this is indeed self-medication, the use of it suggests that cabreuva represents a common and universal drugstore for the residents of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. It is likely to be a valuable resource helping the species maintain their magnitude by improving their health.
This discovery could have an important protection influence, as the disappearance of some trees could potentially affect the survival of some animals.
1. Why do tamarin monkeys rub themselves against the tree?A.They would like to digest what they eat. |
B.They are trying to cure diseases. |
C.They are attracting companions’ attention. |
D.They feel like occupying the land. |
A.Animals can help each other clean the fur. |
B.Many animals copy monkeys’ behaviors. |
C.Resin can be used as medicine for some animals |
D.The cabreduva is the habitat of tamarin monkeys. |
A.Characteristics. | B.Populations. |
C.Flexibilities. | D.Similarities. |
A.Increasing the production of resin. |
B.Promoting evolution of creatures. |
C.Motivating the study of monkeys’ diet. |
D.Contributing to forest conservation. |
5 . One of the biggest challenges that traditional educators face is how to unlock students’ love of learning. Once students overcome their fear or unwillingness, they will be on the track of becoming motivated learners.
In order to help students discover the joy in learning, some teachers are turning to a simple but effective strategy called gamification-using game-related elements such as activities and rewards to promote students’ engagement in class. With an origin in educational psychology, this approach is designed to reach students by making the learning process funny and interesting.
What’s more, researches show that gamification can also make assignments less stressful. Without too much pressure, students will associate learning with curiosity and joy. Accordingly, they feel like continuing the journey because positive feelings have boosted their confidence.
But like any other strategies, gamification has its drawbacks when used incorrectly. It is very likely that some students only focus on winning rewards but have no interest in understanding concepts or learning new skills-exactly the opposite of the desired outcome. To avoid this, teachers can help prevent students from becoming wrongly motivated by choosing suitable rewards. Instead of class parties or snacks, try rewards that help students develop a passion for academic subjects.
For example, have students earn points towards a class field trip by behaving and doing their assignments, or pair subjects that a student dislikes with fun books or activities to encourage motivation. That way, they associate fun with reading, math, or other skills. More examples include competing on a leader-board, holding a talent show, or playing other team-building games. All activities and rewards need to be carefully selected and well arranged.
If you’re having a hard time getting your class interested in learning, talk with them together or individually about what motivates them and include it into your student engagement strategies.
1. What can we learn about gamification from the first two paragraphs?A.It advocates a traditional teaching style. |
B.It improves students’ critical thinking. |
C.It promotes the use of video games in class. |
D.It motivates students to be active learners. |
A.Worried. | B.Favorable. | C.Objective. | D.Doubtful. |
A.Associate learning process with assignments. |
B.Set learning goals for different students. |
C.Select suitable rewards for teaching activities. |
D.Encourage teamwork by holding class parties. |
A.The future influences of gamification. |
B.The analysis of a teaching strategy. |
C.Recent research on education system. |
D.A discovery about motivating learners. |
6 . Eradajere Oleita thinks she may have a partial solution to two of her country’s problems: garbage and poverty. It’s called the Chip Bag Project. The 26-year-old student and environmentalist from Detroit is asking a favor of local snack lovers: Rather than throw your empty chip bags into the trash, donate them so she can turn them into sleeping bags for the homeless.
Chip eaters drop off their empty bags from Doritos, Lays, and other favorites at two locations in Detroit: a print shop and a clothing store, where Oleita and her volunteer helpers collect them. After they clean the chip bags in soapy hot water, they slice them open, lay them flat, and iron them together. They use padding (衬垫) and liners (衬里) from old coats to line the insides.
It takes about four hours to sew a sleeping bag, and each takes around 150 to 300 chip bags, depending on whether they’re single-serve or family size. The result is a sleeping bag that is “waterproof, lightweight, and easy to carry around”, Oleita told the Detroit News.
Since its start in 2020, the Chip Bag Project has collected more than 800,000 chip bags and, as of last December, created 110 sleeping bags. Sure, it would be simpler to raise the money to buy new sleeping bags. But that’s only half the goal for Oleita—whose family moved to the United States from Nigeria a decade ago with the hope of attaining a better life —and her fellow volunteers. “We are devoted to making an impact not only socially, but environmentally,” she says.
And, of course, there’s the symbolism of rescuing bags that would otherwise land in the trash and using them to help the homeless. It’s a powerful reminder that environmental problem and poverty often go hand in hand. As Oleita told hourdetroit. com: “I think it’s time to show connections between all of these issues.”
1. What did Oleita ask the snack lovers to do with their empty chip bags?A.To turn them into sleeping bags. |
B.To give them away to her. |
C.To donate them to the homeless directly. |
D.To throw them into the trash. |
A.They can be different in size. |
B.They can be made with ease. |
C.They are made by machines in the workshop. |
D.They are far from overweight. |
A.Poverty results from environmental problems. |
B.Oleita started the project mainly to raise money. |
C.The aim of the project is more than social issues. |
D.Oleita’s project made 110 sleeping bags per month. |
A.Talented and social. |
B.Responsible and creative. |
C.Selfless and modest. |
D.Hardworking and loyal. |
7 . Here’re some of the excellent inventions in 2023. Which one do you like most?
Whiter Paint
The paint on a white building reflects 80 to 90% of the sunlight that strikes it. The rest of the light warms the surrounding area, raising air-conditioning bills. But the Whiter Paint is made of chemicals that better reflect UV rays. It reflects up to 98% of the sunlight, which could reduce AC use by 40%. “The heat is reflected into deep space,” says Xiulin Ruan, who led the Purdue University team that created the paint.
Duolingo app
Now you can take music lessons on a smartphone, using this app, which uses an on-screen piano to teach basics such as harmony and beat. You learn by interacting with more than 200 popular pieces of music. Just match sounds to notes and play along. “You don’t need natural talent to learn music,” says Karen Chow, who’s a learning scientist at Duolingo.
Model A
Model A, developed by Alef Aeronautics, is a two-seat all-electric vehicle with a flight range of 110 miles. And it looks as if it were made to be parked in a garage. In July, 2023, the Federal Aviation Administration gave Alef permission to take the vehicle on test flights. The company hopes to deliver the first Model A by 2026.
Moonwalkers
They’re actually battery-powered shoes with wheels. They let you walk normally—just faster and more easily. Moonwalkers, made by Shift Robotics, use AI to sense when you’re speeding up or slowing down, and adjust themselves accordingly. With it, you can walk at speeds up to seven miles per hour.
1. What is special about Whiter Paint?A.It powers air conditioners. | B.It warms our buildings. |
C.It absorbs more sunlight. | D.It makes us feel cooler. |
A.Duolingo app. | B.Whiter Paint. |
C.Moonwalkers. | D.Model A. |
A.They can help us live an easier life. |
B.They are supported by AI technology. |
C.They are favored by the disabled. |
D.They were created by college teams. |
1. Why is the woman disappointed?
A.She lost a swimming race. |
B.She failed a swimming class. |
C.She missed the swimming test. |
A.A lifeguard. |
B.An instructor. |
C.A professional swimmer. |
A.To try harder. |
B.To consider giving up. |
C.To forget about her worries. |
1. How many of her favorite author’s books has the woman read?
A.Two. | B.Three. | C.Four. |
A.He is funny. | B.He is wise. | C.He is exciting. |
A.At bookshops. | B.On the Internet. | C.In libraries. |
A.Fiction. | B.History. | C.Biography. |
A.A health issue. | B.Energy drinks. | C.Exam stress. |