1 . 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。

In February 2022, I began learning Chinese with the     1     (intend) of enjoying Chinese culture. Almost a year later, I found myself in Beijing, the capital of China. Before coming here, I     2     (attend) Chinese classes, and I could sense my progress in the language. As     3     matter of fact, studying for just one year wasn’t enough to claim fluency. But full proficiency in the language is not necessary to lose     4     (you) in and enjoy many attractions of life in China.

The one thing that truly makes me feel comfortable is making friends and engaging     5     conversation. At Tsinghua University,     6     I pursued my studies in China, I made friends with many Chinese young people. I often     7     (invite) to have meals or leisure activities with them, such as going to KTV, which is a popular entertainment among Chinese youth. I felt that connecting with my Chinese peers through a shared passion, such as singing, was     8     (incredible) enjoyable and beautiful.

During breaks from study, I frequently travels across China. I’ve explored cities like Shanghai, Chongqing, and Changsha in Hunan province, among others. Though I have experienced traveling on overnight trains for over 12 hours several times and explored     9     (familiar) cities, I never felt fearful or unwelcome as a foreigner. Chinese people are warm and welcoming to foreigners, and eager     10     (offer) help.

2 . 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。

Mind reading is hard. But not impossible. Modern technology can reach inside someone’s head and pull out their     1     (intend).

Decoding (破解) thought usually requires placing sensors directly on or in someone’s brain. Using brain implants, researchers so far     2     (pick) up electrical signals in the brain linked to certain words or letters. This has allowed brain implants to transform thoughts     3     text or speech on a computer. Brain implants have even enabled scientists     4     (turn) the neural firings (神经网络滤镜) associated with a song in someone’s head into real music.

In a recent study, scientists decoded full stories from people’s brains     5     (use) MRI scans. This did not require any brain implants. But building the thought decoder     6     (definite) required many hours of brain scans for each person. What’s more, the system only worked on the persons     7     were willing to have their minds read.

Devices that might let someone secretly read your mind from across the room     8     (be) still a long, long way off Still, it’s clear that mind-reading tech is getting more and more     9     (advance). As it does, scientists are thinking hard about what it would mean to live in     10     world where not even the inside of your head is completely private.

5 . After a heavy snowstorm, I ran outside excitedly to build a snowman. No matter how I rolled my snowball, it refused to grow. After resting for a while, I restarted the job. Then I noticed I had an audience-a prim-looking (古板的) couple with obvious disapproval. My face turned red as I tried to answer their unspoken question: Don’t you have anything better to do?

An adult playing by herself seems strange, but’ maybe it shouldn’t. New research suggests that modern adults have ignored their play instinct (本能). Most animals stop playing as adults. However, there are a handful of animals that never stop.

One possibility is’ that adult play is important and beneficial, -a theory supported by a study. Researcher Camilla Cenni from the University of Lethbridge left some puzzle boxes for some monkeys to solve. To get the food inside, they had to drop a rock into the container. The monkeys that previously had dropped rocks for fun were more likely to solve the puzzle. This finding also suggests somewhere in our evolutionary history—a playful human invented stone tools. Even today, the urge to play accounts for some of humans’ greatest inventions. Adult play is also about preparing for the unexpected. And biologists found its most important function is improving relationships and helping individuals get along.

Adult play promotes inclusivity, cooperation and creativity—all qualities that we humans could use. Unfortunately, social norms hold back our urge to let loose. “Generally speaking, we like to do the things that are necessary for our survival,” says Peter Gray, a play researcher at Boston University, Humans took one giant step away from fun when we started planting crops. Plowing (耕) fields is hard and boring. Then we invented factories and lost sight of play.”

With threats like climate change, it’s easy to get into seriousness. But we should understand the value of encouraging adult play. The next time I’m caught playing. I know what to say, “I’m playing for the benefit of all humankind. You’ re welcome.”

1. Why did the author’s face turn red?

A．She was considered too old to play.

B．She was ignored by a prim-looking couple.

C．She had difficulty making a snowman.

D．She couldn’t answer the couple’s question.

2. What can be inferred about adult play from Paragraph 3?

A．It is the natural need of humans.	B．It has slowed down human evolution.
C．It can contribute to useful creations.	D．It is particularly noticeable in animals.

3. What got humans to lose the fun of playing according to Peter Gray?

A．Climate change.	B．Modern science.
C．The arrival of agriculture.	D．The need to prepare for the unexpected.

4. Which of the following serves as the best title?

A．How adults can be more playful

B．Why adults need to make time for playtime

C．How to add more play to your grown-up life

D．What differences exist between human and animals’ play

6 . Our National Public Radio staff and trusted crities have made some recommendations about must-reads.

Rough Sleepers    Tracy Kidder

This uplifting book is about Dr. Jim O’Connell’s work of bringing health care to unhoused people for more than three decades, first in Boston and now in nearly every American city. His work might be a band-aid on the bigger problem of homelessness, but as he said, “This is what we do while waiting for the world to change.”

The Right Call       Sally Jenkins

Sally Jenkins has had a superb career recording the highest achievements in sports by individuals and by teams. With The Right Call, she captures what makes some athletes and coaches reach their peak. Whatever part of life you want to excel in, this book will have you rethinking what you do and how you might do it differently.

The Secret of Cooking       Bee Wilson

More than a cookbook, this is a guide to how to make cooking work for you — and even become a joy. What if you have picky eaters, a full time job and a kitchen with only half the ingredients the recipe calls for? This book has the answers, explaining everything from how to figure out what flavors go together, to how to get easy when everything goes wrong.

Land of Milk and Honey       C Pam Zhang

Set in a future where a mysterious smog has swallowed Earth, causing widespread crop failures and food shortages, the story follows an unnamed chef who finds herself in a world of cooking delights and unequalled sensory experiences among a landscape of despair (绝望). It’s an exploration of human nature, and the choices we make in the face of difficulties.

1. How does Dr. Jim O’Connell view his own work?

A．It doesn't help in solving the housing problem.

B．It shows a way to be excellent in life differently.

C．It will make a difference in caring about the homeless.

D．It offers a way to get food in times of shortage.

2. Whose book can get readers to think about how to be excellent in life?

A．Tracy Kidder.	B．Sally Jenkins.
C．Bee Wilson.	D．C Pam Zhang.

3. What do Bee Wilson’s and C Pam Zhang’s works have in common?

A．They tell readers how to reduce food waste.	B．They provide personal cooking experience.
C．They both have something to do with cooking.	D．They try to cover some aspects of family life.

7 . My parents had purchased an Island Packet 445 ten months prior, and the day to board this boat had finally come. I was 11 years old and knew absolutely nothing about this cruising (海上航游) lifestyle my father had been speaking so highly of for the previous five years. The only thing I knew for sure was that I didn’t want to leave my home. My father was excited, my mother nervous, my brother disinterested, and I sullen. I was not at all eager about this change in my lifestyle.

The first three months on the boat had not been very easy. What my dad called an adjustment period I called a nightmare. But, after three months of traveling, we had a lucky break. In La Paz, there was another cruising boat with a 13-year-old boy aboard. Two weeks later, Glen and I could be seen endlessly boogie boarding (趴板冲浪) the crashing waves to the beach. After meeting Glen, cruising for me began to get better and better. At some point during these months, I decided to give this cruising idea a chance.

One year later, we continued touring through the South Pacific. I was learning new skills and learning how to work independently. I often took a five-hour watch during the dark hours of long passages. This was quite a bit of responsibility to hand over to a 13-year-old, especially considering I was in charge of adjusting sails as the conditions changed, and keeping an eye and ear out for any problems. Almost everybody in the cruising community treated me as an adult while still understanding I was a child, thereby giving me the flexibility to make childish mistakes.

As of this writing, my family has now been aboard for three years. We have plans to return to Canada in 12 months and, similar to how I opposed moving onto the boat, I am now completely opposed to moving off it. I have so much fun and learn so many things on this boat that I can’t imagine ever returning “home”, a place I hardly even remember.

1. What does the underlined word “sullen” in the first paragraph probably mean?

A．Upset.

B．Calm.

C．Confused.

D．Astonished.

2. What made the author start to embrace the cruising idea?

A．Overcoming the fear of nightmares.

B．Having fun with someone of his age.

C．Learning how to work independently.

D．Making a breakthrough in boarding skills.

3. Which of the following words can best describe the author?

A．Stubborn but reliable.	B．Childish but adaptable.
C．Inconsiderate but flexible.	D．Dependent but responsible.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．Benefits of the Cruising Lifestyle

B．First Day aboard Island Packet 445

C．What Motivates a Teenager to Change His Lifestyle

D．How a Young Sailor Learns to Love the Cruising Life

8 . If you recognize yourself as someone who often experiences social anxiety and are wondering what steps you can take to reduce the frequency of these experiences, the key lies in being proactive.     1     Thus the focus should be to learn how to deal with them.

    2     By acting as a protective buffer (缓冲物) against disease and psychological disturbance, doing workouts is one reliable way to strengthen your mind. Workouts promote the experience of positive emotions, which in turn helps build us up.

Mindfulness is another superpower that can help restore your mind. If engaging in a regular practice, users can expect a series of positive outcomes. Even 10 minutes a day of mindfulness practice can dramatically improve both physical and psychological functioning. The beauty of mindfulness is that it does not have to be practiced only in a formal way.     3    

Sometimes, in order to reduce the negative effects of anxiety, you might want to look more closely at patterns of thinking. When we consider that the autonomic nervous system is enabled and symptoms of anxiety occur, we interpret an event as being stressful.     4     When this happens, engaging in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can be a real game changer. CBT, one of the most effective treatments for mental health problems, is often used as a treatment for anxiety.     5     Useful CBT techniques include writing down thoughts and then gently challenging the truth of them, and learning positive ways such as cognitive reframing (认知重建).

A．However, this may not always be on point.

B．It’s impossible to avoid stressful events, actually.

C．You can experiment with it to make a final decision.

D．Regular exercise benefits both physical and mental health.

E．By building internal resources, we can control stressful events with ease.

F．Rather, it can take many forms, including forest bathing and listening to music.

G．It works by challenging thinking patterns and helping change individuals’ mindsets.

9 . Nature’s beauty is all around you. Wild flowers shine in bright blues, yellows, and reds. Trees, with unique shaped branches, and leaves, decorate the horizon. Under your feet, pine needles, leaves, and grass give their natural beauty on the earth’s surface. But how many of you take the time to notice all of nature’s wonders?

Hannah Bullen-Ryner is an artist who not only takes the time to “smell the roses”, but she uses them as a medium to craft stunning portraits of birds. Bullen-Ryner, a photographer by trade, began her artistic hobby shortly after her twin daughters were born. The young mother suffered from depression and anxiety. To seek a solution, she turned to nature.

Bullen-Ryner started spending time alone in the woods, foraging for materials: flowers, branches, leaves, and grass. On an impulse (冲动), she started forming a portrait of a bird with the items she had gathered. When her picture was finished, Bullen-Ryner realized that she felt calmand hopeful. The process had been healing and therapeutic (有疗效的).

Bullen-Ryner tells My Modern Met, “Finding the medium of land art has allowed my art and soul to connect to the earth. As a full-time Mama of nearly three-year-old twin girls, and someone who suffers from anxiety, my art is my quiet time, my peace.”

When Bullen-Ryner creates her artwork on the forest floor, she never uses glues or any other material to bond the foraged items. This means that a single breeze is able to carry away or scatter her portrait.

“People often ask me why I don’t make something more permanent or they say it’s such a shame that it’s temporary,” Bullen-Ryner explains. “But for me,” she continues, “it is the short-lived nature of what I do that has become therapy for my soul. I get to put down all my anxieties, my fears, and all the chaos from my brain and turn it into something beautiful to honor Mother Nature. I take some photos and then walk or cycle away, leaving it all behind and feeling calmer, more connected, and truly lighter.”

1. Why did Bullen-Ryner take up her artistic hobby?

A．To kill time.	B．To make more profits.
C．To serve as a treatment.	D．To entertain her daughters.

2. What does the underlined word “foraging” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Making.	B．Answering.
C．Providing.	D．Seeking.

3. What do we know about Bullen-Ryner’s artwork?

A．It is well received with customers.

B．It cannot be preserved for a long time.

C．It stimulated the local tourism industry.

D．It won her widespread praise domestically.

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Bullen-Ryner is grateful to nature.

B．Bullen-Ryner regrets what she has done.

C．Bullen-Ryner is into going to work by bicycle.

D．Bullen-Ryner persuades more people to participate.