1 . Left-handed people can find it inconvenient to do certain things, writing in a notebook for example.     1     Research found that they were over-represented (任职人数过多的) among fighters in combat sports. Left-handed fighters also had higher chances to win. This confirms the fighter theory.

    2     The explanation is that the two brain spheres of left-handers are more strongly connected, strengthening memorial ability.

Being left-handed might be a factor in mathematical ability. An Italian study found that for simple arithmetic there was little difference between right- and left-handed performance.     3     No one understands the reason for this.

    4     In one study, researchers showed the participants columns of abstract illustrations and asked them which ones they would prefer. Left-handed people were more likely to prefer the images on the left. Right-handed people preferred the ones on the right. Both groups disliked stuff on their opposite side.

Left-handers are also over-represented in professional, interactive sports. Researchers have looked at the influence of being left-handed on performance and interactive sports.     5     So if you have a left-handed child, you should encourage them to play table tennis, baseball and tennis. Being left-handed maximizes their chances of success in these sports.

A．Left-handed people may think differently.

B．Left-handed people have a gift for sports.

C．Left-handers may also be better at remembering events.

D．But there are a number of advantages of being left-handed.

E．But for more difficult problem-solving, left-handers won out.

F．Interactive sports have great many advantages over right handers.

G．Those that require the fastest reaction give left-handers the biggest advantage.

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。

A few years ago, I stood underneath a red overhanging cliff near my hometown. The day was amazing.     1     deer chewed on the brown grasses, an eagle rode the wind. I was tied in, ready to climb. I was attempting     2     (do) a route first try, “onsight,” which means I didn’t know     3     I was climbing into.

Just as I was about to climb, nerves in my body, which I hadn’t felt yet,     4     (say) hello. That’s not good for any athlete. Desperate, I painted a coat of     5     (confident) on my inner walls of doubt. “You can do this, and success is certain.” I firmly told myself.

It didn’t work. I fell near the top.     6     (defeat), I lowered to the ground and realized powerfully that the desire to climb the route had kept me from doing it. In a flash, I told myself that on my next attempt, success or failure was not important. “Make one move at     7     time. That’s all.” I gave myself a pass from whatever would happen. It worked.

While     8     (stand) on the top, I was deep in thought. At some point, I framed this experience for myself in terms of simple arithmetic: When I added determination, courage, and desire, I failed. When I took away the desire for success, I improved. I enjoyed it more as well, which,     9     an athlete of 30 years, I didn’t think was possible. I     10     (eventual) discovered the power of subtraction (减法).

3 . A recent study suggests that for young soccer players, participating in repetitive technical training activities involving heading during practice may result in more total head impacts, but playing in actual soccer games may cause greater magnitude (程度) head impacts.

“Headers are a fundamental component to the sport of soccer. Therefore, it is important to understand differences in header frequency and magnitude between practice and game settings,” said study author Jillian Urban, PhD, from Wake Forest School of Medicine. “Practices are easier to change than games. Therefore, understanding how we can restructure practice to reduce head impact exposure while teaching fundamental skills is critical to improving head impact safety in the sport.”

The study followed eight soccer players who were aged 14 and 15 for two seasons. Players wore a sensor (传感器) during all practices and games. Researchers recorded all activities on the field with a camera, and identified each time head contact was made.

Head impact exposure was evaluated in terms of peak head motion and impacts, or impact rate per player per hour. Researchers then compared impact rates across different activity types.

Researchers amazingly found that technical drills like heading the ball and practicing ball-control, were associated with an average impact rate of 13.7 head impacts per player per hour. Team interaction activities such as small-sided games in practice were related to an average impact rate of 0.5 head impacts per player per hour, which was slightly lower than the 1.3 head impacts observed during actual games.

The study also revealed that games were associated with the highest numbers of average rotational (旋转) head motion, which signified the greatest magnitude head impacts. However, technical training recorded the lowest numbers.

“If the goal is to reduce the number of head impacts a young soccer player may get on the field, our findings suggest the best way may be to rearrange technical training practices,” said Urban. “However, if the goal is to reduce the likelihood of players sustaining head impacts of greater magnitude, then the best bet may be to look at factors related to high-magnitude head impacts that can occur during games.” A limitation of the study is the small number of players involved.

1. Why is restructuring practice critical to improving safety?

A．Because it’s easier to make improvements in practices than in games.

B．Because headers are an essential component to the sport of soccer.

C．Because head impacts during practice are much more serious.

D．Because high-magnitude head impacts in games are unavoidable.

2. Which activity has the highest average impact rate?

A．Small-sided games in practice.	B．Technical training activities.
C．Team interaction activities.	D．Actual soccer games.

3. What’s the author’s attitude towards the scientific study?

A．Critical.

B．Skeptical.

C．Objective.

D．Supportive.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．Head impacts in training activities and games of soccer.

B．Risks that young soccer players may face on the field.

C．The importance of head impact safety in soccer game.

D．How head impact in different activity types is evaluated.

4 . When we’re really young, our parents are the celebrities of our lives. So, how about imagining them as the star of many famous films? It’s not far-fetched. Matt Bonito has done just that with his series of images that feature his father, Dom Bonito. Matt photoshopped Dom into iconic movie scenes and famous works of art and photographs.

According to Matt, his dad is integral (必要的) to scenes in many films. He’s featured alongside Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta in Pulp Fiction, and he replaces the character of Rose in Titanic. Dom is also the main character in numerous paintings. He has taken the place of the screaming person in artist Edvard Munch’s The Scream and is just one of the guys playing poker in Cassius Marcellus Coolidge’s Dogs Playing Poker.

In each image, Matt adjusts the look of his father so that he is seamlessly (无瑕疵地) part of any scene he’s in. But there are some things that always remain the same. His dad never changes out of his sweater vest and newsboy-style cap, adding a bit of humor to each image by looking out of place. “It was only ever intended for my friends and family, but it got so popular that we’ve now got dedicated pages for it right across social media,” Matt said.

Matt’s favorite part of his ongoing project is that it allows him to spend more time with his dad. “We can spend hours sitting around the dinner table laughing while we come up with ideas, and it’s never a bad thing to have an excuse to hang out with him,” he shares. “I also just love the creativity of it all. Not everything we try works, but I just love the absurdity of dropping an old man in a ridiculous outfit into—quite often—very serious scenes.”

1. What does the underlined word “far-fetched” in paragraph 1 probably mean?

A．Practical.

B．Unusual.

C．Unlikely.

D．Necessary.

2. Why are the deeds mentioned in paragraph 2?

A．To recommend some good films.

B．To present results of Matt’s work.

C．To introduce some famous artists.

D．To show Dom’s long acting career.

3. Which of the following words can describe Matt’s images?

A．Funny and creative.	B．Pretty but dull.
C．Energetic and serious.	D．Ridiculous but attractive.

4. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Matt Bonito can gain both fame and fortune.

B．Matt Bonito prefers to spend more time with his father.

C．Dom Bonito is an absurd person.

D．Dom Bonito can show his creativity and artistic talent in the film.

5 . VivoCity—Gallery for Lifestyle

As one of the largest iconic retail and lifestyle destinations that offers an exciting mix of ever evolving, refreshing, and new-to-market brands and concepts, VivoCity has been voted as the best shopping mall in Singapore in the Expat Living Readers’ Choice Awards 2023. It features wide, open spaces for waterfront entertainment and relaxation, and whenever you need a short break, there is Sky Park with rooftop water feature from where you can enjoy views of Sentosa and catch a breath or two.

Timings: Open from 10 a.m.—10 p.m. daily.

Haji Lane—Boutiques Street

For an extraordinary experience of the city’s greatest boutique shopping down one of the narrowest streets in Singapore, Haji Lane, is the perfect place to be. This narrow alley is lined with cafés, yoga studios, old-school Egyptian restaurants and boutiques by up-and-coming designers. Although this is not high-street luxury, you can definitely find some good-quality gifts here.

Timings: Most of the stores in Haji Lane open around 12 noon and close by 9 pm.

Clarke Quay—Shopping for Fashionistas

Apart from the fancy waterfront restaurants, there are also a great range of fashion boutiques, independent arts and crafts shops along this breathtaking riverside place. Being home to high-end brands from across the world, Clarke Quay is one of the most frequented tourist spots in the city.

Timings: Open from 10 am—12 midnight.

IMM—Home and Clothing

Owned by CapitaLand Mall Trust, The International Merchandising Mart Mall, also known as IMM Mall, is an outlet centre in Jurong East, Singapore. You can enjoy fashion shows while shopping. IMM is now Singapore’s largest outlet mall with 100 outlet stores amongst more than 220 stores, offering 80% discount of local brands all year round, such as 6ixty8ight and Charles & Keith. Aside from the local branded stores, this is one-stop mall specializing in interior furniture, including home renewal essentials, furnishings and fittings.

Timings: Open from 10 am to 10 pm.

1. What can you do if you are tired in VivoCity?

A．Have a snack in a fancy waterfront restaurant.	B．Enjoy colorful designs in the narrow alley.
C．Go to the top floor to appreciate the landscape.	D．Stop shopping to watch fashion shows.

2. Which place has the shortest opening hours?

A．VivoCity.

B．Haji Lane.

C．Clarke Quay.

D．IMM.

3. What is special about IMM?

A．It sells indoor furniture.	B．It’s located by the riverside.
C．It contains all the local brands.	D．It’s the largest shopping mall.

6 . ______ tornado storms have been known to cause severe damage in America’s famous “Tornado Alley” area.

A．Violent

B．Ridiculous

C．Guilty

D．Random

7 . Top Stays for Travelers Who

Prioritize Sustainability

Here’s a look at four hotels that are taking the green lead, bravely committing to a net-zero future.

Boutiquehotel Stadthalle

In a restored turn-of-the-century house surrounded by solar panels and garden beds, the 79-room hotel has been running on solar power and other renewables since 2009. Its rooms are equipped with recycled wine bottle chandeliers (枝形吊灯). Breakfast is in the garden among herb pots and flowers. Up above, the flower roof attracts many butterflies and bees.

Hackengasse 20, 1150 Wien, Vienna; +43-1982-4272

Room2 Chiswick

Recognizing the climate crisis, room2 owner Robert Godwi spent two years planning a "whole life" net-zero hotel. There are a host of invisible elements like a blue roof that changes rainwater into energy. A biodiverse green roof uses 200 tons of soil and wildflowers aimed at absorbing CO₂.

10 Windmill Rd, Chiswick, London; +4420-3988-0220

Comfort Hotel Solna

In June 2021, Scandinavia welcomed its first certificated "zero-energy" hotel. The 336-room hotel lies a few miles north of central Stockholm. The building has 2,500 square meters of colorful solar cells which provide energy to cool and heat the building. This "energy-smart" hotel shows off Nordic design while being relatively easy on the wallet.

Evenemangsgatan 48, 169 56 Solna, Sweden; +468-1216-1480

Four Elements Hotel

This hotel uses the wind to produce energy for air conditioning and heating. It uses solar energy to produce electricity and heat water. The "Earth, Wind & Fire" idea came from engineer Dr Ben Bronsema. The top-floor Wind Sky Bar and the Herbs Garden restaurant of the hotel are must-tries.

Bert Haanstrakade 1074, 1087 H, Amsterdam; +312-0714-2040

1. Where can you see some recycled items?

A．At room2 Chiswick.	B．At Comfort Hotel Solna.
C．At Four Elements Hotel.	D．At Boutiquehotel Stadthalle.

2. Which is a feature of room2 Chiswick?

A．A CO₂-absorbing roof.	B．A line of colorful solar cells.
C．The Herbs Garden restaurant.	D．A meal among herb pots and flowers.

3. Who might be interested in all these four hotels?

A．Travelers who are on a budget.	B．Children who are nature lovers.
C．Visitors who want a green travel.	D．Parents who are fond of biodiversity.

8 . 假定你是李华，你们学校英文校报正在进行有关“工匠精神”的征文活动，请以“Father of Hybrid Rice”为题写一篇短文投稿， 简要介绍“杂交水稻之父”袁隆平。
要点：1.生于1930年，北京；
2.被誉为“杂交水稻之父”(Father of Hybrid Rice)；
3.一生致力于科学研究，具有无私奉献的工匠精神；
4.不注重名誉和金钱。
注意：1.字数80左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Father of Hybrid Rice

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9 . 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。

A special tea picker has been operating at a West Lake Longjing tea plantation in Hangzhou recently. It is the world's first tea-picking robot. The robot uses two mechanical arms to move back and forth as it searches     1     tea buds （芽）. When it locates one, it uses a pair of scissors and a suction （抽吸） device     2     (attach) to the end of its arm to cut and collect the tea buds. It     3     (equip) with a pair of 3D eyes that can     4     (automatic) identify tender tea leaves through artificial intelligence technology. People firstly take many photos to tell the machine about the targets     5     it can pick, and when the photos are enough, the machine will learn by     6     ( it). The technology is also constantly improving. It has now been upgraded to the fifth generation, and it takes just 1. 5 seconds     7     (pick) a tea bud, with an     8     (accurate) rate of 86 percent.

Ruan Jianyun, a tea expert, said, "We still have two problems. One problem is the efficiency and quality of tea picking, and     9     other is the cost of the machine."

In recent years, mechanization has been widely applied in the tea production industry. However, the picking of high-quality tea still     10     (rely) on human labor.

10 . When you come across different situations in your daily life, you may often end up feeling stressed, anxious, or obsessed over the worst-case scenarios (场景).     1     It could be caused by negative thinking. Negative thinking is something that most of us end up doing from time to time in our everyday lives. It is usually triggered by difficult circumstances and stress.

    2     When we think negatively over a long period of time, it starts to affect our bodies, and our physical and mental health deteriorates (恶化). Some side effects of negative thinking are headaches, body aches, nausea, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, anxiety, etc. And thinking negatively can be a hindrance (阻碍) on the path toward positivity and happiness.

As a result, we should learn to think positively. Positive thinking means focusing on the good parts of any given situation.    3     So one must try to see the good in the bad.

There are many benefits of positive thinking. With positive thinking, we can deal with problems and situations in our life in a much easier way.    4     Some of the physical health benefits include having a longer life span, a lower risk of having a heart attack, better pain tolerance, etc. Mental health benefits include being more creative, having better coping skills, clear thinking, better moods, etc.

There are many ways to learn to think positively. You can try positive thinking by practicing gratitude, keeping a gratitude journal, laughing more often, and spending time with positive people.    5    

A．You should ignore what is bad for you.

B．And positive thinking can help you feel better.

C．Thinking negatively can be very harmful.

D．As they say, “Every cloud has a silver lining.”

E．You may also overthink a lot and struggle to think positively.

F．If you try these ways, you’re very likely to stop thinking negatively.

G．Also, positive thinking has a lot of physical and mental health benefits.