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 . Santa Rosa National Park is the first national park designated in Costa Rica. It was created not to preserve land but to save a building, La Casona, which was once destroyed by fire, but has been rebuilt to its original likeness.

Biodiversity

In addition to La Casona, Santa Rosa National Park protects a multitude of ecosystems including marshlands and mangroves. Many endangered animals also live here, with over 100 mammals and 250 birds recorded within the park.

Highlights

Playa Nancite is the most popular beach for sea turtle. Entry to the beach is restricted for protection, but entry can be obtained from park headquarters.

Ranger Stations

There are two different sectors within Santa Rosa National Park. The Santa Rosa Sector is frequently visited for its notable attractions including access to La Casona. The other sector, Murcielago is not accessible via the Santa Rosa Sector.

Hiking

There are several different hiking trails within the park. We recommend bringing closed-toed hiking shoes, a hat, sunscreen, bug spray and water.

We highly recommend exploring Santa Rosa National Park led by an expert naturalist guide. The park entrance fee is $15 per adult and $5 per child age 6 — 12. The park is open from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm every day.

For more information, browse our vacation packages to get started planning your trip!

1. Why was the Santa Rosa National Park created?

A．To protect the ecosystem in Costa Rica.	B．To celebrate the reconstruction of Costa Rica.
C．To rescue a structure in Costa Rica.	D．To preserve the land in Costa Rica.

2. What do we know about Playa Nancite?

A．It is easily accessible.	B．It consists of two different sectors.
C．It provides guide service.	D．It limits tourist numbers.

3. How much will a couple with an eight-year-old kid have to pay for the entrance fee?

A．$15.

B．$30.

C．$35.

D．$45.

3 . In 2019, after retiring from her career as a social worker, Ane Freed - Kernis decided to build a home workshop and devote all of her free time to stone carving. “I might be covered head to to e in dust but I’m happy — it was something I needed more of in my life when I hit 60,” she says.

This appeal has its origins in Freed - Kernis’ childhood. Growing up on her father’s farm in Denmark, she used to wander through the fields with her eyes fixed on the ground, looking for stones to add to her collection. “I’ve always been drawn to the shapes and textures (质地) of stones,” she says.

After moving to England in 1977 and training as a social worker, Freed - Kernis soon became occupied with her busy career and the demands of raising her son. Stones were the last thing on her mind, until her father died in 2005. “He took a stone carving course in his retirement, and I always thought stone seemed so fun but never had the time to look into it myself,” she says. “After he died, I became determined to learn in his honour.”

Signing up for a week-long stone carving course at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Freed-Kernis began to learn how to turn a block of rock into well-designed shapes. “It was really scary at the start because you would spend hours just hammering (锤打).”

Now 65, Freed-Kernis has a thriving small business built largely through word of mouth. She creates 12 to 15 pieces a year that can take anywhere from a few days to three weeks to complete, while her prices range from £ 200 to £ 3,000. “I’m making smaller ones,” she says. “I don’t have to depend on the money much, so I want to keep prices in the range that people can afford, mainly just covering costs and labour (劳动力).”

1. Freed-Kernis was first attracted by stones when ______.

A．she was 60	B．she was a child
C．her father died	D．she moved to England

2. What can we infer about Freed-Kernis from paragraph 3?

A．She never cared about her father.

B．She led a disappointing life in Denmark.

C．She spent lots of time studying stone carving.

D．She learned stone carving under the influence of her dad.

3. How did Freed-Kernis feel when she started stone carving course?

A．Hopeful and proud.

B．Confident and satisfied.

C．Nervous and frightened.

D．Impatient and unprepared.

4. Why is Freed-Kernis making smaller pieces?

A．They are easier to move by her.

B．They are more affordable to people.

C．She wants to save costs and labour.

D．She is too old to focus on making large ones.

4 . In San Francisco, a large group of sea lions move themselves out of the bay waters and hang out on PIER 39, which is a popular tourist destination. According to dock (码头) officials, this is the most sea lions seen in the region in 15 years.

“Over 1,000 sea lions have been counted this week,” PIER 39 harbormaster Sheila Chandor told many different media. “The surge in sea lions is usually a good sign of their strong population and healthy living environment,” said Adam Ratner, Director of Conservation Engagement at the Marine Mammal (海洋哺乳动物) Center in Sausalito, California.

“California sea lions are sentinels (哨兵) of the ocean,” Ratner said. Their population to some extent reflects the health of the ocean. Therefore, seeing a large number of California sea lions is clearly a good thing.

For nearly 35 years, the slippery (滑的) residents have been a star attraction for tourists. That autumn in 1989, PIER 39 had just been repaired, but the ships had not yet been moved back. At that moment, the sea lions unexpected arrival not only attracted fans but also created enemies. According to a website, some dock residents and workers were scared away by the strong and very unpleasant smell and noise of their new neighbors, while others saw these animals as a bright spot after the destructive Loma Prieta earthquake.

The officials sought help from the Marine Mammal Center to find a way to deal with sea lions. Ratner said that the final decision is to let the sea lions stay and coexist with humans. “The fact proves that this is really a good thing,” he said. “This is just a proof of how we can truly work together and think about how we can share our coasts with marine mammals and other wildlife in a way that benefits all the parties involved.”

1. How does the author start the text?

A．By describing a situation.

B．By answering a question.

C．By holding a conversation.

D．By comparing different opinions.

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

A．Sharp increase.	B．Tight control.
C．Slow development.	D．Sudden movement.

3. What is Ratner’s attitude to the final decision?

A．Doubtful.	B．Uninterested.
C．Supportive.	D．Unclear.

4. What message does the author seem to convey in the text?

A．Sea lions are pretty cool animals.

B．Animals and humans can live in harmony.

C．Watching sea lions might not be a proper action.

D．Sea lions should be driven out of PIER 39.

5 . Though March remains cold, the return of the bright and gently warming sun wakes winter-sleeping plants and seeds from their sleep. Today, I’m out here to sow seeds for the summer garden: tomatoes, peas, cucumbers. All of these plants are easy to grow, pretty and tasty.

Initially, I plant the little tomato seeds into rows in a single seed plate, each variety divided by a sideways stick and labelled. Then I cover a fine layer of soil over them and put the tray in a basin of water to make the compost(堆肥) wet.

For tomatoes, it is not yet warm enough for reliable growing outdoors. In the main, a warm home is a good place to get seeds going, as they don’t necessarily need a great deal of light at this stage. In a few weeks, when their two young leaves have come out, I will gently dig them out. Softly pick up one of their delicate leaves between finger and thumb, I’ll slip a pencil below their young roots to carefully dig the plant from its birthplace.

I’ll then place the seedling in a, pot to grow, big, and strong, and begin to feed, the plants with a liquid from brewed(发酵) chicken waste. These tomatoes, being tender, will stay in my house until early May then settle into their forever home in the unheated greenhouse.

Despite there now being enough light for tender plants to grow outside, it is still too cold for them. A sunny balcony, warm glasshouse or passageway will do them well until the frosts pass, and day and night temperatures consistently reach 8—10℃.

Learning to be guided by cues from the wild can deepen our relationship with the living world, allowing us to experience ourselves as part of rather than separate from the rhythms of life on Earth.

1. What’s the first step of planting tomatoes?

A．Sowing the little tomato seeds.	B．Putting the tray in a basin of water.
C．Covering a fine layer of soil over them.	D．Placing tomato seeds to a warm home.

2. What influences the growth of tender tomatoes most?

A．Temperature.

B．Light.

C．Liquid.

D．Time.

3. Which of the following best describes the author’s character?

A．Generous.

B．Considerate.

C．Tolerant.

D．Impractical.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Joys of Life: Live Our Life to the Fullest

B．Joys of Life: Tips for Our Relationship with the World

C．Joys of Spring: Winter-sleeping Plants Wake Up

D．Joys of Spring: Gardening Tips for the Growing Season

6 . Self Love

Our failure to love ourselves is that we have been taught to be selfless from the start of time. Self-love is not selfish. It only helps us better understand which sacrifices are worth making! Let’s explore the key elements that contribute to it.

Self-Acceptance

You have to truly accept who you are. And by acceptance, I do not mean just your strengths, you have to recognize your weaknesses, too.     1     The core of self-acceptance is to be authentic with yourself.

    2    

It is a good thing to be compassionate about your environment but in the process, don’t forget to be compassionate with yourself, too. Forgive yourself for the mistakes that you make, the goals that you fail, or whenever you face a setback. Treat yourself with the same level of empathy you would offer to someone you love the most.

Self-Care

Has anyone of us ever asked ourselves who we should be caring for the most in the world? Our parents? Family? Friends? Relations? I will tell you a simple answer. Ourselves! The expectation of waiting for someone else to care for you is delusional (妄想的).     3     Look after your relations but do not forget to look after yourself. You can only give something that you have in abundance.

Boundaries

You have to love and respect yourself enough not to let people use and abuse you.     4     You have to let people clearly know how you won’t tolerate being treated. You have to let them know how you expect to be treated.

Emotional Availability

When you have the capacity to take care of your own emotions, you become emotionally stable. This stability allows you to better empathize (同理心) with and understand your partner’s experiences and emotions.     5    

A．Self-Esteem

B．Self-Compassion

C．You have to set limitations and keep them.

D．Due to this, you can offer them genuine care and support.

E．Self-love is crucial for resolving conflicts in relationships.

F．Only you can care for yourself the most in a way nobody else can.

G．Your imperfections, insecurities and perfections shape your personality.

7 . Henry Bond was about ten years old when his father died, thus left the family entirely in his mother’s care. His mother found it _______to provide for the support of a large family. However, by good _________, she made great efforts to do organize things well, and also to send Henry, the oldest, to school, and to supply him, for the most part, with such _________ as he needed.

At one time, however, Henry wanted a _________, in order to join a class in that study, and his mother could not _________ him with the money to buy it. He was very much _________ about it, and went to bed with a _________ heart, thinking what could be done.

On waking in the morning, he found that a _________ snow had fallen, and the cold wind was blowing _________. “Ah,” said he, “it is an ill wind that blows nobody good.”

He rose, ran to the house of a neighbor, and offered his __________ to clear a path around his blocks. The offer was accepted. Having completed this work, and received his __________, he went to another place for the same __________, and then to another, until he had earned enough to buy a grammar.

When school __________, Henry was in his seat, the happiest boy there, ready to begin the lesson in his new book.

From that time, Henry, was always the first in all his classes. He knew no such word as fail, but always succeeded in all he __________. Having the __________, he always found the way.

1.

A．tremendous

B．difficult

C．cautious

D．industrious

2.

A．protection

B．ambition

C．management

D．desire

3.

A．books

B．conditions

C．ambitions

D．materials

4.

A．literature

B．masterpiece

C．novel

D．grammar

5.

A．provide

B．promote

C．refuse

D．pay

6.

A．embarrassed

B．random

C．troubled

D．fearful

7.

A．light

B．heavy

C．nervous

D．merciful

8.

A．general

B．slight

C．deep

D．urgent

9.

A．fiercely

B．deliberately

C．obviously

D．temporarily

10.

A．behavior

B．service

C．kindness

D．reaction

11.

A．prize

B．award

C．fame

D．pay

12.

A．purpose

B．possession

C．determination

D．inspiration

13.

A．performed

B．processed

C．attended

D．started

14.

A．affected

B．acquired

C．attempted

D．tolerated

15.

A．wish

B．force

C．courage

D．will

8 . 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.

9 . 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.

10 . 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).