1 . Even minor changes in behavior can have a positive environmental impact. Therefore, it is suggested to remove or reduce single-use plastic bags from your shopping trips, because the bags break down slowly, causing them to linger in landfills. But how long does a plastic bag really stick around?

The Center for Biological Diversity estimates that it takes a bag roughly 1000 years to break down. The term “break down” is a little misleading, though. Plastic ends up photodegrading (光降解) from ultraviolet (紫外线) radiation because the majority of microorganisms cannot eat it. And even after the bags degrade, the micro-plastics they leave behind may still harm the environment.

While 1000 years seems long, it is only an estimate. Since the invention of plastic bags in the 1950s or so, humankind has never actually seen the substance break down in real time. Instead, scientists have adopted respirometry tests (呼吸运动测量法), which helps estimate the breakdown rate of an organic substance by measuring the CO₂ that the microorganisms produce when breaking down the material. When an organic substance, such as food waste, is present, CO₂ levels rise, which allows scientists to estimate the rate of breakdown. However, because plastic bags don’t produce any CO₂,—microorganisms aren’t eating them, the bags are just sitting there. If buried in a landfill and sheltered from ultraviolet light, plastic bags will last a very long time.

Bags have an impact on the environment beyond just their removal. It takes fossil fuels to make bags; one estimate puts this amount at 12 million barrels (桶) of oil annually. And after a bag has served its purpose in a consumer’s hands, it may then enter the food chain for wildlife. Plastic that builds up along the food chain is consumed by creatures like birds and fish.

While reducing the use of plastic bags is a good idea, choosing a cloth bag might not be the habit that will help the environment the most. The carbon footprint left by the cloth bags must be countered by thousands of uses.

1. What does the underlined word “linger” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?

A．Reproduce.

B．Integrate.

C．Emerge.

D．Last.

2. What do we know about the breakdown of plastic bags?

A．Its duration of 1000 years is an overestimate.

B．Exposure to ultraviolet light is essential to it.

C．Respirometry tests effectively estimate its rate.

D．The level of CO2 released during it usually rises.

3. What is Paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．The multiple environmental costs of plastic bags.

B．The consumption of fuels for plastic bag production.

C．The harm of plastic bags to the food chain for wildlife.

D．The challenge of removing plastic bags from the ecosystem.

4. Which of the following is proposed according to the last paragraph?

A．Declining plastic shopping bag offers.	B．Reducing the production of plastic bags.
C．Reusing the same cloth bag repeatedly.	D．Switching from plastic bags to cloth ones.

2 . Joyce Loaiza lives alone, but when returning to her apartment at a senior community, she often has a chat with a friendly female voice. The 81-year-old is among the first in the United States to receive the robot ElliQ made by Intuition Robotics, which has been the only device using artificial intelligence specifically designed to address loneliness of the old.

Looking like a small table light, the device has an eyeless, mouthless head. It remembers each user’s interests and their talks, helping create a special experience with each new discussion, which can be as deep as the meaning of life or as light as a small joke. “She’ll make comments like, ‘I would go outside if I had hands, but I can’t hold an umbrella,’” said Loaiza. ElliQ also plays music and provides spiritual sayings. It leads exercises, asks about the owner’s health, and gives reminders to take medicines and drink water. It can also support video calls and contact family, friends, or doctors in an emergency.

The average user interacts with ElliQ more than 30 times a day and more than 90 percent report lower levels of loneliness, Intuition Robotics CEO Dor Skuler said.

Brigham Young University professor Julianne Holt-Lunstad, who studies the effects of loneliness on health, worries that a device like ElliQ might have short-term helpful effects but it could make people less likely to seek human contact. She noted that the difficult feeling of loneliness should push people to reconnect socially.

Skuler and state officials agreed that ElliQ is not an alternative to human contact. But some older people cannot leave home or do not have many friends. Charlotte Taylor, director of an Area Agency on Aging, said Covid-19 left many older people more disconnected. Her agency has provided 300 ElliQs which, she believes, help the situation. She said, “People generally like her and she makes them smile.”

1. What can we infer from Loaiza’s comments on ElliQ?

A．It sometimes fails to be of any help.	B．It is humorous and has the human touch.
C．Some of its comments make no sense.	D．It shows an interest in the outside world.

2. What concerns Holt-Lunstad about ElliQ?

A．Its inefficiency to ease loneliness.	B．Its failure to push people to reconnect.
C．Its potential for being addictive.	D．Its replacement for human interactions.

3. How does Taylor find ElliQ?

A．Novel.

B．Popular.

C．Satisfying.

D．Advanced.

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

A．Chatty Robot Helps Seniors Fight Loneliness	B．AI-based Device Is to Dominate Elders’ Life
C．ElliQ: a Revolutionary Innovation in AI Field	D．ElliQ: a Remarkable Assistant after Covid-19

3 . On Sept. 17, 2022, a father and son set out to begin the first of three legs of the Ironman competition in Cambridge, Maryland. Jeff Agar, 59, and his son, Johnny Agar, 28, weren’t the ______ participants. Johnny has cerebral palsy (脑瘫), resulting in his difficulty walking and muscle weakness. Jeff would act as his arms and legs, ______ carrying the weight of his son throughout the race. To ______ as completion, competitors must complete a(n) ______ 140 miles of swimming, bicycling and running in under 17 hours.

From the day Johnny was born, Jeff and his wife refused to let their son be ______ by disability. ______ to show Johnny that he could pursue his dream of being an athlete, when he was 15 years old, they ______ him up with my Team Triumph, an organization that helps kids with ______ engage in endurance (耐力) sports.

Johnny became ______ to racing, and Jeff wanted to be a part of it. Jeff began waking up at 4 am to run while ______ Johnny in a racing chair. Every morning, he ______ himself to run increasingly longer distances.

After 16 hours, 55 minutes and 35 seconds, the father and son ______ the finish line together. As the crowd ______ and congratulated Johnny, Jeff kept a low ______ . “He didn’t want attention to his finish line moment,” says Johnny. “He wanted it to be ______ .”

1.

A．distinct

B．typical

C．ambitious

D．amateur

2.

A．consciously

B．anxiously

C．hopefully

D．literally

3.

A．qualify

B．emerge

C．serve

D．continue

4.

A．impressive

B．smooth

C．frightening

D．exhausting

5.

A．given away

B．turned down

C．taken on

D．held back

6.

A．Forced

B．Discouraged

C．Determined

D．Prepared

7.

A．signed

B．cheered

C．lifted

D．brought

8.

A．experiences

B．difficulties

C．capacities

D．disabilities

9.

A．sensitive

B．attracted

C．limited

D．important

10.

A．pushing

B．comforting

C．displaying

D．treating

11.

A．permitted

B．warned

C．drove

D．persuaded

12.

A．drew

B．left

C．spotted

D．crossed

13.

A．thanked

B．surrounded

C．encountered

D．disturbed

14.

A．voice

B．rate

C．profile

D．grade

15.

A．theirs

B．mine

C．yours

D．his

4 . At first glance, 15-year-old Kenan Pala seems like a typical teenager, playing video games with his friends, but he also loves finance and economics and invests in the stock (股票) market. He founded Kids4Community, a nonprofit offering volunteer projects for kids, when he was just 12.

The idea came out of his family’s experience. Pala’s parents came to the U.S. from Turkey in 1998 and founded a company. “We started very little here,” said Pala’s mother. “But for the help we got along the way, we wouldn’t have been where we are.” The Palas wanted their children to live by this lesson, so they encouraged them to give back to the community.

Anyone can donate with Kids4Community, but its events are intended for kids. Pala’s organization aims to boost young people’s involvement in community efforts because many organizations don’t let children volunteer.

Last month, Kids4Community volunteers made 2,000 hygiene kits containing shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and other supplies. Kids4Community organizes the event annually and distributes the kits to the needy through Christmas Day. In fall, the group’s efforts are focused on disaster victims. Over the years, it has made care packages for survivors of earthquakes and Hurricanes.

Another key focus is homelessness — an issue that has taken on particular significance. Years ago, Pala was jogging along the beach when he came across a sickly baby seal (海豹), surrounded by people who were caring for it and calling for help. “Hours later, I saw a homeless person, also sick and needing help, but people were just ignoring him,” Pala said. Now, Kids4Community organizes initiatives both to meet physical needs of the homeless and give them a sense of dignity and hope.

In the coming years, Pala wants to expand Kids4Community’s reach beyond San Diego and perhaps beyond California.

1. What does the Pala family lesson convey?

A．Responsibility.

B．Forgiveness.

C．Gratitude.

D．Struggle.

2. What does Kids4Community mainly work on in autumn?

A．Disaster relief.	B．Supplies delivery.
C．Disaster forecast.	D．Supplies production.

3. Why is Pala’s experience with the seal mentioned?

A．To advocate wildlife conservation.	B．To launch the initiatives for the homeless.
C．To praise the warm-hearted people.	D．To account for his attention to homelessness.

4. Which of the following best describes Pala?

A．Disciplined and reliable.	B．Committed and consistent.
C．Insightful and intelligent.	D．Public-spirited and enterprising.

5 . In response to the rumor that “80% of Tsinghua graduates go abroad”, Tsinghua University clearly stated: “NO!”

Data show that the proportion of 2023 graduates of Tsinghua University going abroad for further study is 8.0%. Among them, the proportion of undergraduate students (本科生) studying abroad is 15.6%, and the proportion of undergraduate students studying in China is 65.2%. The proportion of master students (研究生) going abroad for further study is 5.9%. The proportion of domestic advanced education was 6.9%. In addition, according to the “Tsinghua People” mini-program registration information of Tsinghua Alumni Association, most of the alumni (校友) who have studied abroad in the past 20 years have returned to work after completing their studies and play a backbone in all walks of life.

What industries do Tsinghua graduates go into? According to the statistics of Tsinghua University, 83.0% of the graduates of 2023 are employed in key units in important fields related to the national economy and people’s livelihood, covering many important industries such as national defense science and technology, manufacturing and energy industries, information communication and Internet, public administration and service institutions of higher learning and research institutes.

Where do Tsinghua graduates go? According to statistics provided by Tsinghua University, 53.8 percent of its 2023 graduates are employed outside Beijing. In the past 10 years, most graduates of Tsinghua University have gone to work outside Beijing, and the number of employment in the national defense and military industry and the western region has continued to rise.

The university also announced the most employable employers for the class of 2023. Among them, the top two state-owned enterprises are China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation and State Grid Corporation, and the top two private enterprises are Huawei and BYD.

1. What percentage of Tsinghua undergraduate students studying abroad in 2023?

A．8.0%.

B．65.2%.

C．5.9%.

D．15.6%.

2. What is the “Tsinghua People” referred to in Paragraph 2?

A．An international school.	B．An application.
C．A charity organization.	D．A private enterprises.

3. What fields are most graduates of Tsinghua employed in according to the text?

A．Internet and energy industries.

B．Tea trade and public administration.

C．Gardening technology and national defense.

D．Pet rescuing and information communication.

4. How does the author prove that “80% of Tsinghua graduates go abroad” is no true?

A．List data.

B．Give examples.

C．Make comparisons.

D．classify facts.

6 . The aim of establishing school rules and regulations is to encourage good behavior, teach students self discipline (自律), and maintain a harmonious learning environment to match the image and reputation of our school. School rules and regulations are applicable to all students.

Role of the parents

The primary duty and responsibility of the parents is to educate their children by example to respect the dignity of others, They are also very influential in developing among their children the virtues of love, justice generosity, industry and honesty which are important to their lives.

Attendance and punctuality

School schedule: Students should be in their classrooms prepared to work by 7: 30 am. Regular attendance and punctuality are important for the academic progress of the students. Students must be regular in their attendance and have at least 80% attendance in order to sit for tests and examinations. Absence lasting for more than three days has to be accompanied by a medical certificate.

Language

English is the only language to be used by students in school (except during the other language lessons).

Discipline

One of the most important aspects of education is discipline, which is the training that develops self-control, orderliness, efficiency, and character. The basis of all discipline is the principle of respect — respect for one’s self，for others, and for all children.

In order to form proper habits and attitudes, the following rules for good conduct are expected to be followed by every student:

•Respect for all school property (所有物) and the school uniform;

•Observe silence in specific areas;

•During school hours, students are required to be in their respective (各自的) classrooms;

•Possession and use of cell phones are strictly prohibited in the school.

1. What will happen if a student misses more than 20% of the lesson?

A．He won’t take part in the exams.

B．He won’t take this class anymore.

C．He will have to receive extra classes.

D．He will receive physical punishment.

2. Which of the following is forbidden in the school?

A．Staying in areas for silence.

B．Throwing uniforms casually.

C．Speaking English in math classes.

D．Entering the classroom in free time.

3. Where is the text probably taken from?

A．A test guide.	B．An academic newspaper.
C．A school website.	D．An educational magazine.

7 . A six-month-old corgi being trained to become the first of his breed to work as a police dog in China, made his first public appearance recently at the open day of a police camp in Weifang, Shandong Province.

His appearance challenges the stereotype (固有模式) that “little short legs” cannot join the police force. Fu Zai,whose name means “Lucky Boy”, has made waves on social media with his iconic smile,short legs and wagging tail.

As a reserve police dog, Fu Zai faces a heavy workload. Training, scheduled for every morning and afternoon, involves a variety of subjects, such as obedience exercises, bomb searches and scent (气味) tracking. He began training when he was two months old and has stood out and outperformed many of his peers.

“His strong environmental adaptability, insensitivity, his desire to possess items and his fondness for food are particularly favorable in our training,” said Wang Yanan, head of the police dog base at the Weifang Public Security Bureau.

Following four months of training, Fu Zai can now take advantage of his short legs to go beneath cars and easily search tight spaces. He can also improve interactions between police dogs and the public because of his adorable appearance.

Fans on social media joked about Fu Zai. One of them wrote, “Corgis can be plainclothes police, for they attract less attention than German Shepherds.”

“Police dogs are not only cute, but trainers have made a lot of efforts to train them to be professional,” Wang said.

Fu Zai is still a fresh hand and must undergo a period of further training to adapt to complex environment before officially entering service.

1. What can be said about the training of Fu Zai?

A．It is conducted around the clock.

B．It aims at making Fu Zai a guide dog.

C．It has proved to be adventurous.

D．It involves multiple and challenging tasks.

2. What advantage does Fu Zai have as a police dog?

A．He is able to shoulder a heavy workload.

B．He excels at handling complex environment.

C．His short legs enable him to work in narrow places.

D．He will attract public attention when he is at work.

3. What does Wang Yanan say about the corgi?

A．He has some suitable qualities for training.

B．He is already a professional police dog.

C．His lovable appearance is advantageous.

D．His smiles improve interactions with the public.

4. What can we infer from the text?

A．Fu Zai has served as a police dog for half a year.

B．Fu Zai performs well because of his intelligence.

C．Fu Zai has been recognized around the world.

D．Fu Zai needs further training to be a police dog.

8 . Amsterdam is known for brownies and Van Gogh, but here are four unique museums in Amsterdam that should be on your radar.

Kattenkabinet

If it wasn't for the black-and-white sign hanging above the door of Herengracht 497, you might easily walk past the Kattenkabinet, a museum dedicated exclusively to the role of cats in art. Situated in a stately 17th-century house, the museum was founded by Bob Meijer. He purchased and renovated the mansion in 1985 and opened the museum five years later in honour of his cat.

Fashion for Good Museum

Fashion for Good is more than a museum. Opened in 2017 and situated on Rokin 102, it's a platform for innovation and collaboration seeking solutions to steer the fashion industry away from the "take-make-waste"pattern which has hugely impacted our environment. At their interactive studio, you'll even get the chance to design the world's most sustainable T-shirt.

Houseboat Museum

Originally built as a freighter in 1914 and moored (停泊) on Prinsengracht since 2007, the Houseboat Museum gives visitors an idea of what life is like on one of these floating homes. Step inside and marvel at the surprisingly spacious interior furnished with a charming wood burning stove and old-fashioned kitchenware.

STRAAT

Since its opening in October 2020,STRAAT,the world's biggest museum for street art and grafiti, has made it its mission to showcase the diversity of talents, backgrounds and stories of what can rightfully be called one of the century's leading art forms.

1. Which museum will interest people who are environmentally friendly?

A．Kattenkabinet.	B．Fashion for Good Museum.
C．Houseboat Museum.	D．STRAAT.

2. What do we know about the four museums?

A．STRAAT is the biggest museum in Amsterdam.

B．Houseboat Museum was opened the earliest.

C．Kattenkabinet houses cat-themed artworks.

D．Fashion for Good Museum organizes fashion shows.

3. Where is the text most probably taken from?

A．An art textbook.	B．A research paper.
C．An exhibition ad.	D．A travel brochure.

9 . Sporting events provide a fruitful ground for many ambitious journalists and writers to practice their craft. Here are four methods to help you get started.

●    1     You may have an editor assigning your topic, or you may be a freelancer (自由职业者) choosing your own. Regardless, be familiar with the most common forms of sports articles and determine which best matches your task. You can leaf through your local newspaper, favorite sports magazine, or go-to sports website and think about what makes certain articles stand out.

●Be familiar with the sport you are covering. When you're starting out, if you have the choice, cover the sport you know best. Sports fans are known for their passion and not necessarily for their patience.     2     If you make mistakes in your report, they will probably tune you out quickly.

●Go to the game, and make the most of being there. Watch closely.     3     Take note of interesting details, such as how the players celebrated at the end or the feel of the crowd that night.     4     You'll find passionate fans, eager participants, and a good environment for covering a sporting event from several angles there.

● Start with a great hook. News article writing relies on an “inverted pyramid” structure, where the most substantial elements are found at the top of the article, and the information becomes less weighty and important as one approaches the bottom. Readers always start but don't always finish an article.     5    

A．They are particular about sports articles.

B．Know the type of article you are writing.

C．Ask permission to record your interviews.

D．So make sure they get your best stuff up front.

E．Keep track of important plays, scores, and statistics.

F．They provide the most essential information of games.

G．Local sporting events are good places for sportswriters.

10 . We are no longer the only animal known to think ahead and prepare for two possible futures -chimpanzees can do it too. If you are unsure whether it will be sunny or raining later, you might grab sunscreen and an umbrella before you leave home. This ability to consider different eventualities, known as modal reasoning, is essential to human cognition (认知).

The previous study results weren’t accepted by all, though, because the study expected the chimpanzees to use behaviors that don’t come naturally to them, says Jan Engelmann at the University of California, Berkeley. To demonstrate chimpanzees’ competence, Engelmann and his colleagues have tried an alternative method relying on behaviour that comes more naturally to the animals.

Working at Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Uganda, where the animals can roam in 95 acres of forest, the researchers put individual chimpanzees in front of two tilting (可倾斜的) platforms, each with a piece of food on it. The first version of the experiment used an opaque cylindrical tube (不透明的圆柱管) above one of the platforms, through which the team would drop a rock. If the chimpanzee didn’t intervene, the food would fall, but if it stabilized the platform with its hands, it would be given the food as a reward. In this experiment, the 15 chimpanzees only stabilized the platform they knew the rock would hit.

The second experiment used an opaque inverted (倒置的) Y-shaped tube with an exit above each platform. Not knowing which platform the rock was going to hit meant the chimpanzees would behave differently. Thirteen of the 15 were more likely to steady both platforms to protect both pieces of food.

“To my knowledge, they’re the first non-human animals who demonstrate competence in a task measuring the representation of alternative possibilities,” says Engelmann.

“The representation of alternative possibilities is fundamental to many cognitive capacities that humans are proud of, like creativity and morality,” says Engelmann. “It’s quite exciting to think that there might be an evolutionary history to this ability as well.”

1. What are paragraphs 3 and 4 mainly about?

A．The process of the experiments.	B．The background of the experiments.
C．The significance of the experiments.	D．The equipment of the experiments.

2. Why did the researcher drop a rock through the tube in the first experiment?

A．To attract the chimpanzees’ attention.	B．To keep the balance of the platform.
C．To see how the chimpanzees would react to it.	D．To prevent the chimpanzees accessing the food.

3. What does Engelmann think of the finding of the experiments?

A．Puzzling.

B．Thrilling

C．Embarrassing

D．Disappointing

4. What can we learn from the experiments?

A．Chimpanzees demonstrate the ability to think ahead.

B．Cognitive capacities matter in chimpanzees’ evolution.

C．Modal reasoning is an ability unique to human beings.

D．Chimpanzees have formed a sense of creativity and morality.