1 . Chusovitina retired from her legendary career after competing at a record eighth Olympic Games. After failing to
Born in Uzbek capital Tashkent in 1976, Chusovitina
When Chusovitina’s 3 - year - old son was
In a sport renowned for its
| A．show | B．secure | C．mark | D．choose |
| A．crowd | B．judges | C．athletes | D．listeners |
| A．put up | B．made up | C．took up | D．set up |
| A．expression | B．impression | C．contribution | D．appearance |
| A．left | B．represented | C．recognized | D．confirmed |
| A．reunited | B．held | C．took | D．switched |
| A．checked | B．diagnosed | C．connected | D． treated |
| A．packages | B．purchases | C．necessities | D．possessions |
| A．research | B．conditions | C．treatment | D．record |
| A．citizenship | B．membership | C．leadership | D．relationship |
| A．personal | B．medical | C．physical | D．mental |
| A．gymnastics | B．medicine | C．medals | D．family |
| A．benefit | B．doubt | C．secret | D．way |
| A．forced | B．encouraged | C．appointed | D．allowed |
| A．prize | B．kindness | C．pleasure | D．sympathy |
| A．competitive | B．strong | C．global | D．youthful |
| A．athlete | B．favorite | C．mother | D．teacher |
| A．named | B．given | C．shown | D．offered |
| A．arranged | B．counted | C．sold | D．collected |
| A．thoughts | B．events | C．skills | D．habits |
2 . European wildcats could be reintroduced to England more than 200 years after they became extinct in the country. The project has been announced by UK wildlife charity Wildwood Trust.
European wildcats are one of the UK’s rarest mammals. The only wild population, numbering fewer than 300 individuals, lives in the Scottish Highlands but they are on the verge of extinction, partly because they have bred with local feral cats (wild-living domestic cats).
Supporters hope to save the species in the UK by reintroducing them to England and Wales, where they died out around 200 years ago because of hunting and loss of habitat. To bring back the species, Wildwood Trust is planning to build 10 new breeding facilities on two sites in Kent and Devon. Kittens bred in captivity but away from humans will then be released into the wild. The University of Exeter is researching places where the animals could be reintroduced.
European wildcats are around the same size as a large domestic cat, but at up to eight kilograms they are slightly adult heavier. They have a tabby-like pattern with thick black stripes on their bodies and a bushy tail and like to live in forests but near open grassland. They’re also famously shy and keep their distance from humans. Laura Gardner, director of conservation at Wildwood Trust, told The Times newspaper that people should not be worried by the thought of wildcats returning to the wild. “We’re not talking about wolves,” she said.
Wildwood Trust says that its project can benefit both the wildcats and the habitats where they live. They are one of the few native predators left in the UK, so a healthy population of wildcats could help to control the numbers of animals they prey on, such as rabbits and rodents. By competing for the same food as foxes, they will also help to reduce fox numbers and restore a balance to nature.
1. What is the aim of the project?| A．To save wildcats from dying out. | B．To ensure wildcats’good habitats. |
| C．To raise money to protect wildcats. | D．To build some new breeding facilities. |
| A．Wildcats are very shy animals. | B．Wildcats are not as fierce as wolves. |
| C．European wildcats are unique animals. | D．Wildcats cannot pose a threat for humans. |
| A．Wildcats will threaten the number of other animals. |
| B．Wildcats and its habitats will be well protected. |
| C．Wildcats can contribute to ecological balance. |
| D．Wildcats are one of the few predators left in the UK. |
| A．Wildwood Trust Announcing a Plan. |
| B．Rare Wildcats Making a Comeback. |
| C．Reintroducing Wildcats Benefiting Us. |
| D．Wildcats Disappearing From the World. |
3 . A big fire took the life of the mother in this family. When I
The daughter asked, “If I give away my best to Mario, will he give it back to me? ” I couldn’t help but
Together, we
Her mother ran after her. The little girl, with tearful eyes, looked up at her mother and timidly said, “Mom, no, Mario’s mom, I don’t want to take you back, but I still want to give you a
| A．visited | B．passed | C．agreed | D．chatted |
| A．occasionally | B．permanently | C．excitedly | D．temporarily |
| A．teenagers | B．neighbours | C．judges | D．hosts |
| A．imagination | B．voice | C．attention | D．breath |
| A．honey | B．son | C．sisters | D．children |
| A．stole | B．purchased | C．designed | D．protected |
| A．lend | B．produce | C．deliver | D．donate |
| A．violent | B．impressive | C．precious | D．fortunate |
| A．read | B．interrupt | C．debate | D．ask |
| A．expect | B．decline | C．learn | D．forget |
| A．left | B．repaired | C．cleaned | D．entered |
| A．created | B．presented | C．removed | D．polished |
| A．deliberately | B．skeptically | C．sincerely | D．gratefully |
| A．hand | B．hairs | C．clothes | D．arm |
| A．cheek | B．chin | C．tongue | D．lip |
| A．difference | B．mistake | C．decision | D．hit |
| A．broke down | B．ran away | C．took off | D．fell apart |
| A．peaceful | B．valuable | C．regular | D．secret |
| A．hugged | B．admitted | C．touched | D．glanced |
| A．mercy | B．belief | C．pride | D．curiosity |
4 . Although most empty plastic bottles are thrown, there are actually many other ways you can reuse them other than drinking.
When making biscuits, did you just realize you didn’t have any tools to cut them? You just need a small or large plastic bottle depending on your needs. First cut the bottle into half.
Do you find it challenging to separate eggs?
Want to remove flies in your garden safely? Use plastic bottles. Cut the bottle into half and place a sweet syrup (糖浆) at the bottom. Then place the top in the bottom so that the bottle mouth faces down. The fly will be attracted to the smell and fly into the bottle hole. Once in the bottle, the fly will climb through a narrow opening without thinking about how to get out and eventually dies.
Air conditionerSometimes, the fan removes hot air and does not cool the room but now we have a solution!
| A．The trap |
| B．The harm of flies |
| C．Pour the water out from the large bottles |
| D．You can solve this problem with plastic bottles |
| E．Fill two large bottles with water and turn into ice |
| F．And then you just take one of two parts to cut the cookies |
| G．They allow you to recycle creatively for a variety of purposes |
5 . Florida is a desirable place to retire because of the suitable cost of living and location close to the beach. In addition, it has provided different kinds of services to support the retirement community. Here are some best Florida cities for retirement.
MiamiPopulation: about 605,800
Share of population age 65+: 18.2%
Median monthly rent: about $1,500
Miami has higher housing and costly health care, so seniors retiring in Miami need to face the higher cost of living. However, it offers retirees plenty of activities. It’s more expensive, but the rich cultural experience, dining, shopping, and health care services are top-tier.
Fort MyersPopulation: about 752,200
Share of population age 65+: 28.4%
Median monthly rent: about $1,300
Fort Myers scored well on the desirability and happiness metrics (指标). Many retirees are able to comfortably afford a home, which frees up retirement income for other important expenses. Seniors in Fort Myers can create a relaxing beach retirement lifestyle, even on a limited budget.
TallahasseePopulation: about 382,700
Share of population age 65+: 14.6%
Median monthly rent: about $1,000
Tallahassee has four clear seasons, and its short winters are colder than the state’s coastal areas. Housing is more affordable here than in other Florida cities. Retirees can take classes at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Florida, or enjoy one of Tallahassee’s many museums, historic sites and parks.
OcalaPopulation: about 370,000
Share of population age 65+: 28.5%
Median monthly rent: about $990
This equestrian (马术) town is best known for award-winning horses. Retirees can attend horse shows and equestrian events and enjoy regular horseback rides. Ocala’s inexpensive housing makes it easy to relocate to the area. The Ocala National Forest has hundreds of lakes, rivers and springs where you can swim and fish.
1. What is an advantage of Miami?| A．It offers services in a wide variety. | B．It gives the suitable cost of living. |
| C．It provides discount housing. | D．It organizes volunteer activities. |
| A．Miami. | B．Fort Myers. | C．Tallahassee. | D．Ocala. |
| A．Create a beach retirement lifestyle. | B．Explore the depth of the forest. |
| C．Visit many historic sites. | D．Take part in equestrian events. |
6 . English businessman Richard Branson made history on July 11, 2021 as he and three other crewmates became the world’s first space tourists. The flight was made by a spacecraft named VSS Unity that was built by Branson’s company, Virgin Galactic. The flight lasted slightly more than an hour, and took Branson and crew to an altitude (海拔) of 53.5miles above the Earth, just a little above the boundary (边界) of space which lies 50 miles above the Earth.
At that height, the atmosphere turns into the black of outer space and the Earth becomes a bent ball of blue. Travelers also exhibit weightlessness as there is no gravity, the force that keeps our bodies walking on the Earth’s surface. Therefore, Branson and his fellows were able to float around in VSS Unity while enjoying the views. They were able to do that for three minutes before the spacecraft began its downward journey. It landed back at Virgin Galactic’s space port in New Mexico, United States, which is the same place from where it had taken off 90 minutes before.
On landing back, Branson said, “I have dreamt of this moment since I was a kid but honestly, nothing could prepare you for the view of the Earth from space. It was just magical. I’m just taking it all in, and it’s unreal.”
July 11’s flight is the start of space tourism for one and all. In early 2022, customers who can afford a ticket for a quarter of a million dollars can line up for a seat on a trip to space. And guess what — they will have a choice of spacecraft. Jeff Bezos, who owns a famous company, is all set to launch himself into space on July 20 on board a spacecraft built by his new branch company Blue Origin. Blue Origin will also carry tourists to space.
1. What is Richard Branson famous for?| A．His success in tourism. |
| B．His company of Virgin Galactic. |
| C．His spaceship named VSS Unity. |
| D．His first commercial space travel in history. |
| A．Unbelievable. | B．Adventurous. | C．Regrettable. | D．Worthless. |
| A．Take a spacecraft of Virgin Galactic. |
| B．Pay $250,000 for the rocket tour. |
| C．Pass the fitness test for astronauts. |
| D．Line up for a position in Blue Origin. |
| A．Humans will move to other livable planets. |
| B．Ordinary people will soon land on the moon. |
| C．Private rocket space travel is growing gradually. |
| D．Some companies abandon their proper business. |
7 . A Chicago resident didn’t know riding the local train would unexpectedly turn him into a hero.
It was a typical day for Anthony Perry, 20, who got off the train at Chicago’s 69th Street station. Since Perry was interested in purchasing a car, he was on his way to meet his grandfather, who had agreed to accompany him to view one he had been eyeing.
Suddenly, a physical fight erupted between two men at the station, which led to the two falling onto the train tracks. Although one of the men landed on his back, they continued to fight. This caused the other guy to fell on the third rail, which passes electric current to the train. The man was lying on the tracks and appearing to convulse (抽搐) as a result of hundreds of volts of electric current shooting through his body. It looked like the unnamed man lost his life. However, Perry refused to let him lie on the tracks. He jumped down from the platform and quickly crossed the tracks in front of a train that had managed to stop a few feet away.
Perry said “I was hoping I could just grab him and not feel nothing, but I felt a little shock. I felt it all through my body actually. I didn’t let that stop me.” Perry administered CPR to the man after he’d pulled him from the tracks. Then the man was taken to hospital and survived finally.
As planned, Perry went to look at the car he wanted to buy, but it had been sold. Just days after the incident, Early Walker, founder of an anti-violence organization, rewarded him with the car. “We need more Anthonys in the world,” Walker said.
Also, there to thank Perry was the Chicago police department. District Commander Roderick Watson said “So many times people think these young men are out here doing the wrong thing, but this is just a typical example of how a young man took it upon himself to jump in and do the right thing, and it should be recognized.”
1. What caused the unnamed man to fall on the third rail?| A．Carelessness of the man. | B．The emergency stop of the train. |
| C．An unintentional push from Perry. | D．The fight between him and another man. |
| A．Gentle and considerate. | B．Courageous and kind-hearted. |
| C．Energetic and ambitious. | D．Strong-willed and conservative. |
| A．He received it as a reward. | B．He purchased it at a discount. |
| C．The man rescued by Perry donated it. | D．His grandfather gave it to him as a gift. |
| A．Every man has its faults. |
| B．Parents have a high expectation for their children. |
| C．The young need to be evaluated objectively. |
| D．Most teenagers need to be inspired by model education. |
8 . On the rocky beach, Shiwak butchers the seal with precision, turning the water red as crow flew overhead. As a boy, he learned to hunt and fish with his father and grandfather, who had learned from their elders. It is also how Shiwak learned the core Inuit (因纽特人的) values of taking only what is needed, sharing, sustainability and respect for nature—values he is passing down to his children.
Shiwak has hunted for years in the waters of Lake Melville, close to the Inuit community of Rigolet in Nunatsiavut, an autonomous area in Canada. But while traditional knowledge has allowed Inuit to survive in this severe environment for a long time, the climatic conditions are changing quickly. Since 1950, Nunatsiavut has lost 40 days of ground snow a year. Its sea ice is disappearing faster than anywhere in the Canadian Arctic. By November, the shoreline would usually be covered in ice, and people would be putting away their boats and dusting off their snowmobiles. In his lifetime, Shiwak has witnessed the winters becoming warmer, wetter, and shorter.
There is very little local people can do about that: although the region is roughly the size of the Republic of Ireland, Nunatsiavut’s population is less than 3,000, spread among five small towns. What they can do, however, is working to protect what they have. That’s why Nunatsiavut is partnering with the Canadian government to co-develop the world’s first Inuit protected area. Built on Inuit values and culture, this new type of conservation area would allow local people to continue traditional practices of hunting and fishing.
“Just that we’re small doesn’t mean we can’t do something,” says James Goudie, deputy minister of lands and natural resources in the Nunatsiavut government. “We can show the world that a small region can protect a massive amount of biodiversity.” The Inuit protected area would only cover about a third of Nunatsiavut’s offshore waters, but the region is home to important populations of fish, the breeding grounds for many migratory birds, and the habitat of Arctic marine mammals.
1. How do Inuit people learn their core values?| A．By enhancing their hunting skills. |
| B．By receiving general school education. |
| C．By appreciating the gifts of nature. |
| D．By passing them down from generation to generation. |
| A．Their small population. | B．The climate change. |
| C．Their conventional knowledge. | D．The overuse of resources. |
| A．The Inuit knowledge of surviving is disappearing |
| B．The number of Canadian Inuit has dramatically increased |
| C．The region is too large in comparison with the Republic of Ireland. |
| D．The new protected area will help maintain the traditional Inuit way of life. |
| A．The Inuit knowledge of surviving is disappearing |
| B．The number of Canadian Inuit has dramatically increased |
| C．Nunatsiavut plans to create a conservation area for the Inuit |
| D．Nunatsiavut contributes a lot to the diverse culture in Canada |
9 . Plenty of past research has found that late-night eating is linked to weight gain, but most studies are observational, and few explain why eating later might have anything to do with why people put on pounds. A recent study, published in Cell Metabolism, sought to address the question by controlling the calories participants ate, how much they slept, and how much physical activity they got so researchers could learn how and why eating later might affect weight.
One of the most significant findings from this report is that “a calorie is a calorie, but the response of your body to that calorie is different in the morning versus in the evening,” said Frank A. J. L. Scheer, the senior author and a scientist at Harvard Medical School.
That finding matches past research showing that the glycemic index (升糖指数) of a food—how it affects the body's blood sugar following a meal—varies depending on the time of day that food is consumed, said Nina Vujovic, who led this study. In the study, Vujovic found that eating within four hours of bedtime affects two hormones (激素) related to hunger.
On days participants ate closer to sleep, they also burned fewer calories and showed molecular changes in fat tissue suggesting their body converted calories into fat storage more easily.
What surprised Scheer most was that eating closer to bedtime affected all the factors they measured rather than just one or two of them. “In the nutrition field, I think the longest resistance against the idea that timing of food matters is based on this simplistic view of‘a calorie is a calorie,’ meaning that it shouldn't matter when someone eats it,” Scheer said, “yet it does.”
But the authors also acknowledged that their study was not designed to determine whether eating dinner closer to bedtime long-term would lead to weight gain over time or whether the body might instead adapt to such a schedule.
1. What did the researchers do in the study?| A．They asked the participants to sleep more. |
| B．They recorded the participants' daily routines. |
| C．They gave the participants calorie-controlled diet. |
| D．They encouraged the participants to work out regularly. |
| A．Late supper is connected to weight gain. |
| B．Nutritious food contains more calories. |
| C．Different foods have different glycemic indexes. |
| D．Late-night eating affects hormones about hunger. |
| A．Transformed. | B．Buried. | C．Absorbed. | D．Broke. |
| A．The study aims to warn people. |
| B．The time people eat food matters. |
| C．Eating late is the key factor to overweight. |
| D．Our body is designed to adapt to various foods. |
10 . If you’ve ever seen a sparrow steal your dog food or a crow open a garbage bag, you get a sense of that some birds have learned to take advantage of new feeding opportunities—a clear sign of their intelligence. Scientists have long wondered why certain species of birds are more innovative than others, and whether these capacities stem from larger brains or from a greater number of neurons (神经元) in specific areas of the brain.
It turns out that it’s a bit of both, according to a recent study by an international team that included members from McGill University published in Nature Ecology and Evolution.
The researchers used a new technique to estimate the number of neurons in a specific part of the brain called the pallium in 111 bird species. The pallium in birds is equal to the human cerebral cortex (大脑皮层), which is involved in memory, learning, reasoning, and problem-solving, among other things. When these estimates about neuron numbers in the pallium were combined with information about over 4,000 feeding innovations, the team found that the species with the higher numbers of neurons in the pallium were also likely to be the most innovative.
“The amount of time chicks spend in the nest as their brains develop might also play a crucial role in the evolution of intelligence,” says McGill University Emeritus Professor Louis Lefebvre who spent more than 20 years gathering examples of feeding innovations. “Larger species of crows and parrots, which are known for their intelligence, spend longer in the nest, which allows more time for the brain to grow and accumulate pallial neurons.”
The results of the study help to deal with previously opposed views of the evolution and significance of brain size and show how a life-history perspective helps to understand the evolution of cognition.
1. What may a sparrow be thought of when it steals dog food?| A．It is lovely. | B．It is immoral. | C．It is heartbroken. | D．It is intelligent. |
| A．Assessed the neurons in their pallium. |
| B．Tested a new technology on their brain. |
| C．Trained them to learn to feed individually. |
| D．Compared their pallium with the human cerebral cortex. |
| A．Their large shape. |
| B．More time in their nest. |
| C．Their learning ability. |
| D．More feeding innovations. |
| A．Health. | B．Society. | C．Science. | D．Culture. |
