1 . It’s often said that travel is all about the journey, but it can be almost as exciting to travel the world from the comfort of our homes. Just pick up several travel books that share the extraordinary ability to transport readers through time and space.

The Last Ride of the Pony Express

In 2019, American journalist Will Grant took on a 2,000-mile journey on horseback. Grant describes his 142-day adventure following the Pony Express that operated between April 1860 and October 1861. The Pony Express once used riders who traveled on horseback to deliver mall. While Grant reflects on the West’s modernization over time, it’s his vivid (生动的) descriptions of local residents along the way that make the book a real page-turner.

Unforgettable Journey s Europe

The book shows travel really is all about “getting there”. This inspirational book details 150 of Europe’s best slow adventures, such as kayaking through Lithuania and crossing the Arctic Circle by train. Photos, maps and plenty of information(including start and end points for trails, difficulty ratings and website links) are spread throughout the text, making the book as much colorful reference as it is inspiring to read.

Elixir: In the Valley at the End of Time

After a decade of living in the Scottish Highlands, native Bulgarian Kapka Kassabova returned to her roots (根) in Mesta Valley, a rural region known for its wild crops. The poet and writer set out to study the deep relationship between the area’s people and plants, as well as with the land itself. Her text explorers a lesser-known area filled with nature and traditional customs.

The Life Cycle

British writer and cyclist Kate Rawles took a 13-month journey across the length of the Andes Mountains en a self-built bamboo bicycle. During this journey, the author saw firsthand the harmful impacts of extreme biodiversity loss caused by human activity such as cutting down trees. She shared her concerns and insight in her book, and expected to inspire actions.

1. What is The Last Ride of the Pony Express mainly about?

A．A man’s journey along a historic mail route.

B．A comparison of different mail delivery systems.

C．A description of the American West’s modernization.

D．A man’s reflection on the history of the Pony Express.

2. What is a feature of Unforgettable Journeys Europe?

A．It introduces various wild plants.	B．It offers some practical travel tips.
C．It focuses on landscape photography.	D．It shows different traditions in Europe.

3. What does Kate Rawles hope to do with her book?

A．Document cultural diversity.	B．Call on people to protect nature.
C．Suggest cycling for human well-being.	D．Promote tourism in the Andes Mountains.

2 . Praying for Bea

I suddenly woke up in the middle of the night with Bea on my mind. I could not seem to _________ her name or her face from my thoughts so I decided to pray for her. I had no idea why but I knew that I should pray.

Bea had been my son’s _________ writing teacher three years earlier. We were just acquaintances (相识). I didn’t understand why I had such a strong _________ to pray for her.

The next morning, I had my usual Bible study group to _________. It was at the church where my son had attended kindergarten.

When I arrived early and entered the meeting room, a friend called out to me to see this woman who had to decide whether or not to _________ a heart transplant. She needed it badly, but her husband had just _________ and she worried about who would raise her four young boys if she didn’t _________ it through the transplant.

The woman was Bea. In shock, I told my friend, “I have been _________ for her all night.”

I had no idea that Bea had been on the waiting list for a heart transplant at UCLA, looking out a window at Bea sitting in her car making that _________.

I have often wondered since that night how many other people might also have had the same wake-up call to pray for Bea.

Bea decided to get the __________. She told me later that she had asked God if He could please make that transplant last for ten years so that she could raise the boys before it __________

God answered her prayers and the new transplanted heart __________ eleven years. This brought the ages of her sons to eighteen through twenty-eight years of age. They were well past the age of needing to be __________.

Bea received yet a second heart transplant and is __________ doing very well, enjoying her family and her grandkids. And the __________ is that we ended up becoming good friends!

1.

A．shake

B．have

C．get

D．bring

2.

A．high school

B．primary school

C．college

D．kindergarten

3.

A．envy

B．sympathy

C．urge

D．belief

4.

A．go

B．attend

C．prepare

D．skip

5.

A．undergo

B．relieve

C．cease

D．examine

6.

A．stopped

B．retired

C．injured

D．died

7.

A．sustain

B．restore

C．make

D．refresh

8.

A．praying

B．criticizing

C．thinking

D．starving

9.

A．policy

B．guarantee

C．decision

D．plan

10.

A．favour

B．examination

C．transplant

D．guidance

11.

A．turned down

B．wore out

C．stressed out

D．gave off

12.

A．refreshed

B．submitted

C．invested

D．lasted

13.

A．arisen

B．raised

C．risen

D．cared

14.

A．currently.

B．frequently

C．repeatedly

D．tightly

15.

A．motive

B．bonus

C．comfort

D．expectation

3 . According to a study published in the June 2023 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, bottlenose dolphin mothers speak to their calves (幼崽) in higher pitched (高音的) whistles. This communication is similar to the higher pitched speech people use when speaking to babies.

Dolphins use whistles to communicate with other dolphins and researchers have been trying to understand this language for a long time. It was through recordings of dolphins’ communication that researchers found that the whistles were different when mothers were directing them at their calves. They had a higher pitch.

The researchers studied recordings of 19 female dolphins living in the Sarasota Bay area along the western coast of Florida. Microphones were repeatedly placed on the same wild dolphin mothers to capture (捕捉) the recordings.

Every one of the 19 dolphin moms changed the pitch of their whistles when their calves were nearby. At this point researchers don’t know what the higher pitch is used for, it could be a teaching method or just a way to let the calves know that Mom is there. They are studying it now.

“It’s really important for a calf to know ‘Oh, Mum is talking to me now’,” said Janet Mann, a biologist at Georgetown University, who didn’t take part in the study.

Human babies learn to speak by copying their moms, so it’s sound to think that calves in other species do the same. Scientists believe babies pay more attention to speech with a higher pitch.

Still more studies are needed to see if this child-directed speech (CDS) crosses more species. Finding CDS in both humans and dolphins could encourage scientists to study how different species in different geographic locations develop the same features.

It turns out that humans aren’t so unique in terms of language and parenting. Hopefully this knowledge will encourage the protection of species around the globe.

1. What can we learn from the first two paragraphs?

A．Dolphins’ whistles are actually easy to record.

B．Dolphins are the smartest animals on the earth.

C．Dolphin mothers are gifted at making whistles.

D．Dolphin mothers speak to their calves in baby talk.

2. What is the function of the microphones?

A．To help dolphins communicate with each other.

B．To tell different female dolphins apart.

C．To help dolphins speak louder.

D．To get dolphins’ recordings.

3. What are the researchers trying to find out now?

A．The calves’ answers to their mothers’ baby talk.

B．Dolphin mothers’ way of changing their pitch.

C．The purpose of dolphin mothers’ louder whistles.

D．Dolphin mothers’ methods of teaching their calves.

4. What is the author’s opinion of the finding of the study?

A．It is shocking.	B．It is meaningful.
C．It is upsetting.	D．It is unsatisfactory.

4 . Our recommended list of environmental books covers a broad range of topics. These must-read environmental books are sure to spark the interest of the greenest books.

Silent Spring

Written by Rachel Carson, Silent Spring highlights the effects of pesticides (杀虫剂) on the environment, especially DDT, which was a very popular insecticide until it was finally banned in 1972. The book eventually led to a change in the United States’ pesticide policy and contributed to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency.

No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference.

This book collects 11 speeches made by climate activist Greta Thunberg, highlighting the issue of climate change and its impact on future generations. Greta Thunberg was 15 when she started the School Strike for Climate, also known as Fridays for Future. She inspired protests worldwide.

The Uninhabitable Earth

This book by David Wallace Wells examines the disasters that have already occurred and looks ahead to the year 2100 and what climate change will do if we continue on our current path. Its opening line is incredibly telling: “It is worse, much worse, than you think.”

The End of Nature

Published in 1989, the book describes the relationship between nature and humans. It expresses the idea that nature was previously independent of humans but has now been affected by them in every way. According to author Bill McKibben, the idea of wilderness is lost, and nature is no longer complete.

1. Which book brought the environment to the government’s attention?

A．Silent Spring.	B．The End of Nature.
C．The Uninhabitable Earth.	D．No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference.

2. What feeling does the author display in The Uninhabitable Earth?

A．Curiosity.

B．Concern.

C．Annoyance.

D．Disappointment.

3. Which of the following is Bill McKibben’s idea?

A．Nature will not exist any longer.	B．Wild animals are disappearing fast.
C．Human activities are destroying nature.	D．Climate change affects future generations.

5 . I have only given blood once. The Red Cross trailer pulled into our school and _________ students to donate. Most of us were attracted by the promise of free cookies. Missing math class was a _________, too.

The process was painless but _________, and the nurse had just removed the needle when the bell rang for the next period to begin. I grabbed my cookies and climbed stairs to the _________. By the time I opened the door, I was lightheaded, with a _________ feeling in the stomach. In the following years, the few times when I tried to donate, the terrible feelings _________ me. Gradually, the idea fell off my radar.

But ideas always change with _________. Early in my cancer treatment while I watched the blood enter my veins, it suddenly dawned on me that for each blood product donated, there was a breathing man who _________ it, just like me. I am_________ by the fact that platelets (血小板) are bright yellow, like the sun. It is surely a __________ that a part of one person can save the life of another. We are designed to be interdependent, to understand that each of us can indeed __________ other people. That’s a remarkable thing, something we often __________ in the fast-paced era when everyone is busy with their own business.

I am grateful for the generous __________ whose kindness has allowed me to __________ my weakened body and live to fight another day. The Greek word agape means “love with action,” which is concerned with the greater __________ of another. And to so many, myself included, that’s exactly what blood donation has been.

1.

A．forced

B．begged

C．welcomed

D．invited

2.

A．bonus

B．barrier

C．try

D．pity

3.

A．breath-taking

B．time-consuming

C．head-spinning

D．life-changing

4.

A．campus

B．classroom

C．medical room

D．hospital

5.

A．sick

B．funny

C．secret

D．deep

6.

A．excited

B．relived

C．discouraged

D．disappointed

7.

A．knowledge

B．experience

C．emotion

D．ability

8.

A．delivered

B．refused

C．made

D．received

9.

A．fascinated

B．shocked

C．confused

D．embarrassed

10.

A．race

B．circle

C．miracle

D．fate

11.

A．teach

B．push

C．need

D．owe

12.

A．forget

B．explore

C．value

D．hide

13.

A．stranger

B．student

C．neighbor

D．nurse

14.

A．rediscover

B．accept

C．rebuild

D．check

15.

A．good

B．memory

C．comfort

D．thanks

6 . There are festivals going on somewhere in the world every day of the year. These range from very large events to local celebrations in tiny villages. We have selected a few of the more unusual, colourful festivals from around the world.

Mighty Mud (泥; 泥浆) Mania: Scottsdale, Arizona, USA

Children’s dreams really do come true in the City of Scottsdale. Children aged 1 to 13, get to join in the mud race Mighty Mudway features water and mud games. There are also water slides, sandcastle buildings and fun for all ages. Moms and dads, remember to send your kids out with old clothes and shoes.

Songkran Festival, Thailand

What better way to celebrate the “start of the return of rains” than with a country-wide water fight? Thais celebrate their festival officially from April 13th until April 15th. These three days represent the last day of the old year, the day of transition, and the first day of the New Year. Water battles fought out for days in the streets of every town and city over the country.

The La Tomatina Festival, Spain

On the last Wednesday of every August thousands of Spaniards take part in the La Tomatina Festival in Bunol. Truckloads of tomatoes are pulled in each year and dumped in the city centre. The people throw tomatoes at each other for the whole day, but the only rule is that the tomato must be flattened in the hand first, before being thrown. Even elderly grandmothers have been known to take part.

Canberra Sled Dog Classic: Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

Dog sledding is one of the fastest growing sports on the east coast of Australia. As there’s no snow (the trail is earth and sand and is smooth and wide with a few hills and turns) , the sleds have wheels instead of runners, but the excitement is the same.

1. Which festival is most suitable for 10-year-old Jack and his younger brother?

A．Mighty Mud Mania	B．Songkran Festival
C．The La Tomatina Festival	D．Canberra Sled Dog Classic

2. How is the Songkran Festival in Thailand traditionally celebrated?

A．With a dog sledding race.	B．Through a country-wide water fight.
C．By having a nationwide tomato fight.	D．By building sandcastles in a muddy environment.

3. What do the festivals above have in common?

A．They are all for adults.	B．They happen in the same season.
C．They all have joyful atmosphere.	D．They all happen in the same country.

7 . Find your new favorite hobby

Challenging and fun hobbies have the power to make us happier and healthier. They can lead to better physical health, lower stress, greater life satisfaction, a larger social network and improve work performance.     1     But where do you start? Here are some tips on how to discover the hobbies you don’t yet know you’ll love.

Ask yourself how you want to feel

Hobbies present an escape—they can help you get out of your head and calm down. Ask yourself how you want an activity to make you feel. Mentally engaged? Distracted? Relaxed? Socially connected?     2     Recognize that you have different needs at different moments, and that’s OK.

Start small

    3     Try to figure out gradually if it’s right for you. You can always do more later. If you’re wondering if paintballing might be a good fit, join an outing or two with a local Meet-up group. Or sign up for a one-time pottery class rather than a set of eight.

    4    

When people feel guilty about spending time on leisure, they experience increased symptoms of depression and anxiety. Give yourself permission to do something that you like and keep in mind that if a hobby makes you healthier and happier, everyone around you will benefit. Think of discovering new hobbies as a way to add new dimensions to your life, and enjoy the process.

Take a trip back in time

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? The answer could point you toward an appealing hobby. Revisit some activities you loved when you were young, like drawing, putting together model kits, collecting things or building clay figures, which is really helpful to start your new hobbies.     5    

Keep a list

Keep a list on your fridge or other things of all the things that strike you as interesting. Write down potential interests as they come to you, and you’ll have no shortage of options to explore when you’re ready.

A．Remove guilt.

B．Keep optimistic.

C．Plus, they often promote connection with others.

D．Those childhood delights can easily develop into adult hobbies.

E．Don’t invest a ton of time and money in a new hobby immediately.

F．You shoud keep an open mind and don’t ignore some potential hobbies.

G．It’s also helpful to consider what your life is missing, like creativity or physical activity.

8 . Houses covered in ivy are an attractive sight to see. But many gardeners fear that ivy causes major structural damage to buildings and long to remove it whenever they can, right? Not so, says James Wong, a botanist and science writer.

“I am always surprised by how often gardening can be so driven by fear.” he says. “The thinking behind this is that climbers harm brickwork and can cause structural damage to buildings.” But few fears are based on any scientific evidence. And frequently, the exact opposite is true.

In a 2020 study from the Royal Horticultural Society, climbing plants like ivy were found to have a protective effect on model brick buildings constructed for the experiment. The shade by the plants’ leaves cooled the surface of the buildings in summer by as much as 5.7°C. What’s more, ivy didn’t significantly raise humidity levels (湿度) －rather, it helped stabilize them, minimizing the damage to the buildings’ surfaces. The living coating also lowered summer temperatures inside the buildings by up to 7.2°C and reduced heating bills by as much as 20 percent in winter.

What about real-world, well-used buildings, whose outside may have experienced centuries of environmental damage? Another study from 2011 found that in five historic buildings across England, bare walls experienced average maximum temperatures 36 percent higher and minimum temperatures 15 percent lower compared with those coated in ivy. The researchers concluded that the living insulation (隔热) provided by ivy would “reduce the likelihood of frost and salt damage to the building materials, thus contributing to their conservation”. They also found in another study that the leaves’ ability to trap pollution could reduce the damage to historical walls.

Imagine if there was a new material that could cool cities and cut energy bills. The truth is that we have had this miracle material all along, but rather than appreciating it, we have spent huge amounts of time worrying about how to get rid of it.

1. Why do gardeners want to remove the ivy?

A．To get rid of their fear of ivy.

B．To make the houses more attractive.

C．To confirm previous scientific evidence.

D．To protect the brickwork and structure of the building.

2. What can we learn from the 2020 study?

A．Climbing plants increase heating bills in winter.

B．Climbing plants can severely damage brickwork.

C．Climbing plants raise humidity levels against brickwork.

D．Climbing plants reduce the temperature of buildings in summer.

3. How can ivy benefit historical buildings?

A．It improves the visual appeal of old buildings.

B．It removes pollutants from the surroundings.

C．It protects building materials from frost and salt damage.

D．It promotes the energy efficiency of historical structures.

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

A．Ivy: a troublemaker of preserving the old building

B．Ivy: an unexpected helper in buildings conservation

C．The environmental impact of ivy on modern architecture

D．The need for a new material to cool cities and cut energy bills

9 . My life is full and active taking care of my grandson. But weeks ago, he headed for an overseas holiday, I was left feeling _______ and lost. I needed something extraordinary to lift my _______.

Then one day, I entered the Coffee Club near my home and _______ a cup of coffee. I settled into a comfortable sofa, _______ tasting the delicious drink. After a while, I approached the waitress and handed her my _______. She smiled and said, “That’s already been paid for.”

I looked at her in _______. “Really?” Then she said the words I’ll never forget. “It was a _______ of kindness, and it happens a lot.”

I was shocked. I never really _______ these things though I had heard about them. Today, I _______ it firsthand. Good, kind people are out there in the world. And they ________ when you need them most. I left home this morning feeling, somewhat lost. I returned with a ________ in my step, excited about sharing my story and ________ the kindness.

Two weeks later, I paid for a girl in the Coffee Club. The only thing is, this time, the Coffee Club did it ________. The waiter pointed me out. She couldn’t believe it and ________ me. I simply smiled, explaining that I was passing on the ________ I’d received not long ago.

1.

A．embarrassed

B．flat

C．patient

D．content

2.

A．sights

B．fortunes

C．spirits

D．voices

3.

A．mixed

B．ordered

C．prepared

D．served

4.

A．awkwardly

B．confidently

C．restlessly

D．leisurely

5.

A．bill

B．receipt

C．drink

D．license

6.

A．desperation

B．relief

C．surprise

D．shame

7.

A．test

B．gesture

C．feeling

D．power

8.

A．believed

B．enjoyed

C．refused

D．inquired

9.

A．pursued

B．avoided

C．confirmed

D．experienced

10.

A．hang around

B．break in

C．show up

D．move on

11.

A．pain

B．load

C．drag

D．spring

12.

A．repaying

B．evaluating

C．shaping

D．delaying

13.

A．secretly

B．regularly

C．differently

D．casually

14.

A．puzzled

B．rejected

C．comforted

D．thanked

15.

A．courage

B．kindness

C．respect

D．honor

10 . Oxford’s world-class museums house rare treasures from the natural world as well as amazing art and handicrafts. The museums are also a valuable study resource for students and academics.

Ashmolean Museum

Where: Beaumont Street, OX12PH

When: 10:00-17:00

The Ashmolean Museum is home to the university’s collection of art and archaeology. Founded in 1683, it was the first public museum in the UK and is one of the oldest in the world. Particularly relevant to: Ancient and Modern History.

www.ashmolean.org

History of Science Museum

Where: Broad Street,OX13AZ

When: 12:00-17:00

This museum houses an unequaled collection of historic scientific instruments, including Einstein’s blackboard and the first cultures of the lifesaving antibiotic Penicillin.

Particularly relevant to all science and history courses.

www.hsm.ox.ac.uk

Oxford University Museum of Natural History

Where: Parks Road, OX13PW

When: 10:00-17:00

The museum houses an impressive range of scientific collections of zoological and geologicalsamples in a spectacular Victorian building.

Particularly relevant to: Biology; Earth Sciences.

www.oum.ox.ac.uk

Pitt Rivers Museum

Where: Parks Road, OX13PW

When: 10:00-14:00

The Pitt Rivers Museum is home to a remarkable collection of man-made objects from all partsof the world, famous for its celebrated displays and its leading role in contemporary research.

Particularly relevant to: Archaeology and Anthropology; History of Art.

www.prm.ox.ac.uk

1. If you want to know more about Penicillin, which website should you surf?

A．www.hsm.ox.ac.uk.	B．www.oum.ox.ac.uk.
C．www.ashmolean.org.	D．www.prm.ox.ac.uk

2. What is Pitt Rivers Museum especially related to?

A．Art and archaeology	B．Undergraduates studying.
C．Historic scientific instruments.	D．Collections of man-made objects.

3. The purpose of the text is to get people to ______.

A．study history	B．preserve heritage
C．visit museums	D．appreciate handicrafts