1 . Since young children went back to school across Sweden recently, many of their teachers have been putting a new emphasis on printed books, quiet reading time and handwriting practice, and devoting less time to tablets, independent online research and keyboarding skills.

The return to more traditional ways of learning is a response to politicians and experts questioning whether Sweden’s hyper-digitalized approach to education, including the introduction of tablets in nursery schools, had led to a decline in basic skills.

Sweden’s minister for schools, Lotta Edholm was one of the biggest critics of the all-out embrace of technology. “Sweden’s students need more textbooks,” Edholm said in March. “Physical books are important for student learning.” The minister announced in August that the government wanted to change the decision by the national agency for education to make digital devices compulsory in preschools. It plans to go further and to completely end digital learning for children under age six, the ministry has told the Associated Press.

Although Sweden’s students score above the European average for reading ability, an international assessment of fourth-grade reading levels, the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), highlighted a decline among Sweden’s children between 2016 and 2021.

In comparison, Singapore — which topped the rankings — improved its PIRLS reading scores from 576 to 587 during the same period, and England’s average reading achievement score fell only slightly, from 559 in 2016 to 558 in 2021. An overuse of screens during school lessons may cause youngsters to fall behind in core subjects, education experts say. “There’s clear scientific evidence that digital tools impair rather than enhance student learning,” Sweden’s Karolinska Institute, a highly respected medical school focused on research, said in a statement in August on the country’s national digitalization strategy in education.

“We believe the focus should return to acquiring knowledge through printed textbooks and teacher expertise, rather than acquiring knowledge primarily from freely available digital sources that have not been checked for accuracy.” the school added.

1. Why do Swedish schools return to paper books?

A．To cater to parents’ increasing needs.

B．To help with children’s independent learning.

C．To overcome children’s addiction to digital tools.

D．To avoid possible decline in children’s basic skills.

2. What does the underlined words “all-out embrace” mean in Paragraph 3?

A．Total acceptance.	B．Creative use.
C．Rapid development.	D．Serious addiction.

3. What might Karolinska Institute agree with?

A．Teachers should acquire more knowledge.

B．Knowledge from digital tools may not be reliable.

C．Digital tools smooth out learning barriers for children.

D．The accessibility to digital sources should be improved.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．Swedish Children’s Return to Paper	B．Problems with Children’s Education
C．Popularity of Digitalization in Sweden	D．Enhancement of Teaching Strategies in Sweden

2 . A 40-year-old man in China found his calling — teaching quantum mechanics (量子力学) on social media — after being unemployed for more than 20 years. Li Wei, from Qinghai province in northwestern China, became ________ for teaching science in an easy-to-understand way on his Douyin account.

Such is his popularity, he has ________ 1.8 million followers. “I don’t like ________ people,” Li said. He ________ a bachelor’s degree in law 20 years ago, but he did not find ________ in that field because of his personality. “I suffered a great failure,” he said. The turning point in his ________ came two years ago when he ________ his friend in the photovoltaic (光伏电池的) business and was ________ to find that lots of people have no knowledge of the technology.

Photovoltaic ________ a special electrical system that produces energy from a ________ and inexhaustible source, usually the sun. With a strong ________ to help people understand, Li came up with the idea of creating clips to teach science using simple everyday words ________ of terms. As he created more teaching videos, he began to realize he was good at it and ________ his subjects to include quantum mechanics and life sciences. Despite experiencing a series of failures, he finally found his ________. It’s never too ________ to do what we enjoy.

1.

A．evident

B．attractive

C．effective

D．popular

2.

A．accumulated

B．told

C．urged

D．admired

3.

A．listening to

B．waiting for

C．dealing with

D．talking about

4.

A．needed

B．gained

C．offered

D．refused

5.

A．employment

B．experts

C．information

D．applications

6.

A．game

B．career

C．relationship

D．growth

7.

A．left

B．saved

C．joined

D．believed

8.

A．anxious

B．horrified

C．surprised

D．eager

9.

A．results in

B．responds to

C．looks for

D．refers to

10.

A．strange

B．reputable

C．secret

D．renewable

11.

A．desire

B．tradition

C．character

D．knowledge

12.

A．full

B．free

C．true

D．aware

13.

A．introduced

B．expanded

C．found

D．chose

14.

A．caring

B．ending

C．setting

D．calling

15.

A．late

B．busy

C．good

D．easy

4 . 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。

It took six hours for Liu Yi to get to Tianshui, Northwest China’s Gansu province by train. He     1     (spend) another two hours waiting in a queue and finally got his hands on a bowl of local malatang — a mix of foods     2     (boil) in hot, spicy broth. While choosing the     3     (ingredient) he wanted, Liu picked wide, thin rice noodles and a lot of chillis, along     4     the usual vegetables and meat. Spicy food is a must for Liu, a native of Southwest China’s Sichuan province. “The malatang did not disappoint me. It has a kind of rich     5     (fragrant),” Liu said, after wiping his bowl clean.

The popularity of the dish is     6     (sudden) increasing. Thousands of diners like Liu have been making their way to the little-known northwestern city     7     (try) malatang, overwhelming local restaurant owners and contributing to local wealth. Since early March, videos and photos of Tianshui malatang     8     (go) viral on social media platforms. It all started when a netizen released a seven-second video on Feb 13 that gained millions of views. More vloggers followed suit, and then the tourists began to arrive in groups.

Within a month, bookings for hotel rooms in Tianshui had increased year-on-year, according to Ctrip,     9     online travel platform. Qinzhou district,     10     most malatang restaurants and attractions are located, received more than 770,000 tourists, local authorities said.

6 . Self-driving cars may sound like something from a futuristic sci-fi novel. However, with advanced trials expected from 2021, they are a lot closer to reality than you may think, and they could really help you.

Connected and automated vehicles (also known as CAVs), are vehicles that could perform many of the functions of today’s human drivers in the future. Aware of the potential benefits of the technology from improving road safety and reducing traffic congestion (拥塞), to enabling greater travel independence-the U. K. government has been encouraging the technology.

“However, we won’t get there unless those designing the technology engage properly with a wide range of transport users,” said lain Forbes, head of the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles.

FLOURISH, one initiative that received government backing, has helped to advance the successful implementation of CAVs in the U. K. by developing services and capabilities which maxi-mise the benefits of driverless vehicles for users and transport authorities.

The project was a collaboration between small and medium companies and large businesses across multiple industries, universities, local authorities and the not-for-profit sector, to investigate how these vehicles might benefit older adults and those with mobility-related conditions.

Mervyn Kohler, an Age U. K. spokesman, believes FLOURISH’s approach will be key to the positive impact self-driving cars have on older adults. “The project’s connectivity findings will also help the users of the future to make real-time journey decisions, responding to live information,” Tracey Poole, FLOURISH’s project manager and transport planning specialist says: “Not only will these vehicles be more inclusive; they will also be safer, more efficient and more environmentally friendly.”

Although safety is one of the big prizes associated with the introduction of self-driving cars, with the vast majority of collisions caused by human error, concerns about their safety are common.

The government is keen to understand the public’s view on CAVs and continues to survey public attitudes. It is also taking big steps towards establishing how our laws and regulations might need to change to support the safe use of self-driving cars.

1. What is the advantage of self-driving cars?

A．They guarantee road safety.

B．They remove traffic jams.

C．They provide more freedom of traveling.

D．They get over the elder’s dependence on drivers.

2. What does the underlined word “prizes” in paragraph 7 refer to?

A．Awards.	B．Achievements.
C．Realization.	D．Characteristics.

3. What can we infer about self-driving cars?

A．Collisions between self-driving cars can’t be avoided.

B．Self-driving cars are more eco-friendly than today's cars.

C．There is still a way to go before self-driving cars hit the road.

D．People are not worried about the safety problems of self-driving cars.

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

A．CAVs: a substitute for today’s human driver

B．How do CAVs help people less able to travel?

C．FLOURISH: a new project on self-driving cars.

D．Could self-driving cars soon be a reality?

7 . I grew up on a dairy farm. The particular life location to which I got assigned—“stuck” is a better word if you’ve ever been there — was a small family-owned-and-operated outfit.

I remember the Christmas when our main hired hand dropped out of the work rotation. Sixteen and the oldest of the kids left at home, I was called on to fill in. Halfway through the first day, I realized I had never noticed exactly how much that worker did. For five days I either milked or slept, fed calves (牛犊) or slept. I have to admit this gave me a deep appreciation of how hard my parents worked day in and day out for 30 years, and that understanding solidified my determination to do whatever it took to not stay on that dairy farm my whole life.

Eventually, my determination paid off. I got into college. Now, I no longer have to worry about my father’s voice yelling, “Stace, come out here! We need help!” To be honest, I’m grateful. But at the same time, I also don’t have a compelling reason to be up in time to see the beauty of a sunrise. Nor do I have the opportunity to dance with my sister in the dairy barn, work side-by-side with my dad and hear the old stories.

Now, there are whole stretches of days when I don’t feel any pressing need to even go outside. And I can go months without petting an animal or watching in amazement at their keen sense of the environment around them. Instead, I have neighbors within shouting distance but who feel like they live a planet away.

Eighteen years I lived my life on that dairy, not really knowing there were people who didn’t get up and go out and work together to get the same overwhelming tasks done day after day. Sometimes I wish I had never found out there were.

1. What did the author come to understand on her first day working on the farm?

A．She couldn’t manage so much work.

B．Her parents sacrificed a lot for her family.

C．The tasks were dull and challenging.

D．The work was more demanding than expected.

2. What motivated the author to pursue further education?

A．Lack of opportunities on the farm.

B．A passion for academic study.

C．Her dissatisfaction with farm life.

D．Encouragement from her parents.

3. How does the author feel about her life now?

A．Mixed.	B．Regretful.
C．Content.	D．Relieved.

4. What can we infer about the author from the last paragraph?

A．She has become tired of her daily routine.

B．She misses the connections she had before.

C．She regrets leaving her family behind.

D．She has lost interest in the beauty of nature.

8 . 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。

Baiyang Lake, also known as Lake Baiyangdian, is located in the Xiong’an New Area of Baoding. As the largest freshwater lake in North China, it has gained     1     (recognize) as the “Pearl of North China” due to its breathtaking scenery and unique ecological functions. It is referred to     2     the Kidney of North China.

The old Chinese movie “Zhang Ga, the Soldier Boy” is famous for the lake     3     Zhang Ga lived. With the beautiful lotus, flourishing reeds and plenty of fish. Lake Baiyangdian is     4     (precise) like that lake.

    5     (serve) as a crucial waterway, Baiyangdian Lake occupies an import ant location in the ancient basin of the North China Plain. Throughout the Northern Song Dynasty, the imperial court continually     6     (expand) the marshlands, resulting in the formation of a winding “Water Great Wall.” Over time, Baiyangdian Lake     7     (remain) steadfast (不变的) in fulfilling crucial ecological roles from storing floodwater to regulating the climate.

However, the lake almost dried out because of climate change from 1983 to 1988. Local governments launched 26 rehabilitation projects in 2005     8     (restore) and improve Lake Baiyangdian’s ecological environment. Now, the beauty of Lake Baiyangdian resembles the one     9     (describe) in “Zhang Ga, the Soldier Boy”, attracting visitors who hope to take     10     glance at the vivid lotus, flourishing reeds and the clear lake water.

10 . The horse-face skirt, or mamianqun in Chinese, is receiving renewed attention on the fashion stage.

Far from being photoshoot prop, wearing the horse-face skirt has become almost trend among many Chinese celebrities and influencers for various international social occasions. On Douyin, China’s TikTok, individuals who sport the horse-face skirt on city streets in Paris and other international cities can easily gain millions of likes. A popular blogger on Xiaohongshu appeared on a British television program to discuss the development of the English Premier League in China while wearing a horse-face skirt.

From its first appearance during the Song Dynasty to becoming a standout representation of Chinese clothing, mamianqun has crossed nearly a millennium of history. In the current trend of traditional Chinese clothing reconstruction, how has the horse-face skirt stood out to become the most famous clothing?

Mao Zhaoxi, who is a hanfu enthusiast, told the Global Times that Hanfu is the external demonstration of culture, integrating the life philosophies, values, and aesthetic (美学) views formed and inherited (继承) by the Chinese people generation after generation. She said, “Many young people believe that the horse-face skirt is not just a fashion item, but also a cultural symbol. This shows the awakening of traditional aesthetic genes among the younger generations, indicating that the confidence in our own culture is constantly increasing.”

Moreover, Hu Xiao, one of the founders of the ancient Chinese costumes restoration team, analyzed one main reason of this phenomenon lies in the fact that the horse-face skirt has managed to remain relevant, never falling out of fashion. “Many people thought the horse-face skirt had disappeared for a while, but in fact, Chinese brides can always be seen in the costume of mamianqun.” The horse-face skirt possesses a strong sense of inheritance while also possessing fashionable features. This perhaps is the cultural DNA that enables it to become a fashion item.

The momentum (潮流) of Chinese-style clothing has begun, and how to lead the trend of Chinese-style clothing through design and how to stay at the forefront of the national trend is an issue that will not disappear in a short time.

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

A．Compete.

B．Display.

C．Exercise.

D．Decorate.

2. What can be learned from the text?

A．Horse-face skirts are Chinese clothing with a long history.

B．Horse-face skirts had become fashionable in Song Dynasty.

C．Horse-face skirts have been the main clothing for a millennium.

D．Horse-face skirts are leading the clothing design around the world.

3. Which of the following best describes the impact of the horse-face skirt?

A．It develops everyone’s aesthetic and philosophy view.

B．It represents the ancient Chinese costumes and life.

C．It wakens the young to love their own traditional culture.

D．It demonstrates the importance of Chinese-style clothing.

4. How does the author consider the future development of Chinese-style clothing?

A．Good beginning and it will lead the world fashion.

B．Good beginning and it will fall into the disfavors.

C．Good beginning and it will own fashionable DNA.

D．Good beginning and it will have a long way to go.