1 . When it comes to popular symbols of marriage, one can not look past the wedding ring. The wedding ring serves as a perfect symbol of everlasting love — a ring is a circle and thus has no beginning or end, representing the never-ending union of marriage. Wedding rings have long and rich histories.
Evidence suggests that wedding rings were used in ancient Egypt around 6,000 years ago. However, unlike the metals and gemstones used today, they were crafted from materials such as reeds, leather or bone. In the centuries that followed, the wedding ring tradition was picked up in the West, where it spread first in ancient Rome and Greece, subsequently throughout Europe during the Middle Ages and eventually to Eastern culture. Throughout history, the circular shape of the ring has endured, and so has the tradition of wearing it on the fourth finger of the left hand. The latter practice stemmed from an ancient belief that a vein ran directly from this finger to the heart. Although this belief has since been proved false, the custom has persisted.
Regarding customs surrounding wedding rings, there was a time when only the bride wore a wedding ring. It wasn’t until the early 20th century that the practice of grooms wearing rings gained popularity. This change was influenced by soldiers going off to war, who wore rings as reminders of their loved ones waiting for them at home. Today, the exchange of wedding rings remains an integral part of the wedding ceremony, symbolizing the commitment and love shared between two individuals embarking on a life together.
Wedding rings hold a symbolic significance that binds the two members of a married couple. In an ever-changing world, the wedding ring stands as an ancient tradition that is likely to continue for generations to come, reflecting the timeless and eternal love celebrated through marriage.
1. What is the main reason wedding rings are considered symbols of marriage?| A．They are made of precious materials. | B．They have profound histories. |
| C．They are worn on left hands. | D．They have circular shapes. |
| A．Women were wearing wedding rings long before men were. |
| B．One finger on the left hand contains a vein leading to the heart. |
| C．Both ancient Romans and Egyptians wore the ring on the same finger. |
| D．The wedding ring tradition began in Egypt thousands of years ago. |
| A．How the tradition of it spread around the world. |
| B．What couples do with their wedding rings. |
| C．How to choose suitable wedding rings. |
| D．Materials used to make early rings. |
| A．It will most likely last forever. | B．It has already fallen out of date. |
| C．It should be taken more seriously. | D．It holds no significance in modern society. |
2 . One single night every January, volunteers all over America search parks, woodlands and pavements to count those without shelter. After seeing their own figures for homelessness increase by 20%between 2022 and early 2023. Jersey officials were shocked into action. Officials spent more on rental assistance for those at risk of becoming homeless. More services for people living rough have led to a rise in sheltered homelessness. The state also gathers real time data. In November New Jersey’s Office of Homelessness Prevention released its own figures , showing unsheltered homelessness falling across the state by 23% year on year.
Newark, New Jersey’s largest city and home to the state’s largest homeless population, recorded a 58% reduction in unsheltered homelessness since the start of the year due to the government’s financial support to reduce street homelessness, improve the shelter system and expand housing and prevention services.
Luis Ulerio, the director of Newark’s Office of Homeless Services, says “there’s just been a lot of hard work behind that number.” Mr. Baraka, the mayor (市长)，converted a local primary school into a 166-bed facility. He built temporary housing out of shipping containers. A second cluster (群) of containers with supportive services, called Hope Village II, will open soon. The containers have been altered to look like little cottages. A third cluster is in the works Mr.Baraka wants to create a pipeline from shelters to transitional housing and then to getting long-term homeless people into permanent housing.
More services for people living rough have led to a rise in sheltered homelessness. The city also provides money for overdue rent to prevent homelessness. Beth Shinn of Vanderbilt University points out that it’s cheaper to give $ 200 to help make due rent for the poor than to pay thousands later. The city also relies on data , updated daily by those working with Newark’s homeless people. Real-time data is crucial , he says , in order to carry out interventions in state policy all on the frontline.
1. What can we learn about homelessness in New Jersey from paragraph 1?| A．It has greatly affected people’s lives. | B．Official efforts are lacking to address it. |
| C．Great progress has been made to ease it. | D．It is the most serious all over America. |
| A．He designed and built the Hope Village series for them. |
| B．He turned a school and shipping containers into o homes. |
| C．He joined a permanent pipeline to the homeless houses. |
| D．He led the volunteers to count people without shelter. |
| A．Extended. | B．Donated. | C．Distributed. | D．Changed. |
| A．Rent should be provided for the poor when it’s due. |
| B．No rent should be charged to stop overdue rent. |
| C．Real-time data should be in place to spot overdue rent. |
| D．A limit should be set to avoid large sum of overdue rent. |
3 . Cordero is the farm manager at Ollin Farms, not far from Boulder, Colorado. The locally grown vegetables on the farm aren’t just pretty. “We play an important role in public health nutrition programs,” says Cordero’s dad, Mark Guttridge, who started this farm with his wife, Kena, 17 years ago.
At a meeting with about a dozen local farmers, two state representatives, and the Colorado officials of agriculture, Guttridge explains how Boulder county has made creative investments in his farm that could be spread to the state or even national level. Before the meeting, Guttridge shows them one of those investments.
A dozen sheep, which Guttridge raises for wool, feed on root vegetables like radishes that have been leftover for them. “So these guys are out fertilizing the vegetable field,” Guttridge laughs. “They’ll be out here a couple more weeks, and then we’ll get our next summer vegetables planted right there.” Around the field is a special moveable type of fencing that Ollin Farms bought using financial aid from the Boulder County Sustainability Office. It allows them to move the sheep from one field to another, fertilizing as they go. The goal of these investments is “really building up our soil health,” he explains. “That relates directly to the nutrient quality of the food-healthy soil grows healthy food.”
The county also makes an effort to get that healthy food out to different communities to boost public health. That’s where the Boulder County Public Health department comes in. It created a coupon program to give discounts to people buying fruits and vegetables from Ollin Farms. Nutrition incentive programs, like those public health fruit and vegetable coupons, are spreading all over the country, and most are funded through the federal farm bill. Amy Yaroch, executive director at the Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition, says “It’s a trip le win. It’s basically good for the consumers who live in that particular community because they’re getting the healthy food, it’s good for the farmer, and then it’s good for the economy.”
1. What does Ollin Farms do?| A．It makes public nutrition health plans. |
| B．It offers financial aid to other farms. |
| C．It provides cheap food to the local community. |
| D．It grows fruits and vegetables rich in nutrition. |
| A．By raising sheep on radishes. | B．By buying fences for farmhouses. |
| C．By funding the farm’s soil health. | D．By giving advice about fertilizing fields. |
| A．Cautious. | B．Dismissive. | C．Unclear. | D．Approving. |
| A．Couponing for Health: Stimulating Nutrition Choices |
| B．Growing Health: Innovations in Farm and Public Health Initiatives |
| C．Fertile Fields and Furry Friends: A Farming Fairy Tale |
| D．Local Produce, Global Impact: The Nutrition Choices of Ollin Farms |
4 . Intelligence (AI) is showing promise in earthquake prediction, challenging the long-held belief that it is impossible. Researchers at the University of Texas, Austin, have developed an AI algorithm (算法) that correctly predicted 70% of earthquakes a week in advance during a trial in China and provided accurate strength calculations for the predicted earthquakes.
The research team believes their method succeeded because they stuck with a relatively simple machine learning approach. The AI was provided with a set of statistical features based on the team’s knowledge of earthquake physics, and then instructed to train itself using a five-year database of earthquake recordings. Once trained, the AI provided its prediction by listening for signs of incoming earthquakes within the background rumblings (隆隆声) in the Earth.
This work is clearly a milestone in research for AI-driven earthquake prediction. “You don’t see earthquakes coming,” explains Alexandros Savvaidis, a senior research scientist who leads the Texas Seismological Network Program (TexNet). “It’s a matter of milliseconds, and the only thing you can control is how prepared you are. Even with the 70% accuracy, that’s a huge result and could help minimize economic and human losses and has the potential to remarkably improve earthquake preparation worldwide.”
While it is unknown whether the same approach will work at other locations, the researchers are confident that their AI algorithm could produce more accurate predictions if used in areas with reliable earthquake tracking networks. The next step is to test artificial intelligence in Texas, since UT’s Bureau TexNet has 300 earthquake stations and over six years worth of continuous records, making it an ideal location for these purposes.
Eventually, the authors hope to combine the system with physics-based models. This strategy could prove especially important where data is poor or lacking. “That may be a long way off, but many advances such as this one, taken together, are what moves science forward,” concludes Scott Tinker, the bureau’s director.
1. What can be concluded from the passage?| A．AI can predict the earthquake entirely accurately. |
| B．The researchers have used a complex machine learning approach. |
| C．AI forecast earthquakes by analyzing background sounds in the Earth. |
| D．The researchers have combined statistical features with physics-based models. |
| A．Applying the AI to other fields. |
| B．Conducting tests in different locations |
| C．Building more earthquake stations in Texas. |
| D．Enlarging the database to train the calculation accuracy. |
| A．reliable but outdated. | B．Effective but expensive. |
| C．Potential and cost-effective. | D．groundbreaking and promising. |
| A．To discuss the limitations of the AI algorithm. |
| B．To highlight the challenges of earthquake prediction. |
| C．To promote the University of Texas’s research program. |
| D．To inform the advancements in AI-driven earthquake forecasting. |
5 . When I first heard about the improv (即兴表演) classes, I was hesitant. As an introvert, I
During our first class, we learned a core
I got a
That training proved
Our job as scientists isn’t to generate data that support a preconceived (预想的) story. If the data say rhinos are librarians, then it’s worth
| A．forced | B．inspired | C．expected | D．feared |
| A．perfect | B．typical | C．regular | D．casual |
| A．trend | B．evidence | C．case | D．concept |
| A．logic | B．answer | C．option | D．credit |
| A．copy | B．range | C．taste | D．variety |
| A．threw away | B．spun out | C．wiped out | D．picked up |
| A．apparently | B．gradually | C．gratefully | D．eventually |
| A．continued | B．abandoned | C．preserved | D．released |
| A．followed | B．silenced | C．recalled | D．declined |
| A．applying | B．relating | C．leading | D．devoting |
| A．familiar | B．basic | C．handy | D．risky |
| A．embarrassed | B．confused | C．bored | D．discouraged |
| A．exploring | B．tracking | C．presenting | D．recording |
| A．provided | B．gathered | C．accepted | D．desired |
| A．addressing | B．investigating | C．developing | D．promoting |
6 . Have you ever had the feeling that you can’t think when there is too much noise around? Did you ever think a fish could experience that feeling too? A recent paper published in Science titled “Soundscape (声景) of the Anthropocene Oceans”, combined over 10,000 scientific papers, confirming that undersea life knows that exact same feeling, more often than not. Anthropogenic (人为的) ocean noise, also known as underwater noise pollution, has created a dramatic impact on marine life due to “human-caused” activity within and neighboring our oceans.
Disney Pixar’s animated film Finding Nemo educated us about the ocean, and specifically within the ordinary world of a clown fish. A fact many may not know is that clown fish spend the first part of their lives as larvae, drifting with the current of the ocean until they become strong enough to swim against it. Once they are powerful and strong, they head home in sheltered coral reefs. There is only one drawback — the fish can’t physically see the reef, but they can hear it. The only problem is, if they can’t hear it, will they ever make it home?
Our anthropogenic ocean noise, such as cargo ships, ship and boat propellers, surfing, deep sea mining, etc. are causing destruction of marine life. According to Time, sound is the sensory signal that travels the farthest through the ocean. Anthropogenic noise drowns out the natural soundscapes, putting marine life under immense stress. Altogether, this stress then affects their general health, disrupts their behavior, physiology, reproduction and, in extreme cases, causes death. Marine life can adapt to noise pollution, however, only if they can escape it. This only renders further complications of straying (使偏离) species from their traditional breeding regions or separating them from their families.
Now, what if we told you there is already a solution? Multiple remedies, ideas and designs are currently in the works or already exist to eliminate and reverse the damage of anthropogenic ocean noise. As Time explains, from wind-powered ships to noise-reducing propellers, floating wind turbines and “bubble curtains” that muffle construction noise, the solutions are already available and in some cases, cost-effective. The authors of the paper hope it will catch the attention of policymakers, who historically speaking, have ignored the matter still to this day.
Of all the challenges ocean creatures are battling, luckily sound pollution is the easiest compromise humans can make. Once the noise has decreased, marine life will be able to better manage everything else it is up against.
1. How does anthropogenic ocean noise affect clown fish?| A．It improves their reproduction rates. |
| B．It promotes their better development. |
| C．It hinders them from finding their home. |
| D．It causes them to give up their migration in the ocean. |
| A．leads to | B．decides on | C．holds back | D．results from |
| A．The application of relevant laws | B．The use of noise control technology. |
| C．The restriction of human activities. | D．The attention of local policymakers. |
| A．The beauty of marine ecosystems. |
| B．The urgent need for ocean conservation. |
| C．The impact of climate change on ocean noise. |
| D．The harmful effects of human-generated ocean noise. |
7 . I was born missing my left arm. And while there really wasn’t anything I couldn’t do, it felt like an obvious disadvantage in a world desiring perfection. In 1986, at 18 months, I was fitted with a prosthetic (假肢的) device, a decision made by my parents so that I would mix in and develop “normally”.
I spent my entire childhood trying to fit in. I did just about anything to ease the special pain of the stares and hurtful jokes from my classmates. I wore long sleeves and did whatever I needed to do to become invisible. By the time I was 8 years old, I had no self-confidence, and the hand I was wearing was making it harder and harder for me to fit in. So I decided I was better off without one. I didn’t need anyone to fix me, because I wasn’t broken.
One of the most obvious ways for me to prove that I wasn’t going to be limited by my disability was through movement. I developed a love for sports, in particular swimming. I felt free and excited when I powered through the water. I was selected to join my first Australian swimming team at age 13, and I successfully represented my country for eight years. I realized I’d made a name for myself because of my disability-not in spite of it.
I taught myself how to be comfortable in a society filled with insecurities. So when I was first contacted in 2021 by Simon Pollard, whose company Covvi was on a mission to create the world’s most advanced bionic (仿生) hand, I was a bit surprised. He asked me to try the hand and, if I was comfortable with the idea, to become a patient advocate. Through sharing my journey, I’m able to reach thousands of other people who would benefit from its extraordinary capabilities. That’s why I wear a bionic hand—not because I’m broken, but because I have an opportunity to enhance the human capabilities that already exist.
1. What was the author’s early childhood probably like?| A．He struggled to do well in study. | B．He did well with the prosthetic hand. |
| C．He suffered a lot from unkind treatment. | D．He received acceptance among his classmates. |
| A．To make him known. | B．To join his classmates for fun. |
| C．To satisfy his parents’ expectations. | D．To boost confidence and gain happiness. |
| A．Encouraging. | B．Surprising. | C．Successful. | D．Stressful. |
| A．Embrace change and adaptability. | B．Communication and teamwork lead to success. |
| C．Experience comes from having unstoppable trials. | D．Turn your uniqueness into your greatest strength. |
8 . Every mountain has a peak. Every valley has its
You may not be able to control the times, but you can
The positive solution to a problem is that you need courage to
In the final analysis, the reason why the tough people can
| A．high | B．low | C．shallow | D．deep |
| A．Ups and downs | B．twists and turns | C．odds and ends | D．twos and threes |
| A．end | B．rise | C．raise | D．interrupt |
| A．release | B．hide | C．hold | D．value |
| A．complaint | B．spell | C．note | D．memory |
| A．identify | B．attempt | C．choose | D．consider |
| A．address | B．assess | C．access | D．aid |
| A．apparently | B．obviously | C．abruptly | D．seemingly |
| A．cause | B．process | C．impact | D．result |
| A．bottom line | B．safety rule | C．comfort zone | D．top secret |
| A．clever | B．intelligent | C．wild | D．delicate |
| A．save | B．survive | C．benefit | D．live |
| A．put | B．cut | C．stick | D．stress |
| A．temporary | B．permanent | C．reliable | D．constant |
| A．hold on to | B．live up to | C．go back to | D．give way to |
9 . For rescued dogs to get adopted, they need to stand out from the pack. One teenage boy, Darius Brown, has made it his mission to make sure they do —and he does it by providing these dogs with many adorable bow ties (领结) that he sews himself.
Darius Brown’s sister, Dazhai, taught him to sew when he was 8. The youngster’s first project, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle-themed bow tie, proved popular with his peers.
According to his mom, Joy, her son’s new passion was something of a godsend. Diagnosed at an early age with speech and fine-motor skill disorders, she noticed Darius’s abilities steadily improve as he painstakingly pursued his new craft. “He was so determined. He sat and watched Dazhai for months and took it all in,” Joy told The Washington Post. “He started out cutting fabric and pretty soon, he was running the sewing machine by himself.”
When Darius learned about all the family pets left homeless by Hurricane Irma in 2017, he was inspired to use his emerging talent in helping them get adopted. He soon delivered his first batch of 25 rescue bow ties to New York City’s ASPCA animal shelter, which had become a refuge (避难所) for large numbers of dogs and cats displaced by Irma.
“I saw how happy the people at the shelter were to get the bow ties and how much the dogs liked them, and I decided to make more,” he said. “I came up with a goal to give bow ties to an animal shelter in every state.”
With a little help from his mom, Darius brought his Beaux and Paws brand to life on Facebook and Instagram. The Browns also set up a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for Darius’s sewing supplies. As demand for his “collarful” wares grew, Darius also broadened his operations by starting up his own entrepreneurial website, Sir Darius Brown.
1. How did Darius Brown’s sister help him learn to sew bow ties?| A．By teaching him in person. | B．By asking others to teach him. |
| C．By gifting him a sewing book. | D．By buying him a sewing machine. |
| A．To earn money. |
| B．To realize his dream. |
| C．To help homeless animals get adopted. |
| D．To become a famous fashion designer. |
| A．Darius had a talent for learning languages. |
| B．Darius’ mother assisted him in establishing his brand. |
| C．A GoFundMe campaign was set up to help the homeless dogs. |
| D．The Browns built ASPCA animal shelters as a refuge for dogs and cats. |
| A．Animals Compete to Find an Owner. |
| B．A Boy Brings New Lives to Homeless Dogs. |
| C．A Family Adopt s Animals with Disabilities. |
| D．Pets in Disasters Need an Animal Shelter to live. |
Ridoy, a 12-year-old boy, lived a carefree life under good care of his mom and dad. Just like any other boy of his age, he often lost his temper with his parents. Sometimes he obeyed what they said, but sometimes he would completely ignore them. For example, one day, Ridoy’s mom needed to go shopping for some ingredients for cooking and she asked Ridoy to help look after his one-year-old sister. But Ridoy just blurted “no way”, slapped the door and locked himself into his bedroom. There was another time when Ridoy’s dad urgently needed Ridoy to fetch a pair of fliers for him when he was fixing his bike. Ridoy just refused without thinking. But Ridoy’s parents did not worry a lot since this was very common in kids.
It was an unexpected holiday announced by the school of Ridoy and he had a five-day holiday. For the first two days, he spent a good time with his mother. She took him for outings. They went to the beach and amusement parks, and had delicious dining. She cooked his favorite foods and played with him. Three days were left and Ridoy’s mother wanted to clean the house, which she intended to involve Ridoy in. To her surprise, he accepted without hesitation. With the help of Ridoy, the house instantly became very tidy and the floor shone like a mirror. Everything she asked him to do during the three days was done to perfection. Although she was astonished by his behavior, a delicious sweetness well up in Ridoy’s mom’s heart.
While she was cooking the dinner meal on the fifth day, Ridoy gave her a piece of paper written by him. Since his mom was busy cooking, she asked him to place the paper on the dining table. After cooking the meals, she took the paper left by his son. The piece of paper contained the following list:
Cutting grass in the garden -$2
Cleaning the house -$3;
Taking care of my sister -$3;
Removing the garbage -$ 2;
…
In total, you owe me $20
She was literally shocked,
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The boy was in tears when reading the paper.
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