1 . It was so thoughtful. My daughter gave me an address book for my birthday. She knows the one I have is worn. The gift is lovely; the cover is colourful; the pages are creamy white. But I don’t feel free to use this gift; I’m tied to my old book.
My address book tells stories, not only my own but also my friends’. My friends came and went. Some friends married each other and I combined them with lines. Children’s names were added one by one above their parents’. Some got their own addresses as they moved out. I turn the page and see the addresses of a dead friend. I never cross them out. I want their name there. I don’t want to forget.
This book has my family stories, especially the addresses of my loved ones who’ve died. I can picture their houses in detail－the feel of the crocheted doilies on grandma`s coffee table, the cupboard under Uncle Ed`s staircase(perfect for hiding from the other cousins), the clean smell of Aunt Lily`s living room.
Maybe it’s time for being smart and stylish. I can keep this old one in the attic, after all.
“Don’t you have all that on your phone?” my daughter asked me once when she saw me thumbing through my address book. And yes, I do have some of the contact information there, too. I admit, having it on a device is super handy. My daughter’s generation doesn’t use address books. But changing addresses on a phone is so permanent; the old address is wiped out without a trace. You don’t see the person any more? Press delete. It’s like they were never there.
The old address book sits on top of the new one, for now. But my new address book whispers a story of new possibilities, leaving space for friends who I don’t know yet. I’ll get to it. It’s just a matter of time.
1. Why doesn’t the author feel free to use her birthday gift?| A．She thought it too precious. | B．She was too old to use it. |
| C．She lived an economical life. | D．She was attached to her old book. |
| A．The stories her address book tells. | B．The ups and downs of her life. |
| C．The changes she has experienced. | D．The coming and going of her friends. |
| A．It serves as a valuable antique. | B．It often gives her endless happiness. |
| C．It is a way of keeping memories. | D．It always reminds her of her family. |
| A．Thoughtful and thankful. | B．Conservative and cautious. |
| C．Smart and stylish. | D．Affectionate and emotional. |
Did you ever imagine that one day we could enjoy the benefits of Traditional Chinese Medicine in a cup of coffee?
Traditional Chinese Medicine, or TCM, is
But if you ask younger generations of Chinese, few visit TCM shops nowadays, let alone brew these time-tested remedies for
The concept of combining TCM herbs
As Traditional Chinese Medicine becomes more
3 . Recently I was very busy and I needed a timeout. So I decided to drive to the supermarket and pick up dinner instead of doing my usual
In the supermarket, I took fat and juicy chicken and some warm cornbread. As the cashier began processing my items, I
When I approached home, as I
| A．walking | B．cooking | C．shopping | D．teaching |
| A．reached into | B．stared at | C．put aside | D．watched over |
| A．anger | B．amazement | C．satisfaction | D．embarrassment |
| A．clear | B．show | C．pack | D．return |
| A．bought | B．put | C．took | D．ate |
| A．enjoy | B．prepare | C．donate | D．deliver |
| A．appreciate | B．withdraw | C．decline | D．ensure |
| A．looked at | B．picked up | C．showed off | D．put away |
| A．courage | B．generosity | C．faith | D．bravery |
| A．hurriedly | B．curiously | C．hesitantly | D．sincerely |
| A．searched | B．dug | C．crashed | D．pulled |
| A．regretful | B．excited | C．nervous | D．energetic |
| A．efforts | B．talent | C．guidance | D．goods |
| A．sent | B．drove | C．waved | D．turned |
| A．appetite | B．deal | C．fortune | D．reputation |
4 . Making day-to-day activities more intense for a few minutes — such as briefly stepping up the pace of a walk — could offer people who don’t exercise some of the health benefits that exercisers enjoy, according to a new study of roughly 25, 000 adults who reported no exercise in their free time.
Those who include three one- to two-minute bursts of intense activity per day saw a nearly a 40 percent drop in the risk of death from any cause compared with those without such activity. The risk of death from cancer also fell by nearly 40 percent, and the risk of death from cardiovascular (心血管的) disease dropped almost 50 percent, researchers report online December 8 in Nature Medicine.
“This study adds to other literature showing that even short amounts of activity are beneficial,” says Lisa Cadmus-Bertram, a physical activity epidemiologist (流行病学家) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “So many people are daunted by feeling that they don’t have the time, money, motivation, transportation, etc. togo to a gym regularly or work out for long periods of time,” she says. “The message we can take is that it is absolutely worth doing what you can.”
The researchers were looking for bursts of intense activity that met a definition determined in a laboratory study, like reaching at least 77 percent of maximum heart rate and at least 64 percent of maximum oxygen consumption. In real life, the signs that someone has reached the needed intensity level are “an increase in heart rate and feeling out of breath” in the first 15 to 30 seconds of an activity, Stamatakis says.
Regular daily activities offer several opportunities for these bursts, he says. “The simplest one is maximizing walking pace for a minute or two during any regular walk.” Other options, he says, include carrying grocery bags to the car or taking the stairs. “The largest population health gains will be realized by finding ways to get the least physically active people to move a little more.”
1. What was found about intense activity in the new study?| A．It helped to lower the risk of death. |
| B．It was more beneficial to exercisers. |
| C．It relieved the pain of cancer patients. |
| D．It cured people of cardiovascular disease. |
| A．Inspired. |
| B．Surprised. |
| C．Discouraged. |
| D．Confused. |
| A．Working out every day. |
| B．Taking stairs at an even pace. |
| C．Keeping running at a high speed. |
| D．Adding short bursts to a regular walk. |
| A．The Simplest Daily Exercise Activities |
| B．Brief Intense Activities Can Be Helpful |
| C．The Guidance on Brief Intense Activities |
| D．Regular Exercise Is Necessary for Everyone |
5 . Aasritha Duriseti recently noticed her grandmother’s difficulty opening a bottle cap. Fortunately, she found a solution in her eighth-grade engineering class at Carson Middle School in Herndon, Virginia, whose assignment was to adapt existing products to make daily life easier for people with challenges.
Aasritha’s creativity kicked in as she researched existing bottle-opening devices. She used a piece of wood shaped like a cellphone and put three holes on it, each in different sizes and lined with a layer of dried, sticky hot glue, which provided firm grips (防滑力) for common bottle caps. With a simple twisting (拧) motion, her grandmother could open bottles without assistance.
“Students in the class used more than their math, physics and tool skills. They also learned to look at problems from another’s point of view,” said Teacher Mark Bolt, “Engineers need to put themselves in their product users’ shoes to build effective solutions.”
Other students in the class also showed sensitivity as they watched friends and family struggle with daily tasks.
Michael Kuwashima noticed how dyslexia—a reading disorder that the brain tends to confuse the order of numbers, letters and other images-made it difficult for a friend to follow along on pages full of text. Therefore, Michael created a small adjustable window-blind-style device. “My friend could isolate (分离) small sections of text while reading,” he said.
Arjan Garg focused on a different problem. Sometimes putting on clothes can be hard for people with a limited range of motion. Arjan created a “dressing stick” using four wood sticks of different sizes to fit different clothing.
The students tried different versions of their products along the way to make the best one to show the class.
Rather than requiring step-by-step directions for creating their projects, Bolt preferred to leave students’ creative paths open. “If we want to do better, we have to have a chance to fail,” he said.
1. Why did Aasritha create a new bottle-opening device?| A．She hoped to get a higher score. |
| B．She was interested in engineering. |
| C．She had difficulty opening bottle caps. |
| D．She wanted to help her grandmother. |
| A．Working with others. |
| B．Conducting field experiments. |
| C．Understanding others’ feelings. |
| D．Communicating with product users. |
| A．With the aid of a guidebook. |
| B．Through trial and error. |
| C．With the help of classmates. |
| D．Under the detailed instruction. |
| A．An inspiring class. |
| B．An excellent teacher. |
| C．Some scientific methods. |
| D．Some talented students. |
6 . Traveling itself is an experience hard to be described in words.
Having grown up and lived all my life in a single place, I had a small set of friends since my school days which continued till my college days.
I totally agree that traveling with family and friends is fun and enjoying. But traveling alone is satisfying too. It’s among those few things that you do for yourself and nobody else.
| A．I want to experience more. |
| B．But all this changed with my first solo trip. |
| C．I never thought I would travel alone in my life. |
| D．I was so scared when I went to school first time. |
| E．Every journey prepares you for the journey of life. |
| F．The farther you travel, the more independent you become. |
| G．After all you need to take care of yourself a bit too at times. |
It is well known that aero(航空) sports have been popular in the US, New Zealand and other countries for years. China’s Hainan is famous for its natural
Aero sports, including items such as skydiving and hot air ballooning,
With the
8 . Born in 1940 in Nyeri, Kenya, Wangari Maathai spent her childhood in the Kenyan countryside and her young adult life in the United States. She studied biology at Mount St. Scholastica College in Kansas, then obtained a master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh. After returning to Kenya and pursuing her PhD at the University of Nairobi, Wangari became the first woman in East Africa to receive a doctor’s degree.
In the 1970s Wangari was an active member of the National Council of Women of Kenya. Women came to the council in part to search for solutions to the environmental problems—deforestation and desertification had caused many of the resources women relied on for food and clean water to decrease.
Fuelled by her knowledge of biology and her passion for helping others, Wangari decided to take action. Wangari had two goals in mind: to help restore environmental resources and give women the ability to support their families in a self-sufficient, sustainable way. To achieve her goals, she came up with a practical but impactful idea: to plant trees. The trees would reduce the effects of deforestation, in addition to providing food and firewood for local families. Wangari’s plan inspired the formation of the Green Belt Movement in 1977, an organisation dedicated to environmental conservation and poverty reduction in Kenya.
As the Green Belt Movement grew, Wangari began to focus on several different but interconnected causes: environmental conservation and human rights. In the late 1980s, she called on her community to oppose the construction of a skyscraper (摩天大楼) in Uhuru Park, Nairobi’s central public space. In 1999 she led a protest against the privatisation of Karura Forest in Nairobi, during which Green Belt Movement members were beaten by private guards. Despite facing ongoing opposition and even danger, Wangari’s belief in her work was never shaken.
Wangari served on the boards of countless environmental organisations, and spoke to members of the United Nations. Due to her tireless work Wangari received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004.
1. What do we know about Wangari Maathai?| A．She had a hard childhood in Kenya. |
| B．She acquired an excellent education. |
| C．She was the first woman to get a degree. |
| D．She came back to Kenya due to her colour. |
| A．Wangar’s family’s support. |
| B．Wangari’s achievements in biology. |
| C．Wangari’s tree-planting idea. |
| D．Wangari’s desire to fight world poverty. |
| A．Wangari’s efforts to expand her influence. |
| B．Wangari’s ways to fight for human rights. |
| C．Wangar’s strategies to establish a reputation. |
| D．Wangari’s plans to handle growing opposition. |
| A．Honest and hard-working. | B．Patient and unselfish. |
| C．Considerate and generous. | D．Determined and inspiring. |
9 . As AI grows more sophisticated and widespread, the voices warming against the potential dangers of artificial intelligence grow louder. “The development of artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race,” according to Stephen Hawking.
Job losses due to AI automation
AI-powered job automation is a pressing concern as the technology is adopted in industries like marketing, manufacturing and healthcare. Eighty-five million jobs are expected to be lost to automation between 2020 and 2025.
Social control through AI algorithms (算法)
TikTok runs on an AI algorithm that fill a user’s feed with content related to previous media they’ve viewed on the platform. Criticism of the app targets this process and the algorithm’s failure to filter out harmful and inaccurate content, raising doubts over Tik Tok, ability to protect its users from dangerous and misleading media.
Blue-collar workers have experienced wage declines as high as 70 percent because of automation. On the other hand, white-collar workers have remained largely untouched. From this sense, if the trend continues, the existing social and economic gaps between different races and classes will be further widened. Weakening ethics and goodwill If mankind’s so-called technological progress were to become an enemy of the common good, this would lead to a heavy blow to modern civilization. The rapid rise of the conversational AI tool ChatGPT gives these concerns more substance. Many users have applied the technology to get out of writing assignments.
| A．This fear has become a reality |
| B．Widening socioeconomic inequality |
| C．Financial crisis brought about by AI |
| D．No one knows what’s real and what’s not |
| E．It threatens academic integrity and creativity |
| F．The famous theoretical physicist isn’t alone with this thought |
| G．As AI robots become smarter, the same tasks will require fewer humans |
10 . Top Exhibitions to See in London in 2023
Architectural: Vanishing Points
While we like to think of architecture existing purely in the real world, emerging designers and architects are using platforms like Instagram to create structures in the virtual world. This collection of works, which range from the practical to the fantastical, are all by architects who have gathered significant social media followings.
In the Digital Universe at ROCA London. 8 February—31 July, free.
Flowery: Orchids
This annual festival is back in bloom (开花), this time inspired by the beauty and biodiversity of Cameroon. Just like previous years, the orchids are spread throughout the various zones of the Princess of Wales conservatory and accompanied by sculptures that are just as colourful as the flowers on display.
At Kew Gardens. 4 February —5 March, &16.50—entrance to the gardens included.
Female Abstraction: Action, Gesture, Paint
Art history has often shone a light on the men of Abstract Expressionism, such as Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko. Well, now’s the time to let the most important women of the movement take the limelight in an exhibition that includes works by American artists such as Lee Krasner and Helen Frankenthaler, but spreads the net wider to include the female abstract artists from Europe, Asia and the wider world, with whom most of us will be unfamiliar.
At Whitechapel Gallery. 9 February—7 May, £ 16.50—concessions available.
Powerful Portraits (肖像): Alice Neel
The largest UK exhibition to date of American painter Alice Neel’s work will bring together her figurative pieces from across her 60-year career. Neel went against the popular grain by painting figures when abstract works were most popular, and she painted subjects that other artists ignored — pregnant women, labour leaders, black children, civil rights activists and strange performers. It’s high time we had a major show of her work in London, and the Barbican has duly provided.
At Barbican Art Gallery. 16 February—21 May, & 18.
1. Which of the following exhibitions is held once a year?| A．Flowery: Orchids. |
| B．Powerful Portraits: Alice Neel. |
| C．Architectural: Vanishing Points. |
| D．Female Abstraction: Action, Gesture, Paint. |
| A．On February 8. | B．On January 7. | C．On April 7. | D．On May 8. |
| A．She is 60 years old now. |
| B．Her works didn’t follow the trend. |
| C．She often ignored some common subjects. |
| D．She is the most popular American painter in the UK. |
