Wandering sounds, irregular rhythms and a carrier of gentle emotions. This is the musical language of guqin, a plucked seven string instrument created in ancient China.
The earliest piece of guqin in China,
The guqin was favored by the literati in ancient China. The most renowned guqin
This deep understanding formed a strong bond between them,
2 . The only science fiction that ever really caught my attention when I was growing up, besides Star Trek and Robert Heinlein’s Stranger in a Strange Land, was the novel Contact by Carl Sagan. When I was 15, I saw the 1997 film version of this. Later, as a 17-year-old adapting to my first semester (学期) at university, I read the book. Contact eventually became the gateway for me to try more popular science books.
One thing that interested me was the bitter fights the researchers got into with one another about their different ways of measuring the expansion rate of spacetime. On second thoughts, maybe this was a lesson I was supposed to draw from Contact, but, at the time, I didn’t regard such politics as a scientist problem. Instead, what caught my attention was the portrayal of Eleanor “Ellie” Arroway, a scientist who searched for alien intelligence. In the film version, Ellie is seen listening to space using a pair of headphones connected to the Very Large Array (VLA)—a real facility in New Mexico.
Astronomers don’t really do this for the purposes of actual research because there is rarely any point. This is the kind of detail that is unimportant for the film of Contact, but how it portrays radio astronomy is one of the inaccuracies I occasionally hear scientists complain about. I was lucky enough to observe the behaviour of some water molecules (分子) in the Orion nebula (猎户座星云) using the VLA for my thirdyear lab course. We didn’t listen to the data. Instead, we processed it so that we could look at it.
That was probably the only time I ever excelled in the lab, and I was so excited to be a reallife Ellie Arroway. Later, I was forced to think more about the human aspects of my working experience. I witnessed unnecessarily heated arguments between scientists, complete with shouting and chalkboard punching (用拳猛击). But, thankfully, Contact had not only introduced me to the idea of radio astronomy as a possible career path, it had also given me a road map for remaining calm in the confused conflict of astronomical wonder and human politics.
1. What can be learned about the author in his teenage years?| A．He watched Contact’s film version in his freshman year. |
| B．His interest in science was inspired by Contact. |
| C．He read a wide range of science fiction books. |
| D．His favourite science fiction author was Robert Heinlein. |
| A．Detecting the sound of space. | B．Searching for alien intelligence. |
| C．Communicating with nonexperts. | D．Visiting the VLA in New Mexico. |
| A．To demonstrate his strong interest in lab projects. |
| B．To explain why scientists sometimes make complaints. |
| C．To show his observations had achieved positive results. |
| D．To prove the film of Contact presented radio astronomy incorrectly. |
| A．How to grasp career opportunities. |
| B．How to get an excellent score on a lab course. |
| C．How to deal with conflicts between scientists. |
| D．How to explain the science of radio astronomy. |
3 . While they can’t pick out precise numbers, animals can comprehend that more is, well, more. From birds to bees and wolves to frogs, animals use numbers to hunt, find a mate, return to their home, and more. Researchers believe that this ability, known as numerical competence, plays an important role in how animals make these decisions. Andreas Nieder, a biologist at the University of Tübingen, explores the current literature on how different animals comprehend numbers.
Honeybees, for instance, can remember the number of landmarks they pass when searching for food in order to find their way back home. This ability can also be seen in animals choosing a larger amount of food over a smaller amount or in animals forming hunting groups. Wolves are more likely to hunt successfully if they have the right number of wolves in their pack for their prey (猎物) with prey like elk (驼鹿), only around six to eight wolves are needed, while hunting wild pigs requires a pack of nine to thirteen. Their prey also uses this concept to protect themselves—elk tend to live in small groups, which rarely have encounters with wolves, or gather in large groups to reduce the chance of any individual becoming prey. “They are assessing the number of individuals in their groups for their everyday life situations,” Nieder says.
Furthermore, numerical competence also plays a role in attracting a mate. For example, male frogs sing “advertisement” calls to attract females. The females, listening to their complicated calls, choose the males that sing the most “chucks” in their calls.
Now researchers do have some sense of the rules that govern numerical competence in animals. For example, they count approximately (大概) rather than specifically and two numbers need to be more different for them to tell them apart as those numbers get bigger. However, Nieder argues that more research needs to be done. “I hope I can encourage behavioral ecologists to specifically explore numerical competence in the wild, and, in doing so, also open new research fields,” he says.
1. What do the examples of wolves and elk suggest about numerical competence?| A．It gives animals a reproduction benefit. | B．It affects animals’ chances of survival. |
| C．It is decided by animals’ hunting ability. | D．It develops well in social animals. |
| A．By listing figures. | B．By asking questions. |
| C．By giving examples. | D．By making comparisons. |
| A．Its fundamental rules. | B．Its appeal to behavioral ecologists. |
| C．Researchers in new study fields. | D．Expectations for further studies. |
| A．Animals’ understanding of numbers gives them an advantage |
| B．Numerical competence research achieves a breakthrough |
| C．Animals develop numerical competence? Never |
| D．Can many animals count? Better than you |
4 . As a child, I didn’t enjoy cartoons like other girls my age, but I did love listening to discussions about politics (政治). I was very talkative and asked too many questions, which wore out the patience of my friends and sometimes even the adults around me. My Grade 4 report summarized my social relations with “needs improvement”.
It wasn’t until I turned 46 that I learned my uniqueness has a name — autism (自闭症). My diagnosis (诊断) was like discovering a missing piece of my brain, picking it up, putting it in place and feeling whole for the first time. From then on, I started to fully enjoy life. What I’ve found out since is that there are a number of others like me — people who weren’t diagnosed as having autism until midlife.
In my 20s, I talked with a doctor about my growing anxiety. But autism never entered the conversation. In early 2017, I began a new job in which I was being praised and recognised as never before, so I didn’t know how to deal with it. As I neared the end of my one-year work, all the symptoms (症状) of my undiagnosed condition appeared in my working environment: becoming so stressed out because of overwork. Then, two months later, I received my diagnosis. Finally everything started to make sense.
Today, I have my own company called Liberty Co., which suggests that facing the facts brings us freedom. Our goal is to increase the population of people like me in the workplace. It gives me a chance to be a supporter for women with autism.
1. What do we know about the author as a child?| A．She was patient. | B．She was different. |
| C．She got good grades in school. | D．She tried to stand out from her classmates. |
| A．Thankful. | B．Concerned. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Dissatisfied. |
| A．No recognition from her co-workers. | B．Not seeing doctors very often. |
| C．The anxiety about her social relations. | D．The stress of her new job. |
| A．To support women’s equal rights. |
| B．To help people in the workplace connect more. |
| C．To include more autistic people at work. |
| D．To teach women with autism survival skills. |
5 . Physical weakness, lack of energy, severe hair loss, and pain in the neck, are more common among young people recently. More people are now turning to TCM for help, which stands for traditional Chinese medicine.
Wang Louda, 30, who works in the social media industry, has gained a new respect for TCM after suffering from cervical(颈椎) pain.
Six months ago, while driving home from work, Wang suddenly felt weakness in his left arm. He thought it was due to the hard work he was doing and that a good rest over the weekend would relieve it.
However, the situation worsened after a week. He had no choice but to go to the hospital for an examination, which showed something wrong with his cervical.
A friend recommended that he try acupuncture(针灸). After over a month of treatment with TCM, his pain had gradually disappeared.
“TCM is relatively gentle and suitable for treating chronic (慢性的) diseases,” Wang says.
Modern people, due to the endless use of mobile phones and computers, spend up to 10 hours a day sitting to study or work. This sedentary lifestyle, lacking in enough physical activity, means that the muscles and bones cannot receive enough relaxation and exercise, gradually leading to damage. Problems such as neck pain, shoulder pain, back pain, and leg pain are becoming increasingly common.
Yao Jingyi, who works at a TCM clinic in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, has been engaged in the clinic for over 30 years. He is skilled in treating sports injuries, cervical pain, and chronic diseases.
“Acupuncture is one of the treasures of traditional Chinese medicine,” Yao explains.
According to him, the ancient practice of acupuncture woks well in treating “modern illnesses”, such as headache, backache and cervical pain.
1. How did Wang Louda recover from cervical pain?| A．By taking enough exercise. |
| B．By visiting clinics of TCM. |
| C．By taking his friend’s medicine. |
| D．By having good rests every day. |
| A．The lack of sleep. |
| B．Endless use of Mobile phones. |
| C．Long hours’ sitting. |
| D．Enough relaxation and exercise. |
| A．Inactive. | B．Unusual. | C．Flexible. | D．Common. |
| A．The history of traditional Chinese medical treatment. |
| B．An advertisement for traditional Chinese medicine. |
| C．The modern popularity of traditional Chinese treatment. |
| D．The future development of Chinese acupuncture. |
6 . Astronomers have discovered an unusual solar system near Earth. It’s made up of six planets orbiting a star. What makes this system special is that the six planets’ orbits appear to be matched. Scientists compare their movement to a perfectly timed symphony.
“It’s precise and very orderly,” says Enric Pallé, an astronomer in the Canary Islands.
The discovery was announced on November 29. It’s based on data from two orbiting satellites, NASA’s TESS and the European Space Agency’s Cheops. The newly discovered system is 100 light-years from Earth, or about 600 trillion (万亿) miles. That’s close, in space terms. Astronomers are calling the system a “golden target” for further study. It could offer an example of how systems across the Milky Way were formed.
All solar systems are thought to have started out like this one. But they rarely keep their perfect timing. Giant planets can throw off the orbits of other planets. So can meteor (流星) impact. These things have happened in our solar system.
Hugh Osborn, of the University of Bern, in Switzerland, says his team was “shocked and delighted” by the discovery. “My jaw was on the floor,” he says. “That was a really nice moment.”
1. What is special about the solar system recently discovered?| A．It is made up of six orbiting planets. |
| B．The planets’ orbits are perfectly matched. |
| C．It is located 100 light-years away from Earth. |
| D．The discovery was made using satellite data. |
| A．It is the closest solar system to Earth in the Milky Way. |
| B．It is a clear target for future exploration tasks in space. |
| C．It challenges the common thought about solar system. |
| D．It offers an example of the formation of other systems. |
| A．The impact of meteors. |
| B．The researches of astronomers. |
| C．The formation of the Milky Way. |
| D．The influence of orbiting satellites. |
| A．They were very doubtful and critical. |
| B．They were quite surprised and excited. |
| C．They were confused and disappointed. |
| D．They were indifferent and uninterested. |
谈谈你的理解 | 1. 健康指强壮的身体，有较强的活动能力和劳动能力 |
| 2. 健康也指心理健康，良好的社会适应力，以及有道德 | |
给同学们的建议 | 1. 利用学校每天的“阳光体育一小时”，积极参加锻炼 |
| 2. ……(请考生结合自身想法，再写一到两点) |
1. 对所有要点逐一陈述，适当发挥，不要简单翻译；
2. 词数100左右。开头和结尾已经写好，不计入总词数；
3. 文中不得提及有关考生个人身份的任何信息，如校名、人名等。
Ladies and gentlemen,
It’s my great honor to have been given the chance to share with you my opinion on health.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________That’s all. Thank you!
8 . On May 4, Fan Jinshi donated 10 million yuan to set up the Fan Jinshi Education Fund. Fan is
All people present were
Fan used
Today, Fan is still trying to promote talks and
Fan said, “Though now I work, I am a student of Peking University, and I was able to
The fund
Fan Jinshi’s speech
| A．organized | B．considered | C．frightened | D．encouraged |
| A．wish | B．respect | C．opinion | D．donation |
| A．moved | B．thanked | C．connected | D．explained |
| A．known | B．informed | C．allowed | D．sent |
| A．admired | B．expected | C．explained | D．graduated |
| A．set up | B．break out | C．set off | D．break down |
| A．applied | B．replied | C．supplied | D．relied |
| A．delicious | B．unique | C．false | D．dizzy |
| A．affects | B．welcomes | C．offers | D．shares |
| A．description | B．definition | C．responsibility | D．exchanges |
| A．lead | B．owe | C．contribute | D．stick |
| A．improve | B．rise | C．dream | D．devote |
| A．shows up | B．consists of | C．takes off | D．stands out |
| A．final | B．lucky | C．wise | D．simple |
| A．included | B．reminded | C．cared | D．inspired |
1.对这一异议作出解释；
2.提出你自己的看法。
注意：
1. 写作词数应为80左右；
2. 邮件的开头语和结束语已给出，不计入总词数；
3. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Dear Allen,
In your e-mail, you expressed disagreement about our teachers speaking both English and Chinese in English classes.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
10 . Los Angeles residents Joe Blackstone and Jamie Mohn have long recognized the lasting impact storytelling can have on a child’s life. Shortly after getting married, the couple began volunteering to read books to elementary school kids. Then, when they became parents themselves, they created the J3 Foundation to help organizations devoted to children’s growth. But after learning two-thirds of fourth graders who cannot read effectively end up on welfare, Blackstone and Mohn decided to take a more hands-on approach: in 2018, they launched J3’s Cozy Reading Club.
Each session of the two-hour, after-school program is free and includes outdoor activities and a healthy snack. Then, it’s time for some comfortable reading. After teachers read a book aloud and the group talks about the storyline freely, the kids find a spot to sit while grabbing a book of their choice to look through. In the end, they get to choose two books to borrow and take home.
In its first year, J3’s Cozy Reading Club served 15 students in one L. A.-area classroom. As of 2022, it had expanded to 17 schools across four different districts, impacting a total of at least 400 students, the vast majority of whom live in underserved communities. With impressive statistics backing it up 90% of the students have significantly improved their reading scores, and 95% say they’ve started reading for fun since taking part in the program——its founders have much to celebrate.
“Having more than 5,000 culturally relevant books available to them is so exciting. I love it when our students can see themselves and their classmates’ lives reflected in the books they are reading. The hope of changing one kid at a time makes all the work worthwhile,” Blackstone said.
Currently, J3 is in the process of raising $864,000, so the Cozy Reading Club can expand to an additional 24 Los Angeles schools and double its book collection to 10,000. This is worthwhile. The National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) reported that 68% of U. S. fourth graders weren’t skilled at reading in 2022, up from 66% in 2019.
1. What can be inferred about Blackstone and Mohn?| A．They are children’s writers. | B．They teach reading in a school. |
| C．They value kids’ development. | D．They’ve donated much to charities. |
| A．Learn the history of books. | B．Discuss a book’s plot. |
| C．Cook and have snacks. | D．Buy interesting books. |
| A．Its great achievements. | B．Its various services. |
| C．Its long-term goals. | D．Its current programs. |
| A．To state reading is significant. | B．To show J3 is a necessary cause. |
| C．To assess J3’s potential abilities. | D．To criticize America’s education. |
