1 . Minimalism isn’t about being boring or getting rid of most of your things and living in empty rooms. It’s more about identifying what adds value to your life and brings you joy and parting with things that don’t.     1     .

Whether you want to start the process of living a more minimalist lifestyle or have already started but are finding yourself stuck, here are some tips to help you.

Be Clear On Why You Want To Live A Minimalist Lifestyle

Getting rid of useless things in your home, workspace and life, in general, can be challenging.     2     . Yet, chances are, if you’ve barely used these items, you won’t need them in the future.

Being clear as to why you’re doing it can be critical as it’ll help remind you of your goal, fuel your motivation and keep you going even when you’re feeling overwhelmed.     3     . No matter the reason, knowing why you’re doing it is the best way to ensure you successfully move towards a more minimalist lifestyle.

Clear Out Responsibly

Opening a garbage bag and clearing out everything you don’t want to keep is quick and easy. Yet, someone else could use your items or recycle them. One of the best things you can do is donate your clothes to someone you know or a charity.     4     . Lastly, as mentioned before, certain items can be recycled. You should only throw away things you can’t sell, donate or recycle.

Get In The Right Mindset

    5     . It’s about finding joy and gratitude. It’s about being satisfied when you need to throw out something old and promoting self-care and loving yourself. The minimalist seeks simplicity, usefulness and clarity with less focus on material possessions and more focus on value in life. Clear the useless things so you can focus on your priorities and goals.

A．You can also organize a big garage sale

B．The best way to tidy up is to take it one step at a time

C．Mindset is key to a “less is more” attitude and lifestyle

D．That’s because it might be hard to part with some of your things

E．Living a minimalist lifestyle can allow you to create a life of more

F．This way, you can get rid of the unnecessary things that burden you

G．Perhaps you want to create more space in your home or limit your carbon footprint

2 . Phillip, 27, from the UK, pulled at the heart strings of people across the world after giving his mother, Trish, a special New Year present — he surprised his mom with a voice recording of his late father, which he made with the help of AI.

The young man’s dad, John, passed away from cancer in 2022 — leaving his wife and children mourning. After seeing his mom struggling to get through the holidays, he turned to AI to give her a gift she would never forget.

In a video, which has so far had more than 6.2 million views, the 27-year-old showed viewers his mom’s reaction to hearing her late husband’s voice.

“My dad passed away from cancer 1.5 years ago so I decided to do something special for my mom this New Year,” he said as his mother unwrapped the present. “It’s been so long since we heard his voice, so I made her a video using AI software to match his exact voice. And the result was amazing.”

In addition to his father’s voice, Phillip made a video that featured photos of his dad. When Trish opened the photo book, tears immediately formed.

“Hi, honey. I love you. I want you to know you are the best mother to our kids and the strongest woman in the whole world,” the AI voice said. “I’m always with you. I hope you guys have a happy New Year.”

Phillip revealed that his wife, Kassandra, first gave him the idea to use AI to recreate his dad’s voice. Although he was skeptical at first, once he got to work using the text-to-speech software, he was shocked at the outcome. “When the program said it in his voice... I got chills(寒战) all over my body. That’s why I decided to do this no matter what,” Phillip said.

1. What does the underlined phrase “pulled at the heart strings” in paragraph 1 mean?

A．Encouraged creativity.	B．Touched the hearts.
C．Promoted good deeds.	D．Provided comfort.

2. Which of the following best describes the young man?

A．Adaptable.	B．Demanding.
C．Heart-warming.	D．Hard-working.

3. How did Trish react to the special gift?

A．She was terribly frightened.	B．She took it for granted.
C．She viewed it as a dream.	D．She was wild with joy.

4. What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A．Phillip’s interest in making the recording.

B．Phillip’s doubt over making the recording.

C．Phillip’s struggle for making the recording.

D．Phillip’s inspiration to make the recording.

3 . Here are four festival s around the world that can offer you special and unique experiences.

Carnival of Oruro, Bolivia       

As one of the largest events in South America which has been held since the 18th century, it was recognized by UNESCO as a masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Every year, dozens of groups wear colorful costumes or masks and perform folk dances that draw crowds up to 400,000 annually, celebrating pre-Columbian traditions.

Underwater Music Festival, the USA       

It starts from 1985 and its founder took music festival s to a whole new level with the aim to protect the corals (珊瑚). The event houses radio playlists and ocean-themed songs streaming live from underwater speakers along with musician-divers and local people playing instruments with strange shapes.

Day of the Little Candles, Colombia

This festival can date back to 1854 and Colombia’s windows, balconies, and sidewalks would come alive on the night of every December 7. And houses and streets are decorated with candles in varying colors and paper lanterns by families. Many people also consider it the unofficial start of the Christmas season when cities and towns debut (初次登场) their Christmas lights and decorations.

World Toe Wrestling Championship, England

This competition is not a new competition, with its history going back to 1976. The sport involves two opponents who lock feet in an attempt to pin each other’s foot down in the least time possible, similar to arm wrestling. There are three rounds played on a best of 2 out of 3 bases. Rounds kick-start with the right foot, then left and followed by right again.

1. What do we know about Carnival of Oruro?

A．It features colorful costumes and folk dances.

B．It is a time for families to reunite.

C．It is no use for the local economy.

D．It only has one single presentation.

2. What does Day of the Little Candles feature?

A．Body strength.	B．Colorful candles.
C．Underwater creatures.	D．Christmas goods.

3. Which festival has the shortest history?

A．Carnival of Oruro.	B．Day of the Little Candles.
C．Underwater Music Festival.	D．World Toe Wrestling Championship.

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。

The Forbidden City, also known as the Palace Museum, and Gu Gong in Chinese, lies at the city center of Beijing, and once served     1     the imperial palace for 24 emperors during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Rectangular (矩形的) in shape, it is the world’s     2     (large) palace complex.

The Palace Museum is becoming waste-free as the 720,000-square-meter structure has managed to reduce     3     number of trash bins to 110 sets in areas open to the public. “It is a decrease from 310 sets logged in January 2020,     4     a zero-waste campaign was launched,” said the museum.

While     5     (protect) features of the six-century-old historical relic, the action also helps visitors and tourists get into the habit of creating less waste. The museum also recycled more than 32,000 plastic bottles to make cultural and     6     (create) products between June 2021 and October 2023, equivalent to a     7     (reduce) in carbon emission by 931 kilograms.

“By launching the campaign, the Palace Museum is taking a science-based and meticulous approach to waste. The target is to minimize the generation of waste that needs     8     (bury) or burned and bring the amount of such waste     9     (extreme) close to zero,” said the museum.

So far, approximately 3,000 museum staff members, 40,000 tourist guides, and 21 million visitors     10     (participate) in the campaign.

5 . An artificial intelligence (AI) trained on personal data covering the entire population of Denmark can predict people’s chances of dying more accurately than any existing model, even those used in the insurance industry. The researchers behind the technology say it could also have a positive impact on early prediction of social and health problems.

Sune Lehmann Jorgensen at the Technical University of Denmark and his colleagues used the data covering various aspects of 6 million people from 2008 to 2020 from Denmark. They changed the data into words that could be used to train a large language model, the same technology that powers other AI apps. These models work by looking at a series of words and determining which word is statistically most likely to come next, based on vast amounts of examples. In a similar way, the researchers’ Life2vec model can look at a series of life events that form a person’s history and determine what is most likely to happen next.

In experiments, Life2vec was trained on all but the last four years of the data, which was held back for testing. The researchers took data on a group of people aged from 35 to 65, half of whom died between 2016 and 2020, and asked Life2vec to predict who lived and who died. It was 11 percent more accurate than any existing AI model used to price life insurance policies in the finance industry.

Jorgensen believes that the model has consumed enough data that it is likely to be able to shed light on a wide range of health and social topics. This means it could be used to predict health issues and catch them early, or by governments to reduce inequality. But he stresses that it could also be used by companies in a harmful way. “Clearly, our model should not be used by an insurance company, because the whole idea of insurance is that, by sharing the lack of knowledge of somebody who is going to be the unlucky person struck by some incidents or deaths, we can kind of share this burden,” says Jorgensen.

1. What makes Life2vec more powerful in forecasting death risks?

A．It is trained on vast amounts of data.

B．It goes through a large number of tests.

C．It uses the same technology as other AI apps do.

D．It is intended for the government to make policies.

2. What does the underlined phrase “shed light on” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Revise.

B．Recognize.

C．Resolve.

D．Reveal.

3. Why should Life2vec be kept out of the hands of businesses?

A．To remove social inequality.	B．To guard public interests.
C．To keep its technology a secret.	D．To maintain the government’s authority.

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

A．Life2vec: Superior To Other AI Apps

B．New AI Can Predict Risk Of Early Death

C．Advanced Technology Addresses Social Problems

D．Insurance Companies: Keep Away From Life2vec

6 . For Grandparents Day or any day, a free and easy gift is to give one of these books to a beloved nana (奶奶) or grandpa and read the book together with the grandchild.

Nana Akua Goes to School by Tricia Elam Walker

Zura feels nervous about Nana Akua visiting her school for Grandparents Day because Nana has permanent African tribal marks on her face. When the day arrives, Akua explains that she is from Ghana and the marks were a gift from her parents and she feels proud to wear them. She shows the class a quilt filled with other symbols from Ghana and each child gets to pick a symbol they love to wear on their face with face paint.

Tiny, Perfect Things by M. H. Clark

Celebrate the wonders of ordinary, small things as a girl and her grandfather take a walk to notice all the tiny and perfect things; things like a yellow leaf, a snail, a red bottle cap, a flower growing through a sidewalk crack…When they arrive home, the little girl excitedly shares about the wonders she saw.

Nana in the City by Lauren Castillo

The boy doesn’t like the city where Nana lives, because he thinks it’s loud and scary. Nana gives him a fancy red cape that makes him feel very brave. And he and Nana walk through the city, discovering all that is wonderful about it.

I Love You Mucho Mucho by Rachel Más Davidson

Rosie visits her nana, but she forgets Nana doesn’t speak English. How will they communicate? First, they start with food. Then they do art together and take a walk. Nana says a word in Spanish and Rosie says the word in English. No matter what, their love is a language of its own that doesn’t need words.

1. What might Zura worry about?

A．Her nana is looked down upon.	B．Her nana fails to visit her school.
C．Her nana’s explanation is unconvincing.	D．Her nana is too proud to wear the marks.

2. From which of the following can readers feel the charm of nature?

A．Nana Akua Goes to School.	B．Nana in the City.
C．Tiny, Perfect Things.	D．I Love You Mucho Mucho.

3. What message does I Love You Mucho Mucho convey?

A．Love truly matters a lot.	B．We should communicate in English.
C．Body language is important.	D．We should learn multiple languages.

7 . 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.

China, a country with a history spanning over 5,000 years, is known for its rich cultural heritage. From the majestic Great Wall to the amazing art of calligraphy, from the colorful festivals to the delicious cuisine, Chinese culture is a fascinating blend of ancient     1     (wise) and modern civilization. Calligraphy, one of China’s oldest art     2     (form), is considered a high regard of self-expression and is often used to convey deep emotions. Chinese painting, too, is celebrated for its beauty and elegance, with artists     3     (use) brushstrokes and colors to create landscape’s and portraits, or capture the essence of nature and human emotions.

The Chinese culture has the power to make an impression     4     anyone who encounters it. Its traditions, customs, and beliefs are     5     (extreme) diverse and unique. In recent years, China’s rapid economic growths     6     (bring) about significant changes in its society. As China continued to expand its influence on the     7     (globe) stage, it is important for the nations     8     (balance) its economic progress with the preservation of its cultural identity.

In conclusion, the beauty of Chinese culture is beyond     9     (describe). As we navigate the challenged of the 21st century, it is our job to protect and celebrate this incredible legacy for generations to come. Every Chinese carries a     10     (responsible) to preserve and pass on its rich heritage to future generations.

8 . Learning anything by sitting in the comfort of your home can be very easy and at the same time, there will not be any pressure to complete some task or anything like that.     1    . Then there are many ways to learn it comfortably by sitting at your home.

Watching English movies and shows

Watching English movies can help you a lot with improving your spoken English skills. Observe the expressions of the character, which is an excellent way to improve your English conversations in daily life.     2    . Observe them when they speak every single word. This will help to improve your vocabulary.

Recording your voice

Recording your voice can be an easy way to understand how you speak. This method can help you with understanding your accent (口音) and your pronunciation. You will be able to understand your mistakes when you speak. Then you can improve them. It may sound uncomfortable at the beginning.     3    .

Practicing grammatical concepts

Having basic grammar knowledge is crucial (至关重要的).     4    . If you don’t have any grammar knowledge, you may find it difficult to build proper sentences and it can lead to a lack of confidence whenever you will speak. You should take related classes to improve your basic grammatical concepts and also try practicing various grammatical exercises.

    5    

This can be an effective way to understand the way you speak including your facial expressions. Practicing your speech in front of the mirror can help you to encourage your confidence. This method is effective if you don’t have a speaking partner or if there is no one to judge you.

A．Speaking in front of the mirror

B．Speaking English with yourself

C．It helps in building correct sentences

D．Similarly, maybe you are planning to learn English at home

E．There is a lot of fun in the process and you will also enjoy it

F．You can also watch English interviews of successful people

G．But over time your accent and pronunciation will be improved by practicing

9 . 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。

Nanjing is a city that has played an important role in Chinese history for thousands of years. Nanjing     1     (name) the capital city first in 229 AD during the Three Kingdoms period. It has been a capital city many times. It’s a place that is relatively unknown     2     foreigners yet very popular with local tourists.

When Dave and I got the chance     3     (travel) to it, we jumped at it. We hadn’t known anything about Nanjing before going, but hearing that it was a popular destination from Shanghai, we were excited to explore it. It turns out that Nanjing is one of our favourite     4     (place) to visit in China.

We first went to Nanjing Niushoushan Cultural Park. A trolley (电车) took us to the top of the mountain     5     we could view the immaculate(圣洁的) Buddhist Palace that was built into the side of the mountain.     6     (open) in 2015, it is an example that proves the traditional and the modern can co-exist.

But soon we     7     (realize) that a real treat was inside the palace when we took the escalator (自动扶梯) 6 stories underground to see the Thousand-Buddha Hall. With a height of 28 metres, the golden hall is     8     (impress).

We highly recommend     9     (take) a full day to explore the Niushoushan Cultural Park to visit all the sites on the mountains. And do remember visiting the Usnisa Palace is     10    must.

10 . It may be difficult to start high school.     1     But never fear! Here are some suggestions for you to adapt to the change.

Do conduct research on the school through the school’s website. Check out the school’s grading policies, activities, and deadlines (for programs, curricula, etc.) before you move. If you’ve got that covered, you may choose to begin looking at school scholarships (奖学金) or competitions.     2    

Do visit the school before your first day of school. Most schools offer some kind of open house for newcomers to learn about the school’s academic (学术的) and curricular offerings.

    3    . Attending it can also help you find out a lot about the school’s academic atmosphere (氛围) and environment.

Do start looking into clubs and extra-curricular activities right away.     4     Once you’ve gone through the school’s clubs and found a few that interest you, attend all the clubs you found yourself drawn to. The purpose of attending these first club meetings is simply to gain a sense of the extra-curricular environment at your school, and see what activities you may find yourself enjoying.

    5    . Many students make the mistake of setting out to achieve the highest grades at their new school. It is true that your grades are very important, but make sure that you spend a good deal of your time interacting with other students and ensuring that you’ll have some healthy relationships and networks with others. A social network will offer you the support and fun you need during high school.

A．Don’t forget to turn to teachers and other students.

B．Don’t build up your academics at the cost of your social life.

C．Many students are afraid of the changes that high school can bring.

D．Remember that you’re strengthening yourself for future life changes.

E．Find out a club list as early as possible to dig out the clubs that interest you.

F．This will make you prepared for applying to or signing up for those programs.

G．You can learn some basic information about the school through the open house.