1 . On a bright September day in the French Alps in 2022, John McAvoy was 38 kilometres into a very exhausting ultramarathon through rough mountain paths. Battling tiredness, he pushed his body and mind through the final leg of the race. With the finish arch in the famous town of Chamonix just four kilometres away and the cloud-topped peak of Mont Blanc high over him, McAvoy welled up with emotion.

In that moment, he felt so free and alive. It was quite the opposite from where his life had been a decade before. He had just been released from prison after serving a 10-year sentence.

Now 40 years old, McAvoy has spent the last 10 years rebuilding his life from one of crime to one with purpose. It was on this day, while running the ultramarathon, that he realized how impactful conquering (征服) this mountain run could be for inner-city kids like him. After all, sport had helped him live a normal life again and open up his world. It could do the same for others.

With the help of Youth Beyond Borders, McAvoy started the Alpine Run Project, which recently led 12 disadvantaged British young people through their own Mont Blanc races. The participants, from refugees (难民) to young reformed criminals and those who grew up in Children’s home, were matched with coaches, consultants and physiotherapists. After a six-month training program, the youth travelled to the Alps to meet up with McAvoy for their race.

McAvoy says the highlight of this project for him was watching Yasmin Mahamud, a 20-year-old refugee from Syria, run through the finish arch and into the arms of her new friends. It was a life-changing high for Mahamud, too-inspiring her to keep running, take up martial arts and go to university to study physiotherapy.

“It changed my point of view on life, says Mahamud. Pushing herself to complete the race gave her a brief experience of her own potential through hard work and devotion.” I will always be thankful to John for giving me this opportunity and guidance.

1. How did McAvoy feel before the finish arch?

A．He felt totally collapsed.	B．He was peaceful and hopeful.
C．He was satisfied with his pace.	D．He felt as if completely reborn.

2. What can we learn about McAvoy from paragraph 3?

A．He was a builder 10 years ago.	B．He realized the importance of sport.
C．He ran to make up for his past wrongs.	D．He had sympathy for the inner-city children.

3. Who most probably took part in the Mont Blanc races?

A．A running coach.

B．A travel lover.

C．A homeless teenager.

D．A skilled athlete.

4. What message does McAvoy’s story convey?

A．Live for the moment.	B．Dream big and climb high.
C．After the storm comes the rainbow.	D．Run after the light and become the light.

2 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What is the first destination of the tour?

A．The museum.

B．The City Hall.

C．The park.

2. What time will they leave for the Stanley Market?

A．At 9:30 a. m.

B．At11:30 a. m.

C．At 1:30 p. m.

3. What is the speaker talking about next?

A．Safety information.

B．The gathering time.

C．Meal plans.

3 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What does the woman think of herself?

A．A skilled coach.

B．A reliable teammate.

C．A talented sportswoman.

2. Why is the man going here with equipment?

A．To climb the wall.

B．To protect himself.

C．To share with the woman.

3. How can the man be described?

A．Careful.

B．Generous

C．Brave.

4 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Who is the speaker talking to?

A．Tourists.

B．Students.

C．Writers.

2. What are the places where people park cars in the UK?

A．Parking lots.

B．Car lots.

C．Car parks.

3. What is the speaker’s opinion of British humor?

A．It is dry.

B．It is boring.

C．It is obvious.

4. What are compared between the two cultures in the end?

A．The numbers of artists.

B．Styles of buildings.

C．Standards of living.

5 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Where does the conversation probably take place?

A．At the man’s home.

B．On a street.

C．In a camera shop.

2. How many camera shops are still open in town?

A．One.

B．Two.

C．Three.

3. Why does the man think some camera shops went out of business?

A．Cameras are old-fashioned.

B．There are fewer photographers.

C．People buy things on the Internet.

4. What will the man do this weekend?

A．Go to a camera shop.

B．Take pictures for a wedding.

C．Take care of his friend’s kids.

6 . Countless stories have portrayed the deep connection between humans and horses, such as classic literary works Black Beauty and The Chronicles of Narnia. However, the extent to which horses comprehend their human companions remains a mystery. Recent research has shown that horses can distinguish between human expressions of happiness and sadness conveyed through facial movements or vocal tones.

The researchers brought 28 horses into a room one by one, each wearing heart rate monitors as their actions were recorded. The horse faced two screens playing two different videos: one showed a happy person and the other a sad person. A voice was played at the same time, sounding happy or sad.

When the picture and voice didn’t match—for example, if the voice was sad but the picture showed a happy person—the horse seemed puzzled and looked for a longer time, compared to the one that did match, as if it knew something didn’t make sense. “You could imagine that they have a particular box in their mind labeled ‘human sadness’ containing the characteristics of both a sad face and a sad voice, and that when we are sad, they expect what we say to match how we look,” said Doctoral Researcher Océane Liehrmann of the University of Turku, in Finland.

The researchers also saw that horses were more attentive to the screen displaying the happy face. They looked at it more often and for a longer time and their heart rates increased when they heard a happy voice and decreased when they heard a sad voice as well.

It is possible that the horses might have associated happy human expressions with positive memories from their past. Another theory is that seeing a happy person could actually make a horse feel happier—a process known as emotional contagion. “We don’t know whether horses themselves understand what it is to be sad. It is possible that they learn it means something for a human,” said Liehrmann.

1. How did the researchers carry out the experiment?

A．By comparing different horses’ expressions.

B．By monitoring horses’ odd behavior in the lab.

C．By summarizing the characteristics of the horses.

D．By observing horses’ reaction to human emotions.

2. What can we learn from the result of the research?

A．Horses had a preference for happy people.	B．Horses were too nervous about the videos.
C．Horses recognized people’s identity quickly.	D．Horses looked excited at a voice of sadness.

3. What does the underlined word “contagion” probably mean in the last paragraph?

A．Support.

B．Influence.

C．Outbreak.

D．Control.

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

A．Humans Impact Horses Hugely	B．Horses Dislike Sorrowful People
C．Humans and Horses Interact Closely	D．Horses Know When You are Happy

7 . Writing out the same word again and again may bring back bad memories for some, but handwriting can boost connectivity across brain regions, some of which are involved in learning and memory, a new study shows.

In the study, psychologists Audrey and Ruud, both at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, stuck electrodes (电极) on the participants’ heads. They asked the participants to type out or hand write with a digital pen words that appeared on a computer screen. Sensors in a cap recorded electrical brain activity. Then the psychologists looked for when two brain areas are active with the same frequency of electrical waves at the same time. This result can reveal the connectivity among different regions across the brain.

With handwriting, the researchers saw increased activity, specifically in low frequency bands, not only in the expected motor areas but also in others associated with learning. These low frequency bands have previously been shown to support memory processes. When the team compared the two tasks, they realized that handwriting —but not typing —increased the connectivity across parietal (顶叶) brain regions, which are involved in sensory and motor processing, and central regions, many of which are involved in memory.

“Even when the movements are very similar, the activation seems much, much higher in handwriting,” Audrey says. “It shows that there’s more involvement of these brain regions when you’re handwriting, which might give you some specific advantages.”

These findings suggest that there are distinct processes of brain activation happening while a person types or writes. This boost of stimulation of handwriting facilitates learning because these particular waves between these areas are involved in memory formation and encoding (编码) .

And although handwriting may help with learning processes, typing is often easier, faster and more practical. “Students and teachers alike should therefore consider the task at hand to decide to hand write or type,” Audrey says. Despite the need for more studies to determine the best learning strategy, experts say that handwriting shouldn’t be left behind in the digital age. “Schools need to bring in more writing into curriculum design,” Ruud says.

1. What did Audrey and Ruud mainly do in their research?

A．They tested the function of electrodes.	B．They analyzed the brain structure.
C．They monitored the brain activities.	D．They recorded the writing speed.

2. Why can handwriting improve learning more than typing?

A．It involves more specific brain activation.	B．It promotes better muscle memory.
C．It allows for more innovative thinking.	D．It encourages better concentration.

3. What’s the author’s attitude toward typing?

A．Favorable.

B．Objective.

C．Doubtful.

D．Unclear.

4. What might be the best title for the text?

A．Taking Notes by Hand is Becoming Uncommon in Class

B．Using Keyboard is Recommended Due to Its Convenience

C．Widespread Brain Connectivity is Crucial to Human Learning

D．Handwriting Boosts Brain Connections More Than Typing Does

8 . Concrete has served as the foundation stone of the construction industry for hundreds of years. However, the process of producing concrete is one of the most environmentally unfriendly processes in the world. In the process, not only is carbon dioxide (二氧化碳) released into the air by the energy used to heat the limestone, but the limestone itself also gives out a huge amount of the element.

Luckily, a number of start-ups throughout the world are using creative thinking to make the construction industry a whole lot more friendly for the planet.

A Canadian company called CarbonCure, has found a way to inject (注入) concrete with carbon dioxide itself. Not only does this trap the carbon dioxide into the concrete, keeping it from running away into the atmosphere, but it also creates a super strong material called calcium carbonate, which reduces the total amount of concrete that needs to be used.

California-based Brimstone, is creating carbon-negative concrete by doing away with limestone entirely and instead using silicate rock, a material that does not release carbon dioxide when heated. Instead, the process produces magnesium (镁) , which absorbs carbon dioxide, as the basis for their concrete.

Additionally, researchers at Australia’s RMIT University have recently released a study showing that adding coffee grounds instead of sand to concrete could make it much stronger, reducing both the amount of sand used, as well as the amount of concrete that would need to be used in the final product.

The biggest barrier at this point is convincing members of the industry that the new types of concrete are safe to be used, according to Stacy Smedley, director at a nonprofit focused on decarbonizing construction.

Hopefully these new solutions to the environmental problems of concrete will soon be widely adopted. Given the significant part the construction industry has in releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, great improvements can be made when more environmentally-friendly materials are used.

1. What is the environmental issue associated with traditional concrete production?

A．The high demand for energy.	B．The processing of waste materials.
C．The mass release of carbon dioxide.	D．The use of non-renewable resources.

2. How does CarbonCure deal with the environmental impact of concrete production?

A．By using silicate rock as the basis.	B．By putting carbon dioxide into concrete.
C．By replacing sand with coffee grounds.	D．By absorbing carbon dioxide with magnesium.

3. According to Smedley, what is the major challenge facing these solutions?

A．Difficulty in making profits.	B．Convincing the public of the convenience.
C．Lack of funding for research.	D．Removing the industry members’ safety concerns.

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To promote an alternative to concrete.	B．To advocate environmental protection.
C．To introduce new ways to produce concrete.	D．To emphasize the significance of creativity.

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。

Wushu, the Chinese martial art form known as kungfu in the West, is a     1     (value) cultural heritage of Chinese people and contribution to human civilization.

Wushu, often     2     (use) in the form of combat (搏斗), consists of several different kinds of movements. The Chinese people’s determination to win and strong characteristics     3     (reflect) in the intense body combat.

Wushu reflects the character of Chinese people and they apply their unique understanding of theory and principle to combat. It differs from European and American boxing. Wushu is a particular balance between external and inbuilt values,     4     not only shows the beauty of one’s figure, but also the meaning of profound     5     (elegant). Apart from simple combat techniques, martial arts are rooted     6     Chinese philosophy, containing ancient Chinese philosophers’ understanding of life and the universe.

Wushu, which aims to improve health and self-defense,     7     (begin) by promoting one’s moral character. The martial art movements are     8     (physical) demonstrated while internal thoughts are static (静态的). Like still waters, peace and quiet is considered     9     highest level of martial arts.

Having survived the difficult situations of life while     10     (maintain) all of its strength and vitality, Wushu is even believed to be the model of Chinese traditional culture and national spirit.

10 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What is the man’s work history like?

A．He has a lot of research experience.

B．He hasn’t had a job in five years.

C．He changes jobs too often.

2. How did the man probably prepare for his interview?

A．By writing notes on his hand.

B．By writing down a lot of questions to ask.

C．By staying up late looking up the company information.

3. What does the man think about getting a job?

A．He needs one badly.

B．He is optimistic about it.

C．He thinks it’s a waste of time.

4. What does the woman do to help the man?

A．She gives him the position.

B．She refers him to her colleague.

C．She lends him some money to pay for the education.