1 . It seems every country has one major event on the annual calendar. Here we’ve boiled down the choices to the absolute top events to add to your bucket list.

Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland

This over 50-year-old good time held on the shores of Lake Geneva is the second-largest jazz festival in the world. It’s more than jazz, though. You’ll find broad-ranging acts from pop to rock and blues. And, best of all, a large portion of the performances are free, in keeping with the festival’s purpose to make music accessible to anyone.

Palio di Siena, Italy

Twice a year, the Tuscan town of Siena recalls its past in the Middle Ages with a bareback horse race. Each of the 17 horses in the race and each of their course riders, represent one of the city’s districts, adding to the roar (咆哮) of the crowd. And to make things even more entertaining, riders are allowed to do anything to their opponents other than pull their reins (缰绳), so expect as many falls as thrills.

Saint Patrick’s Festival, Ireland

Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated anywhere in the world where there is an Irish group, but there’s no better place than Dublin, Ireland. This four-day festival in March is packed with a program of music, performing arts, literature, tours and food events. Centered around the national holiday, this festival of Irish pride, achievements and talents will be well supplied with Irish cheer.

Harbin International Snow and Ice Festival, China

Harbin is transformed into a winter wonderland with huge ice sculptures across the city, decorated with lights and lasers, drawing thousands of artists and art enthusiasts alike. And if that’s not enough to satisfy your fancy, there’s also the Ice Lantern Art Fair, sledding to watch and our favourite, “winter swimming watching”.

1. What features Montreux Jazz Festival?

A．Its programs are mostly charged.	B．It aims to make jazz free to anyone.
C．It includes various styles of music.	D．It is the oldest jazz festival globally.

2. Which festival will attract an adventurer most?

A．Montreux Jazz Festival.	B．Palio di Siena.
C．Saint Patrick’s Festival.	D．Harbin International Snow and Ice Festival.

3. What do the last two festivals have in common?

A．They last just as long.	B．They are held nationwide.
C．They take place in cold days.	D．They offer artistic experience.

2 . From canned tomatoes to frozen pizzas, processed foods have become a regular part of our diet. We’ve gained time and energy as a result of processed foods.     1     Here are the reasons why we should avoid processed foods.

    2     A 2018 study found that ultra-processed (超加工的) foods are linked to an increased risk of cancer. The American Cancer Society reports that at least 18% of cancers are related to excess (过量的) body weight, physician activity, and poor nutrition, which could potentially be prevented by avoiding processed foods.

Processed foods are designed to make you overeat.     3     It has also been found that some processed foods can lead to greater brain activity, which can affect eating behavior.

Processed foods often contain artificial ingredients. If you’re looking at the label on a box of your favorite junk food, there are probably a bunch of ingredients that you can barely pronounce.     4       These ingredients may have a negative effect on your health.

Many processed foods are high in carbohydrates (碳水化合物) and low in nutrients and fiber. Not all carbohydrates are bad, but processed foods are often packed with refined carbohydrates. They can cause your blood sugar to increase very quickly. On top of that, processed foods are typically much lower in nutrients and the fiber is often removed.     5    

A．Processed foods may raise your health risk.

B．Some processed foods aren’t bad for you at all.

C．All processed foods are loaded with added sugar and fat.

D．At the same time, we have also gained a host of health issues.

E．In fact, your body just needs the two substances to digest food properly.

F．In this case, there are man-made colors, flavors, and additives in your food.

G．Studies show the “reward system” in our brain can allow us to consume more.

3 . The year 2023 saw a wide variety of TV and Internet variety shows in China, offering amazing entertainment to audiences. Here are some popular variety shows of the year. It’s never too late to start enjoying them.

 Become a Farmer

The farming-themed show took Chinese social media by storm in the first half of the year, shining a spotlight on farming — a crucial part of Chinese culture. The word “farming”, however, may be unfamiliar to many young urban Chinese citizens.

In an effort to connect these individuals with the industry, the show tries to deal with the topic by inviting 10 men to experience life.

 Divas Hit The Road-Silk Road 

The fifth season of the reality show, featuring popular celebrities traveling to various destinations, has been airing since October 2023.

This season saw Chinese actresses start a journey to Saudi Arabia, Croatia and Iceland. They explored the beautiful landscapes and diverse cultures of these countries and learned about the Belt and Road Initiative.

Infinity and Beyond 2023

With an amazing viewership, the music cultural program emerged as a success in the first half of this year. The show was broadcast from March to June, generating massive online attention with 8.9 billion views of topics related to the show.

Featuring a star-studded cast, the show brings about cross-Strait (海峡两岸) connection and classic and popular songs dating back to the 1970s.

Riding the Wind 2023 

Singers from various backgrounds at home and abroad tune into one another during hit reality show.

Starting its latest season this year, the program seeks to expand cross-cultural cooperation and mutual support among women, regardless of their different languages, ages or personality traits. To achieve this, the show has invited female celebrities from diverse cultural backgrounds to participate in group performances throughout the rounds of competition.

1. What can audiences experience in Become a Farmer?

A．Social media’s impact.	B．The countryside life.
C．Young citizens’ growth.	D．The challenge from the reality.

2. What do Infinity and Beyond 2023 and Riding the Wind 2023 feature?

A．Music shows.	B．Four months’ broadcast.
C．Academic competitions.	D．Women’s contributions.

3. In which section of a website may the passage appear?

A．Lifestyle.

B．Business.

C．Travel.

D．Culture.

4 . The traditional handwritten “thank you” letter is no longer the most popular way to express gratitude, with digital methods such as instant messages and emails favored instead, according to a recent research.

A survey of 2,000 adults finds just 9 percent send a letter of thanks nowadays—a decline of 11 percent in the past ten years—while messages via WhatsApp, SMS text, email and Facebook, have become some of the most common ways to show appreciation.

Despite this, handwritten notes of gratitude are in fact considered to be among the top most meaningful ways to say thank you—close behind heartfelt phone calls and visiting someone to show appreciation in person. Further highlighting the influence of the personal touch, the M&S Club Rewards research finds hand-delivering flowers or treating someone to a coffee are also among the truest ways to show thanks.

The research also finds 58 percent think it is more essential than ever to say thank you to loved ones, with 28 percent admitting the last couple of years have helped them appreciate the little things. And 29 percent think it’s really necessary to show others just how much they mean to them so they realize how loved they are.

However, in our digital age—and with all these new and simple ways to communicate and show our gratitude—saying a quick thank-you via instant message has become the habit for many. But if you really want to share a meaningful thank-you, giving someone your time or adding an element of a personal or more human touch will go a long way and have a much bigger impact.

Paul Stokes, from M&S Club Rewards, says: “Our research shows that while the art of saying thank you may have changed over the years, the significance of showing our appreciation has never been higher.”

Over the last few years, we have had to come together and support each other perhaps more than ever, so it’s great to see so many of us are taking the time to share a thank-you.

1. What was the percentage of traditional letters of thanks a decade ago?

A．20%.

B．11%.

C．9%.

D．2%.

2. What does the underlined word “this” refer to in Paragraph 3?

A．The change in contents.	B．The similarity in surveys.
C．The advantage of thank-you letters.	D．The popularity of digital methods.

3. How can we make modern communication more meaningful?

A．By sending more instant messages.	B．By saying more thanks to the beloved.
C．By bringing in more personal touches.	D．By delivering each other more gratitude.

4. What does Paul Stokes want to tell us most?

A．Their research is a great breakthrough.

B．The influence of art is beyond expectation.

C．There are many ways to express our appreciation.

D．Showing our thanks is more important than ever before.

5 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What do we know about FLVS?

A．It is a public school.

B．Its teachers are virtual.

C．It’s USA’s largest school.

2. What can we say about the courses offered by FLVS?

A．Cheap.

B．Flexible.

C．Academic.

3. How many options are there to take the courses at FLVS?

A．2.

B．3.

C．4.

4. What should he do if Tom wants to attend FLVS as a home-school student?

A．Prove he’s 18.

B．Pass an exam online.

C．Get parents’ permission.

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

A．Crowded.

B．Cheap.

C．Fast.

2. What kind of train is the man most curious about?

A．The local train.

B．The express train.

C．The through train.

3. What type of seat does the man choose?

A．Coach.

B．Business class.

C．First class.

4. In which city is the man now?

A．Chicago.

B．New York.

C．Washington.

7 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. How does the woman feel?

A．Surprised.

B．Nervous.

C．Curious.

2. What did the speakers do last month?

A．They had a dinner party.

B．They learnt how to cook.

C．They sold their old house.

3. What does the man promise to do?

A．Send out invitations.

B．Make a meal plan.

C．Shop on Saturday.

8 . What will the headmaster do at 9: 00 a. m.?

A．Meet the new students.

B．Prepare for his speech.

C．Leave the school library.

9 . Who made Mike love skateboarding?

A．Catherine.

B．John.

C．Lucy.

10 . In order to survive trips to Mars, humans need oxygen. Now, a team of scientists has designed a robot that could extract oxygen from water on the Red Planet.

The robot, which is called “AI chemist”, used a machine learning model to find a compound that could ignite an oxygen-producing chemical reaction on Mars. The compound, known as a catalyst (催化剂), is made entirely from elements found in Martian meteorites (陨石)   — which means, if such a system could work reliably, space travelers would not need to bring oxygen or even the catalyst needed to produce it.

Mars’ atmosphere contains only trace amounts of oxygen. But scientists have detected evidence of liquid water beneath the planet’s southern ice cap. To create the breathable gas, researchers wanted to find a way to break down this water into its hydrogen and oxygen molecules using materials found on Mars.

Their robot analyzed five meteorites that either came from Mars or had a composition similar to that of the Martian surface. Using a laser, it identified significant amounts of iron, nickel, calcium, magnesium, aluminum and manganese in the samples. From these six elements, the robot’s algorithm (算法) determined it could produce more than 3.7 million possible molecules to break down water and form oxygen on Mars. According to the researchers, finding the best one from this extensive list would take roughly 2,000 years of human labor, but for the AI chemist, it took only weeks.

“On Earth, we don’t use these six elements,” Yi Luo, a co-author of the study says. “They are not the best choices for catalysts, but it’s only what you’ve got on Mars.”

With its chosen catalyst, the system could produce oxygen from the Martian materials at around -37℃, demonstrating the chemical reaction could be possible on the cold Martian surface.

Notably, the robot was able to carry out the entire process — analyzing the rock samples, identifying the best possible catalyst and producing it without human intervention.

1. What does the underlined word “ignite” mean in paragraph 2?

A．Delay.

B．Limit.

C．Change.

D．Cause.

2. What is the basis of extracting oxygen on Mars?

A．The oxygen that Mars’ atmosphere contains.

B．The scientists’ previous study on meteorites.

C．The existence of water and catalyst on Mars.

D．The amazing learning ability of “AI chemist”

3. What does paragraph 4 mainly talk about?

A．The finding of six elements.

B．The advantages of the robots.

C．The formation of the meteorites.

D．The process of producing oxygen.

4. What is the writer’s attitude towards “AI chemist”?

A．Doubtful.

B．Favorable.

C．Unclear.

D．Indifferent.