1 . Nightmare disorder is characterized by frequent nightmares that cause unhappiness and greatly impact our life. But a new approach is added to existing therapy (疗法) by introducing certain sounds which can help a person to turn their nightmare into a sweet dream.

The existing therapy, called Imagery Rehearsal Therapy (IRT), is already used as a way to reduce the frequency and intensity of nightmares. “You write down the bad dream in a very detailed way and then create new endings that are nonfrightening for nightmares,” said Dr. Kilkenny, the director of the Institute of Sleep Medicine at Staten Island University Hospital.

In this newly published study, the 36 participants were divided into 2 equal-sized groups. Both groups practiced IRT, but the second group additionally used Targeted Memory Reactivation (TMR). TMR works by associating the stimulation (刺激) of a specific sound with a specific thought while you’re awake. The daily practice saw them completing IRT with added TMR. The 36 participants were then recorded for 2 weeks as they slept.

Fortunately for the dreamers, both groups saw an improvement in their sleep and a drop in nightmare frequency. However, the group who had received the combination of IRT and TMR saw a drop in nightmare frequency that lasted for three months beyond the study — and even began to experience more joyful dreams instead of nightmares. “The study shows again that IRT alone works to improve nightmare disorder, but the new change is that the addition of TMR to IRT not only improves nightmare disorder but also increases the amount of positive dream experiences,” said Kilkenny.

While the results of this study are encouraging, it might be difficult to carry out them on your own. “If you’re experiencing frequent or serious nightmares, it may be helpful to first address your sleeping habits and make sure your are getting enough sleep with regular sleep and wake times,” said Dr. Dimitriu, the founder of Menlo Sleep Medicine in California.

1. What are patients required to do in IRT?

A．Listen to calming music during sleep.

B．Record their frequency of nightmares.

C．Recreate a pleasant ending for the nightmare.

D．Tell the doctor about details of their nightmares.

2. How does TMR function?

A．By taking sleeping medicine.

B．By practicing IRT more times.

C．By introducing sound stimulation.

D．By recording sounds in nightmares.

3. What do we know about the result of the study?

A．Participants tend to sleep longer than before.

B．TMR could enhance the effectiveness of IRT.

C．The sound treatment can help improve sleeplessness.

D．The nightmares can be avoided by both TMR and IRT.

4. What is Dr. Dimitriu’s suggestion for serious nightmares?

A．Taking regular exercises.	B．Doing a medical checkup.
C．Seeking accurate examination.	D．Adjusting the sleeping habits.

2 . How to Achieve Your Dreams

If you’re in a position where you want to achieve your dreams, but you’ve lost your way, you’re not alone.     1     If you’d like to give yourself another chance, there are a few key considerations you’ll want to make.

Mindset

If you’re prone (倾向) to negativity, it’s not uncommon. It’s easy for people to pick up on negativity and spread it. Be very intentional about the development of a positive mindset. Whether you choose to watch motivational films, or read inspirational books, work on developing a positive mindset.     2    

Environment

When you’re looking to fulfill a dream, the environment is so critical. Pay attention to the people within your environment. If your friends wake up late, hang out a lot and avoid responsibilities, it’s only a matter of time before they try to get you to do the same thing.     3     Focus on the goal-oriented tasks you’re called to.

Tools

    4     If your dream is to open up a fashion store, you’ll want to start doing research to learn more about the industry. You can purchase a few books and courses to gain a better understanding of how you’d like to approach your business model. You might need to purchase storage space or a small office space to hold all of your merchandise (商品). These details might seem small, but you’ll want to prepare for all of your expenses.

Discipline

In order to achieve any worthwhile dream, you’ll have to develop a high level of discipline.

When you’re disciplined, you’ll sit down to complete a task without giving in to your emotions.     5     Develop a habit of producing excellence at all times. When you’ve developed that muscle, you’ll create a name for yourself as someone who’s reliable, committed and dependable.

A．Take a detailed look at the goals you have.

B．When you don’t feel like working, you still get it done.

C．Therefore, limit the amount of time you spend with them.

D．It’s one of the most desired qualities to become a model.

E．There are plenty of people who give up on dreams in the process.

F．Think about the tools for packaging such as tape, boxes and bubble wrap.

G．You’re more likely to achieve your dreams when you’re positive through challenges.

3 . Our much-loved 100-Word-Story Competition is back! Enter for the chance to win prizes of up to £1,000. It is a chance to show the world your storytelling talents! Entries (参赛作品) are now open.

Rules and conditions

Please ensure that entries are created by yourself, not previously published and exactly 100 words long (not including title)—not a single word shorter or longer! Don’t forget to include your full name, address, email and phone number. We may use entries in all print and electronic media. Multiple entries are allowed per person. We are unfortunately only able to consider UK-based entries. Please submit your stories by 5pm on January 5, 2024 either online or by post.

Terms and prizes

There are three categories—one for adults and two categories for schools: one for children aged 12-18 and one for children under 12. The editorial team will pick a shortlist of entries, and the three best stories in each category will be posted online at our website on February 1,2024. You can vote for your favourite and the one with the most votes will win the top prize. Voting will close on February 29, 2024 and the winning entries will be published in our May 2024 issue, and posted online on April 16, 2024.

★In the adults category, the winner will receive £1,000 and one runner-up will receive £300.

★In the 12-18s category, the winner will receive£200 or a Kind le Paperwhite, and the runner-up will receive a £100 books voucher.

★In the under-12 category, the winner will receive £100 or a Kindle Paperwhite and £100 of book vouchers for their school, and the runner- up will receive a £50 books voucher.

1. To meet the competition rules, the entry must be ______.

A．created originally	B．published openly
C．less than 100 words	D．based on the US

2. When can you see the winning entries earliest?

A．In January.

B．In February.

C．In April.

D．In May.

3. What prize may a winner aged 16 receive?

A．£100.

B．£200.

C．£300.

D．£1,000.

4 . NPR’s STUDENT PODCAST CHALLENGE IS BACK — WITH A FOURTH — GRADE EDITION!

Microphone? Check. Headphones? Ready. A story you just can’t stop talking about? Got it! Yup, it’s time again for NPR’s Student Podcast (播客) Challenge. And we’re here to announce the opening bell of year six of this annual competition.

In our first half-decade, we’ve listened to podcasts from more than 80,000 young people all over the country. Students have deeply poured into their microphones personal stories about their families or their identities and serious issues, like how changing climate is impacting lives. On our end, we’ve listened to your feedback each year — great suggestions that have brought our ongoing College Podcast Challenge, and a special prize last year for the best podcast about mental health.

This year, we’ve got a big new change: Since the beginning, the contest has been open for students in grades five through twelve. But this year we are introducing our first-ever fourth grade contest! The sixth annual Student Podcast Challenge is now open for entries and will close on May 3, 2024. Our judges will choose winners in three categories: grade four, grades five through eight, and grades nine through twelve.

As in the past, entries must be submitted by a teacher, educator, or tutor who is 18 years or older. And don’t forget all the tips, advice and lesson plans we’ve compiled over the years, especially the rules around the maximum length of eight minutes, and about the use of music. The podcast should be completed independently. After years of listening to student podcasts, we’ve learned that shorter is better.

1. What is the theme of best podcast of the 5th Podcast Challenge?

A．Climate issues.

B．Identity crisis.

C．Mental health.

D．Family matters.

2. What is special about the sixth Student Podcast Challenge?

A．The fourth grade contest is set.

B．Grade five have their own category.

C．Elementary teachers’ entries are welcome.

D．The feedback for the programme is required.

3. What may cause the disqualification of your entry?

A．The length of 7 minutes.	B．Submission by your tutor.
C．Being accompanied by music.	D．Being created with your friends.

5 . A heart attack led Ivan Markov to take up gardening on a small patch (小块土地) in front of his council flat. Now, he’s spreading his love of nature across south London.

Markov grew up on Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea, and learned to love nature in these tropical zones. In 2007, he moved to Lewisham, south-east London, to work as a teacher. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with heart failure in 2010. During the treatment and recovery, he read about a local award for best garden, and though he only had a front garden outside his flat, he thought the competition would be something to work towards. He worked on his patch for most of the year, planting seeds and plants, such as flowers, berries and herbs. Surprisingly, he won the best front garden prize. “I couldn’t believe it,” he says. “I nearly fell off my seat.”

That was the start. Markov created a community nursery (苗圃) at the side of his house, and started planting bushes across the road. “I had so much beauty in my garden,” he says. “I wanted to share what I had.” He started offering guide to others. News of Markov’s green-fingered selflessness began to spread. “I go to someone’s property and give them advice on how to plant a garden,” he says. He delivers cuttings and seeds and helps people report plants, but everything he does is free. To date, Markov has helped six neighbourhoods embrace sustainable gardening.

He wants to show people you don’t have to live in the country to create beauty. “It doesn’t matter how much space you have. Outside my place there’s a tiny square, tiny. I grow tomatoes there for my supper. The opportunities are endless.”

Gardening gives Markov “the feeling of creating something from nothing and so much pleasure”. His dream is to create more green areas. Markov is making this corner of south-east London a paradise for all.

1. What can be inferred about Markov in paragraph 2?

A．He worked as a gardener.	B．He failed in the competition.
C．He won an education prize.	D．He turned out a green finger.

2. Which can best describe Markov according to paragraph 3?

A．Smart and courageous.	B．Confident and diligent.
C．Generous and warm-hearted.	D．Humorous and energetic.

3. What may Markov agree about gardening?

A．Selflessness values a lot.	B．Skilled techniques are needed.
C．Much space is important.	D．Desire to take actions matters.

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．The origin of a community nursery.	B．A creator of a green paradise for all.
C．A positive spirit against difficulty.	D．The harmony of human and nature.

6 . It is universally believed that playing an instrument or singing in a choir may boost your brain. Generations of parents have told their children to practice their musical instruments. Parents have good reason to keep on top of their children’s musical education, since learning an instrument is not only associated with better educational achievement but also cognition (认知) and even intelligence scores in children. But does this musicality contribute to better cognition later in life?

A new study in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry investigated this question by asking middle-aged and older people to complete a questionnaire on their lifetime musical experience before completing cognitive tests. The results showed that musical people had better memory and ability to stay focused on tasks and plans than those with less or no musicality.

But how about being musical without playing an instrument? According to the study findings, singing can result in better executive (决策的) function but not memory, suggesting that playing an instrument has additional brain health benefits. Why singing would help us with our executive function is not clear and requires further investigation. However, singing has a strong social benefit when done in choirs, and there is good evidence that being involved in social activity is good for our brain health.

Playing an instrument or singing seems to have benefits to our brain health in ageing, according to the study. What is yet to be established is whether this would also help prevent future cognitive decline (下降) or dementia. The study provides no evidence for this yet and it is also not clear how the findings apply to the general population, since most people in the study were female, well-educated and well-off.

1. What does the new study center on?

A．The cognition improvement by singing in a choir.

B．Musical people’s ability of keeping focused on tasks.

C．Academic progress of children playing an instrument.

D．Musicality’s effect upon better cognition later in life.

2. Who might improve most in memory according to the passage?

A．Catherine who sings in a choir.	B．Sam who was born in a music family.
C．Mary who played the piano for years.	D．Jack who is eager to get music education.

3. What does the underlined word “established” mean in Paragraph 4?

A．Proved.

B．Started.

C．Announced.

D．Admitted.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards the findings of the study?

A．Objective.

B．Opposed.

C．Unclear.

D．Supportive.

7 . Newspapers are losing the battle against smartphones as the preferred place to learn the news, but one woman has found a way to bridge the divide and bring the print to the people.

Kelsey Russell makes TikToks in which she goes through a single article and explains the context along the way. “I got a subscription to the Sunday New York Times physical copy,” she said in one video. At first, she didn’t like reading from a small cellphone screen, and it was her doctor who brought her to print newspapers after suggesting she address her anxiety by going back to activities she enjoyed as a kid. “When I was little, I would read the newspaper with my parents,” she said. “So I said, ‘Let me just go back to what made me happy as a child.’”

“When I read the news on print, I actually had time to process what was going on.” Russell approaches her videos as a learning experience. She tries to read at least one newspaper a day. However, a part of Russell feared the bad news, and she said what she read often felt like depressing and disheartening. That experience isn’t unique; a recent report found many people actively choosing to avoid news because they consider news boring and despairing.

Despite the struggles, Russell’s unique approach has appealed to a wide audience, lifting her fame and influencing. She has almost 90,000 followers on TikTok and more than 5.3 million likes on her videos.

Still, Russell said she wasn’t seeking to revive (复兴) the print newspaper industry(a survey found that only 5% of adults preferred print publications) and she instead encouraged people to get their news from wherever they can. Her priority is simply that the news sources are credible. “Media literacy (素养) is bigger than just reading on print,” she said. “It’s also a great way for humans to think critically about the whole entire world.”

1. Why did Russell start reading newspaper in TikToks?

A．To manage her stress.	B．To recall her childhood.
C．To digest current events.	D．To promote physical reading.

2. What challenge does Russell face?

A．Managing audience engagement.

B．Addressing negative view of Tiktok.

C．Overcoming personal anxieties about news.

D．Approaching audience’s learning difficulties.

3. What is Russell’s main concern according to the last paragraph?

A．Attracting media’s attention.

B．Encouraging creative thinking.

C．Reviving the print newspaper industry.

D．Ensuring the reliability of news sources.

4. What is a suitable title for the passage?

A．Print News Meets TikTok	B．News Revolution in TikTok
C．The Rise of Media Engagement	D．Improving Digital Media Literacy

8 . Without goals, you may feel like wandering through life without a plan, purpose, or sense of direction. Despite knowing the importance of goals, many people fail to set a meaningful goal and successfully achieve it.     1     Others set lots of goals for themselves but end up not achieving them. Read on, and you may benefit a lot from a set of steps as follows.

Set a SMART goal and write it down.

The first step is to figure out what you want or need to change.     2     It is a goal that has the following required elements: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. Writing down your goal is also important because this simple step is proven to make you more likely to accomplish it.

    3    

After you identify a SMART goal, the next step is to make a specific plan on exactly how you will achieve it. You should break the goal down into a set of actionable steps you can take.     4     Besides, it’s beneficial to make a list of outcomes or specific milestones that will indicate progress.

Take small, consistent (持续的) steps early on.

Early on, it can be better to make small changes to your daily routine than to make big changes all at once. Consistency is key when it comes to working towards any goal. Research has shown that it takes an average person 66 days to form a new habit.     5     It no longer requires as much attention, time, and effort as before, thus boosting your confidence and keeping you on the track of achieving your goal.

A．Reconsider your goal.

B．Make an action plan to get started.

C．You then need to turn this into a SMART goal.

D．Some of them don’t know where or how to start.

E．Keeping track of your progress helps you stay focused.

F．Once this happens, the new behavior has become “automatic”.

G．Identify the skills and strategies you need to complete each step.

9 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使其构成一篇完整的短文。续写的词数应为150左右。

The boiling hot sun beamed onto us as we walked out for the state-cup finals. The mix of excitement and nervousness created tension in the air as everyone walked out onto the football field. I could feel my heart pounding everywhere in my body as both teams lined up.

Starting midfield, like always. 90-minute game, like always. But this was the most extraordinary stage we’ve ever played on. All parents of us were invited to watch the match. As we got ready for kickoff, fear took over my body. Coach says confidence is the biggest part of the game, but for me, it’s my biggest enemy.

My thoughts were interrupted as the high-pitched whistle stabbed my ears, and the game began. The ball came straight to me. I drove forward, slipped around a defender (后卫), and lost it. On the very next play, I gave it straight away again. I could feel my confidence just seeping away. I told myself I wouldn’t lose it again.

“Come on, Aidan, keep the ball!” shouted Griffin, my teammate. It wasn’t mean or anything. We’ve known each other for years and played together for a long time. But it was not helping. I just played it safe next time and passed it back. Barely even on target, I was losing it. I could feel our coach, Caden’s eyes burning into the back of my head.

“Aidan, stay out wide on the start and get up that field. You’ve done it before, it’s coming to you on this kickoff. Use your speed.” once again shouted Griffin. But I didn’t feel fast enough. I felt like there were rocks tied to my ankles when I ran.

The whistle blew twice for halftime. The score was still 0-0. It was a bad game on our part, sun peeked through my hair into my eyes. My mouth was as dry as a desert.

注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按下列格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

“Are you OK?” Griffin passed me a bottle of water.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Exchanging a high-five with the coach, we walked back onto the field.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10 . 阅读下面材料，在题后空白处填入适当的内容（每空一词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

Piyingxi, or Chinese shadow puppetry is a traditional opera art among Chinese people. According to historical records, shadow puppetry originated     1     Western Han Dynasty and became popular in Ming & Qing.

Shadow puppetry is an art with a perfect     2     (combine) of light, image, sound and color. In lamp light, the shadow puppet looks crystalline (似水晶的) and graceful, with the cut-out parts brighter than     3     rest.

The performers hold joysticks in their hands that they grab, grind, roll, and press     4     (create) flowing motions, which is exactly     5     the ancient called “a million soldiers in two hands.” In addition to images, performers tell their stories in the locally popular tone with musicians     6     (play) instruments in the background.

The coloring is also an     7     (amaze) step in making a shadow figure. The favorite colors are the pure ones, most of     8     are red, green and black in practice, as yellow is the original color of the skins, and the light leaked through the cut-outs is     9     (natural) white.

The harmonious co-existence of sounds, colors, light and shadow     10     (make) shadow puppetry a colorful addition to people’s leisure time.