1 . Left-handed people can find it inconvenient to do certain things, writing in a notebook for example.     1     Research found that they were over-represented (任职人数过多的) among fighters in combat sports. Left-handed fighters also had higher chances to win. This confirms the fighter theory.

    2     The explanation is that the two brain spheres of left-handers are more strongly connected, strengthening memorial ability.

Being left-handed might be a factor in mathematical ability. An Italian study found that for simple arithmetic there was little difference between right- and left-handed performance.     3     No one understands the reason for this.

    4     In one study, researchers showed the participants columns of abstract illustrations and asked them which ones they would prefer. Left-handed people were more likely to prefer the images on the left. Right-handed people preferred the ones on the right. Both groups disliked stuff on their opposite side.

Left-handers are also over-represented in professional, interactive sports. Researchers have looked at the influence of being left-handed on performance and interactive sports.     5     So if you have a left-handed child, you should encourage them to play table tennis, baseball and tennis. Being left-handed maximizes their chances of success in these sports.

A．Left-handed people may think differently.

B．Left-handed people have a gift for sports.

C．Left-handers may also be better at remembering events.

D．But there are a number of advantages of being left-handed.

E．But for more difficult problem-solving, left-handers won out.

F．Interactive sports have great many advantages over right handers.

G．Those that require the fastest reaction give left-handers the biggest advantage.

2 . 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。

A few years ago, I stood underneath a red overhanging cliff near my hometown. The day was amazing.     1     deer chewed on the brown grasses, an eagle rode the wind. I was tied in, ready to climb. I was attempting     2     (do) a route first try, “onsight,” which means I didn’t know     3     I was climbing into.

Just as I was about to climb, nerves in my body, which I hadn’t felt yet,     4     (say) hello. That’s not good for any athlete. Desperate, I painted a coat of     5     (confident) on my inner walls of doubt. “You can do this, and success is certain.” I firmly told myself.

It didn’t work. I fell near the top.     6     (defeat), I lowered to the ground and realized powerfully that the desire to climb the route had kept me from doing it. In a flash, I told myself that on my next attempt, success or failure was not important. “Make one move at     7     time. That’s all.” I gave myself a pass from whatever would happen. It worked.

While     8     (stand) on the top, I was deep in thought. At some point, I framed this experience for myself in terms of simple arithmetic: When I added determination, courage, and desire, I failed. When I took away the desire for success, I improved. I enjoyed it more as well, which,     9     an athlete of 30 years, I didn’t think was possible. I     10     (eventual) discovered the power of subtraction (减法).

3 . A recent study suggests that for young soccer players, participating in repetitive technical training activities involving heading during practice may result in more total head impacts, but playing in actual soccer games may cause greater magnitude (程度) head impacts.

“Headers are a fundamental component to the sport of soccer. Therefore, it is important to understand differences in header frequency and magnitude between practice and game settings,” said study author Jillian Urban, PhD, from Wake Forest School of Medicine. “Practices are easier to change than games. Therefore, understanding how we can restructure practice to reduce head impact exposure while teaching fundamental skills is critical to improving head impact safety in the sport.”

The study followed eight soccer players who were aged 14 and 15 for two seasons. Players wore a sensor (传感器) during all practices and games. Researchers recorded all activities on the field with a camera, and identified each time head contact was made.

Head impact exposure was evaluated in terms of peak head motion and impacts, or impact rate per player per hour. Researchers then compared impact rates across different activity types.

Researchers amazingly found that technical drills like heading the ball and practicing ball-control, were associated with an average impact rate of 13.7 head impacts per player per hour. Team interaction activities such as small-sided games in practice were related to an average impact rate of 0.5 head impacts per player per hour, which was slightly lower than the 1.3 head impacts observed during actual games.

The study also revealed that games were associated with the highest numbers of average rotational (旋转) head motion, which signified the greatest magnitude head impacts. However, technical training recorded the lowest numbers.

“If the goal is to reduce the number of head impacts a young soccer player may get on the field, our findings suggest the best way may be to rearrange technical training practices,” said Urban. “However, if the goal is to reduce the likelihood of players sustaining head impacts of greater magnitude, then the best bet may be to look at factors related to high-magnitude head impacts that can occur during games.” A limitation of the study is the small number of players involved.

1. Why is restructuring practice critical to improving safety?

A．Because it’s easier to make improvements in practices than in games.

B．Because headers are an essential component to the sport of soccer.

C．Because head impacts during practice are much more serious.

D．Because high-magnitude head impacts in games are unavoidable.

2. Which activity has the highest average impact rate?

A．Small-sided games in practice.	B．Technical training activities.
C．Team interaction activities.	D．Actual soccer games.

3. What’s the author’s attitude towards the scientific study?

A．Critical.

B．Skeptical.

C．Objective.

D．Supportive.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．Head impacts in training activities and games of soccer.

B．Risks that young soccer players may face on the field.

C．The importance of head impact safety in soccer game.

D．How head impact in different activity types is evaluated.

4 . When we’re really young, our parents are the celebrities of our lives. So, how about imagining them as the star of many famous films? It’s not far-fetched. Matt Bonito has done just that with his series of images that feature his father, Dom Bonito. Matt photoshopped Dom into iconic movie scenes and famous works of art and photographs.

According to Matt, his dad is integral (必要的) to scenes in many films. He’s featured alongside Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta in Pulp Fiction, and he replaces the character of Rose in Titanic. Dom is also the main character in numerous paintings. He has taken the place of the screaming person in artist Edvard Munch’s The Scream and is just one of the guys playing poker in Cassius Marcellus Coolidge’s Dogs Playing Poker.

In each image, Matt adjusts the look of his father so that he is seamlessly (无瑕疵地) part of any scene he’s in. But there are some things that always remain the same. His dad never changes out of his sweater vest and newsboy-style cap, adding a bit of humor to each image by looking out of place. “It was only ever intended for my friends and family, but it got so popular that we’ve now got dedicated pages for it right across social media,” Matt said.

Matt’s favorite part of his ongoing project is that it allows him to spend more time with his dad. “We can spend hours sitting around the dinner table laughing while we come up with ideas, and it’s never a bad thing to have an excuse to hang out with him,” he shares. “I also just love the creativity of it all. Not everything we try works, but I just love the absurdity of dropping an old man in a ridiculous outfit into—quite often—very serious scenes.”

1. What does the underlined word “far-fetched” in paragraph 1 probably mean?

A．Practical.

B．Unusual.

C．Unlikely.

D．Necessary.

2. Why are the deeds mentioned in paragraph 2?

A．To recommend some good films.

B．To present results of Matt’s work.

C．To introduce some famous artists.

D．To show Dom’s long acting career.

3. Which of the following words can describe Matt’s images?

A．Funny and creative.	B．Pretty but dull.
C．Energetic and serious.	D．Ridiculous but attractive.

4. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Matt Bonito can gain both fame and fortune.

B．Matt Bonito prefers to spend more time with his father.

C．Dom Bonito is an absurd person.

D．Dom Bonito can show his creativity and artistic talent in the film.

5 . VivoCity—Gallery for Lifestyle

As one of the largest iconic retail and lifestyle destinations that offers an exciting mix of ever evolving, refreshing, and new-to-market brands and concepts, VivoCity has been voted as the best shopping mall in Singapore in the Expat Living Readers’ Choice Awards 2023. It features wide, open spaces for waterfront entertainment and relaxation, and whenever you need a short break, there is Sky Park with rooftop water feature from where you can enjoy views of Sentosa and catch a breath or two.

Timings: Open from 10 a.m.—10 p.m. daily.

Haji Lane—Boutiques Street

For an extraordinary experience of the city’s greatest boutique shopping down one of the narrowest streets in Singapore, Haji Lane, is the perfect place to be. This narrow alley is lined with cafés, yoga studios, old-school Egyptian restaurants and boutiques by up-and-coming designers. Although this is not high-street luxury, you can definitely find some good-quality gifts here.

Timings: Most of the stores in Haji Lane open around 12 noon and close by 9 pm.

Clarke Quay—Shopping for Fashionistas

Apart from the fancy waterfront restaurants, there are also a great range of fashion boutiques, independent arts and crafts shops along this breathtaking riverside place. Being home to high-end brands from across the world, Clarke Quay is one of the most frequented tourist spots in the city.

Timings: Open from 10 am—12 midnight.

IMM—Home and Clothing

Owned by CapitaLand Mall Trust, The International Merchandising Mart Mall, also known as IMM Mall, is an outlet centre in Jurong East, Singapore. You can enjoy fashion shows while shopping. IMM is now Singapore’s largest outlet mall with 100 outlet stores amongst more than 220 stores, offering 80% discount of local brands all year round, such as 6ixty8ight and Charles & Keith. Aside from the local branded stores, this is one-stop mall specializing in interior furniture, including home renewal essentials, furnishings and fittings.

Timings: Open from 10 am to 10 pm.

1. What can you do if you are tired in VivoCity?

A．Have a snack in a fancy waterfront restaurant.	B．Enjoy colorful designs in the narrow alley.
C．Go to the top floor to appreciate the landscape.	D．Stop shopping to watch fashion shows.

2. Which place has the shortest opening hours?

A．VivoCity.

B．Haji Lane.

C．Clarke Quay.

D．IMM.

3. What is special about IMM?

A．It sells indoor furniture.	B．It’s located by the riverside.
C．It contains all the local brands.	D．It’s the largest shopping mall.

6 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

A young boy, named Timmy, lived in a small town. He disliked doing any work; he found it boring and would always come up with a reason to avoid it. His room was always messy with toys thrown everywhere, socks under the bed. Books and clothes piled up like a small mountain. Homework often remained untouched on the desk, buried under comic books and game controllers.

Timmy avoided chores, finding them less exciting than his digital universe. Day and night, Timmy tapped buttons, lost in virtual battles, his eyes glued to the screen. Socializing means chatting with fellow games online rather than meeting friends outside.

One Saturday morning, Timmy’s mom asked him to clean up his room. Timmy frowned and ignored his mom, diving deeper into his video game. His mother sighed and went on with her chores. That afternoon, as Timmy was standing by the window, he noticed his neighbor, Mr. Jenkins, working tirelessly in his garden, repairing the wooden fence (栅栏).

At the sight of Timmy, Mr. Jenkins smiled and called out, “Hey, Timmy, I need a helper to hold the wooden strips (木条). And could you lend me a hand for a moment?” Hesitantly, Timmy walked over. Mr. Jenkins showed him how to do it. He continued to help do gardening work such as watering and weeding(除草) in the garden. As they worked, Mr. Jenkins shared his adventurous stories when he was a soldier, and Timmy listened with respect.

Hours passed, and to Timmy’s surprise, he enjoyed helping out. His hands were dirty, but he felt delighted and meaningful. As they finished, Mr. Jenkins thanked Timmy and showed him the result of their teamwork: a neat garden full of colorful flowers and fresh greenery. Timmy felt proud and realized that work could be fun and rewarding.

注意：1.续写词数为150 词左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

The next day, Timmy decided to give his own room a change.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Later, when his mother entered his room, she was astonished.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . Julian is a 26-year-old grassroots artist. With a bold and humorous style, his creations have earned more than 6 million ________ on several social media platforms and sold more than 60,000 pieces on the video platform.

However, Julian’s ________ to art was not easy. He was born in a poor village. At the age of 6, Julian began to teach himself to ________ by using waste bricks to practice on walls due to the unaffordability of art supplies. Despite facing ________, including the disability caused by an injury at the age of 11, drawing remained Julian’s passion.

________ the increased popularity of short videos, he could ________ his works online, gradually gaining success. Julian's life also got improved by selling paintings. His dreams, however, are even ________. “My goal is to share my work with more people and I also want to ________ and motivate them with humor,” Julian said. Many of his paintings reflect his journey of ________ obstacles. For Julian, it seems that the inspiration for creation is ________. In his eyes, any scene or word can be a source of inspiration.

Some media called Julian as “the Grassroots Picasso”, but he modestly rejected the ________, saying he is just a “painting hobbyist”.

Julian hopes to engage in more exciting adventures, including organizing exhibitions at home and abroad to encourage more young people to ________ their dreams. “I always believe that it is ________ to learn to persevere. If you love something, then put in more ________. The experiences we have are ________ the foundation for the future, and we will always leave our mark.” Julian said.

1.

A．fans

B．friends

C．teachers

D．authors

2.

A．addiction

B．response

C．introduction

D．path

3.

A．knock

B．draw

C．write

D．build

4.

A．difficulty

B．poorness

C．danger

D．failure

5.

A．Similar to

B．According to

C．Thanks to

D．Close to

6.

A．check

B．practice

C．collect

D．share

7.

A．harder

B．weaker

C．bigger

D．farther

8.

A．interview

B．inspire

C．invite

D．involve

9.

A．overcoming

B．decreasing

C．preventing

D．building

10.

A．timeless

B．helpless

C．endless

D．useless

11.

A．topic

B．favor

C．title

D．faith

12.

A．reflect

B．obtain

C．change

D．pursue

13.

A．urgent

B．essential

C．serious

D．smart

14.

A．wisdom

B．emotion

C．knowledge

D．effort

15.

A．laying

B．preparing

C．serving

D．creating

8 . The kitchen, often referred to as the heart of the home, is a place where delicious meals are prepared, cherished memories are made, and families are united.     1    . To ensure a safe and enjoyable cooking experience, it’s important to obey kitchen safety guidelines.

●    2    

Remember, an organized kitchen is not just pleasing but also crucial for safety. Avoid accidents by keeping countertops, stovetops, and floors clean. Always store knives out of children’s reach to prevent injuries. By maintaining organization in the kitchen, you create a safer environment for everyone in the household.

●Prevent burns

When handling hot cookers or touching any hot surfaces, always wear oven gloves to avoid burns. Moreover, heat oil slowly and monitor it closely to prevent it from splattering (泼洒), which can cause serious injuries.     3    , as the escaping steam can be extremely hot.   

●Handle food safely

    4    . This is crucial both before and after handling food. Additionally, it is vital to use separate cutting boards for raw meat to avoid infection. Moreover, all food should be cooked to the recommended temperatures. Only in this way can we make sure that harmful bacteria are got rid of, thus promoting food safety.

● Watch children in the kitchen

It is important to educate children about kitchen safety and make them aware of the potential risks in the kitchen. Keep them away from hot surfaces, sharp tools, and electrical appliances to prevent accidents. Encourage them to engage in safe cooking activities under the eyes of an adult to develop their interest in cooking.     5    .

A．Be careful with fire and heat

B．Keep the kitchen clean and organized

C．Hands must be washed to prevent cross-infection

D．Anyway, don’t leave the children alone in the kitchen

E．Be careful when opening hot containers to avoid steam burns

F．Always keep your body and fingers off the sharp edge of knives

G．However, it’s also a place where accidents can happen without safety awareness

9 . Thanks to researchers from Northwestern Polytechnical University, robot guide dogs that use an artificial intelligence language model may soon be accessible to 17 million people with visual problems in China. The AI guide dog, developed by the university, can assist with tasks like crossing streets, using elevators, and navigating (导航) indoor spaces without being connected to the Internet.

Robot guide dog is an intelligent machine with a physical form. It can interact with the environment in real-time using sensors to execute instructions or make decisions. “Though in recent years there have been some electronic navigation aids, such as electronic navigation helmets, and electronic guide dogs, they cannot engage in conversations with people or fully understand human instructions,” said Sun Zhe, an associate professor at the university.

“They can only carry out tasks according to pre-set programs. They are just cold machines. That’s not enough. The research makes it possible to provide better guidance services for people with visual problems, especially for emotional companionship, ” Sun said.

“People with visual problems face numerous challenges in daily life, including navigation difficulties and safety threats,” Sun said. “Smart guide dogs using the language model can offer them more convenient and safe navigation, effectively improving their quality of life.”

Training a traditional guide dog can cost as much as 200,000 yuan ($ 28,000), and there are fewer than 200 guide dogs in China. Therefore, the research team began developing the smart guide dog based on the AI model, which is much more affordable for people with visual problems. Its findings have been published in the Communications of the Chinese Computer Society.

“The current results prove the possibility of this approach, but there is still some wayto go before it can be put into practical application,” Sun said. “We will put more effort into it and make it available for those in need as soon as possible.”

1. What can the AI guide dog do?

A．Send out all instructions.	B．Navigate without Internet.
C．Improve the AI technology.	D．Imitate human conversations.

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

A．Change.

B．Guide.

C．Conduct.

D．Explain.

3. Why did Sun Zhe’s team start the research?

A．To analyze AI guide dogs.	B．To use sensors to carry out tasks.
C．To compare different AI guide dogs.	D．To offer better guidance for those in need.

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

A．AI Guide Dogs May Offer Visual Aid	B．AI Guide Dogs Will Reduce the Cost
C．AI Guide Dogs May Navigate Indoor Spaces	D．AI Guide Dogs Will Replace Traditional Dogs

10 . Do you know how to cycle? It is a skill that, once learned, is never forgotten. For the majority of us, the art of balancing on two wheels was mastered during our childhood. Many still wear helmets, put feet on the pedals, and take a ride around the streets. And in recent years, cycling has become more and more popular. What attracts people to ride their bikes once again?

Cycling offers a lot of advantages that affect both our physical and mental health. For example, regular cycling can improve the function of our cardiovascular (心血管的)system, assist in the burning of extra body fat and strengthen our leg muscles. A long ride in the countryside helps us to clear our mind easily.

Riding a bike is a smart choice for getting to work, shopping, or sightseeing. You can save money that you would otherwise spend on fuels and fares. Unlike cars that struggle with parking, bikes can be easily locked up. Then, on the train, there are chances at stations and other people speaking loudly on their phones. Cyclists face neither of these problems. And if we’re worried about safety, there are cycle lanes in many cities, or we can wear light-colored clothes to improve our safety when cycling on the roads.

Cycling can also be good for the environment. It cuts our carbon footprint, which means we make less pollution. It’s great for our planet and keeps the air clean around us. When we ride bikes, we don’t use fuel like cars do, and that’s really good for our environment.

Therefore, more and more people choose to ride for many benefits such as improving their health, easily going to work, saving money, protecting the environment, or a combination of these factors.

1. When do most people learn to ride?

A．In their free time.	B．After their retirement.
C．At their young ages.	D．During their adulthood.

2. Which of the following best describes cycling?

A．It is a good way to save money.

B．It is a great idea to relax cyclists.

C．It is dangerous to cycle on the roads.

D．It is difficult to find a place park the bike.

3. How does cycling affect the environment?

A．Consumes more fuels.	B．Increases air pollution.
C．Causes fewer accidents.	D．Reduces carbon footprint.

4. In which section of a magazine may this text appear?

A．Sports & Health.	B．Travel & Culture.
C．Science & Technology.	D．Animals & Environment.