1. Who first developed plastic on a large scale?
A.A Frenchman. | B.An Englishman. | C.An American |
A.They didn't wear out easily. |
B.They were easy to wash. |
C.They were comfortable. |
A.They were colorful. | B.They were cheap. | C.They were light in weight. |
A.The popularity of plastic. |
B.Different ways of using plastic. |
C.The harmful side of plastic. |
A.He had an unexpected guest. |
B.He prepared his report till late. |
C.He dropped by Daniel's house. |
3 . Health, as the old saying goes, is over wealth, so it’s of great significance to keep fit. You can take away our money, our house, or our clothes and we can survive.
Eating healthfully is important to maintain one’s health. I try to avoid foods high in fat like French fries or cookies. I also try to limit the amount of animal protein I consume.
Our muscles must continue to be strong to support our body as we age. Exercise helps the bones build density and helps us maintain our posture.
By eating properly and exercising regularly, I can keep my body at an appropriate weight and can maintain my health. By spending time with my friends, I can keep my mind as well as my body happy.
A.It can also strengthen our muscles. |
B.Take away our health and we will die. |
C.Friends are an important part of one’s health. |
D.These are my three secrets to keeping a healthy lifestyle. |
E.Besides, I always stay away from junk food which lacks nutrients. |
F.By joining in relaxing activities, I can refresh myself to study well. |
G.Instead, I eat lots of vegetables and fruit which are rich in fiber and vitamins. |
4 . Tickets have gone on sale today for the UK's first festival exploring the impact of forests, bringing together writers, artists, poets, scientists and philosophers for a three-day event in some of England's finest woodlands.
Running from 6-8 July 2024, the festival, called Timber, will be held at Feanedock, a woodland site in the National Forest. The 200-square-mile National Forest, stretching across Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Staffordshire, was the first forest to be created in England for over 1,000 years. It was planted over the course of the 1990s to regenerate a landscape that had been left scarred (伤痕) and abandoned by the closure of the Midlands coalfields.
The festival will feature talks and discussions about the relationship between humans and nature. There will also be a music programme, ranging from campfire performances to three live music stages and DJ sets: the full line-up will be announced early next year.
Timber follows a string of new festivals focused around the debate of specific subjects. In 2023, the first Bluedot festival was held at Jodrell Bank observatory, combining music with a celebration of science, art and technology. Others include Camp Wildfire, a two-day festival of bushcraft and outdoor adventure activities, and Brainchild festival, which celebrates DIY culture and the creative work of young people.
1. What was the condition of the National Forest before the 1990s?A.A wildfire destroyed parts of the forest. |
B.It was a popular location for hosting festivals. |
C.The forest suffered from the impact of the coal industry. |
D.Extensive tree planting projects were undertaken in the forest. |
A.It is a four-day festival. |
B.Tickets are not on sale yet. |
C.Live music performances are available. |
D.The full schedule of activities has been released. |
A.Timber festival. | B.Camp Wildfire. | C.Bluedot festival. | D.Brainchild festival. |
5 . On these dark winter evenings, I find myself daydreaming of summer. I think of the one activity and place that quiets my mind: clamming (挖蛤) on Cape Cod.
Before I had kids, it was a much-needed active outing after days of vacation-level eating. But when I went with kids, the experience took a turn from relaxation to devotion. The bay became part of the world I was trying to build for my children. The act of clamming became an unexpected escape,a moment when I wasn't thinking about 20 different things, when I wasn’t really thinking at all.
This year, for the first time, my children joined in the clamming. I kept yelping (尖叫) when my children almost raked (用耙子耙) my feet. But there was joy in having something to teach them, to connect them not only to a generational tradition but also to the history of the land. And when they raised their basket and it wasn’t a rock for the hundredth time, but rather a shining clam, it was a richer moment than if they had struck gold. Seeing a child holding up a clam with an expression of success on his face does more for the heart than any meditation (冥想) ever could.
I hope that one day my children will view clamming as the relaxation that I do. They are not there yet.At this point, it is more adventure than getaway. At the end of our clamming morning, my 6-year-old refused to leave, insisting she needed one more clam. When she finally caught one more clam, she laughed, pride written all over her face. To be fair, perhaps what she needed to get from clamming was not what I needed. Perhaps what she needed was to have a tiny bit of control over this wild world, one in which she has little say. In that moment, she was victorious, if not in calm, then in clam.
1. Why did the author go clamming before having children?A.To get together with her friends. | B.To spend quality time with her family. |
C.To escape the responsibility as an adult. | D.To enjoy relaxation after overeating. |
A.The experience of clamming. | B.The benefits of meditation. |
C.The change of a generational tradition. | D.The necessity of exploring the land. |
A.Demanding and boring. | B.Complicated and tiring. |
C.Adventurous and rewarding. | D.Painful and disappointing. |
A.They are successful in removing stress. | B.Clamming is the most interesting to them. |
C.They refused to leave the bay. | D.Clamming has different meanings to them. |
6 . Deanna Jump made headlines when it was announced she’d brought in a million dollars selling her lesson plans online. Despite the windfall, Jump, has no plans to quit the work she considers her calling. She spoke with us about her secrets for creating units that kids and fellow teachers can’t resist.
How did you get the idea of selling your work online?
Deanna Jump: I’ve always created my own activities and units, and I’ve always shared them with my fellow teachers. A few years ago, one of my team members said, “Your stuff is so good. You’ve got to put it on Teachers Pay Teachers.” I got started. The first year, my sales were really slow with about $300. But I thought that was great.
How has the income changed your life?
DJ: Teachers in America don’t make a lot of money, so I really consider it a blessing. I have a brother who’s a quadriplegic (四肢瘫痪的人). For about 13 years, he was stuck at home unless he had a doctor’s appointment. With my first big check, we bought a van so our mother could take him around. I also give some to my community. But I still drive a Kia. I still live in the same house.
What advice would you give fellow teachers who might want to sell their lessons?
DJ: Stay true to yourself. My teaching style is reflected in my units. I don’t try to say, “Okay, how would this teacher over here do it?” and try to create something for her. Also, be a teacher first, and a seller second. Be careful to make sure that you don’t say, “Oh, my goodness, I haven’t put anything out for two months. I need to get something out.” I never think like that. I create things with my students in mind.
1. Deanna Jump’s lesson plans ______.A.brought her great fame | B.were put online by her colleague |
C.sold well as soon as they were put online | D.were created with the help of her colleagues |
A.other teachers are in need of it | B.it’s successful in her classroom |
C.it’s expected to be a good seller | D.she adopts a new teaching style |
A.To tell how to create lesson plans. | B.To discuss Deanna Jump’s teaching style. |
C.To show the secret for being a great teacher. | D.To offer more information about a million-dollar teacher. |
7 . I wanted to buy something today — until I figured out the cost versus the benefit. At that point I knew it was a completely stupid idea.
What I wanted to buy was an older car to have in addition to my four-year-old Smart Car that I absolutely like. So you wonder, why would I want to have another car as well? The reason is ... grandkids. I have several and in the Smart Car I can only have one passenger (It’s a two-seater). Besides, one of my daughters-in-law does not trust the Smart Car as a vehicle for her daughter Lily to ride in, so that’s one little girl I can’t take anywhere at all. My husband also has a car -- and a truck.
So that’s why I had the stupid idea to buy an old Toyota I found on the lot of an honest used car salesman. Thank heavens I came to my senses before I spent $ 8000 to buy it, $ 80 or so to license it and probably $ 500 to insure it for a year. It would be senseless to buy that car.
My grandkids just have to continue to come with me one by one. I can’t take two girls out to lunch or two girls shopping or pick up the brother and sister that live in the same house. As for the little one that’s not allowed to ride with me ... well, Grandpa will have to pick her up. As for me, I didn’t get money in my savings account by being totally stupid. Sure, doing things with the kids is fun, but spending that kind of money to put two or more of them in a group — which would probably drive me crazy anyway — is really dumb. Sometimes temptation can prove that you still have a little sense.
1. The author’s little grandkid Lily ______.A.refused to stay with her |
B.was not allowed to take her car |
C.was always picked up by her husband |
D.thought it was dangerous to drive a Smart Car |
A.it was a used car |
B.she couldn’t afford it |
C.there was no need for it |
D.the salesman was unreliable |
A.difficult | B.stupid | C.reasonable | D.amazing |
A.Look before you leap. |
B.Better late than never. |
C.Don’t judge a book by its cover. |
D.Every advantage has its disadvantage. |
8 . Jerry, 81 years old, set out from Big Pine, California, on February 24th to return to his home in Gardnerville, Nevada.
The temperatures dropped from 35F to15F overnight, and many areas saw
Jerry survived by
On February 28, the Inyo County Search and Rescue team received “a call for a
Jerry was only in the hospital for a few hours and afterward was returned to his
Christian hopes his grandfather’s miraculous (奇迹般的) rescue can serve as a warning to others about just how
A.Luckily | B.Unexpectedly | C.Undoubtedly | D.Obviously |
A.week | B.month | C.day | D.year |
A.little | B.small | C.large | D.moderate |
A.warm | B.dull | C.long | D.freezing |
A.eating | B.smelling | C.selling | D.counting |
A.turn down | B.rolled down | C.took down | D.pushed down |
A.safe | B.warm | C.quiet | D.happy |
A.talented | B.hopeless | C.missing | D.special |
A.sand | B.ice | C.dust | D.snow |
A.medical | B.temporary | C.private | D.daily |
A.shop | B.company | C.home | D.car |
A.playing | B.behaving | C.sleeping | D.recovering |
A.entertaining | B.dangerous | C.unforgettable | D.annoying |
A.trapped | B.injured | C.confused | D.arrested |
A.healthy | B.interesting | C.complicated | D.amazing |
9 . Being bored is no fun, especially at work. But new research out of the Research School of Management at Australian National University argues that while boredom is certainly boring, it isn’t all bad. The disliked mental state can actually spark precious creativity.
The study asked 52 subjects to do a pretty boring job: sort apart a bowl of red and green beans with just one hand for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, 49 other subjects — the control group — were instructed to create art projects with paper, beans and glue. Once the 30 minutes was over, each group was instructed to spend five minutes on a creative task: they had to come up with reasons why a hypothetical (假定的) person was two hours late for a meeting.
The bored group came up with not just more ideas than the control group, but more creative ideas than the control group, too. The quality and quantity of production was higher for people who were bored than those who were not. Creativity itself was measured under a standard that balanced novelty and practicality. Ideas had to fit both criteria to be considered creative.
Guiyun Park, the study’s lead author, readily admits that not every type of job permits the fun of boredom, and it can really be harmful to some important work. But for designers and anyone in a creative field, boredom is not something to fear, but to embrace. Sometimes, the best way to be productive is to expect nothing of yourself at all.
1. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?A.The process of the research. | B.The benefits of the research. |
C.The reasons for the research. | D.The disadvantage of the research. |
A.Boredom can do harm to some work. |
B.All types of jobs can embrace boredom. |
C.Boredom is not always something to fear. |
D.Boredom can be favourable to art designers. |
A.Concerned. | B.Negative. | C.Positive. | D.Indifferent. |
A.The Role of Boredom in Increasing Productivity |
B.The Negative Impact of Boredom on the Workplace |
C.Why Boredom Should Be Avoided in Creative Fields |
D.Unlocking Creativity: The Unexpected Benefit of Boredom |
10 . If you use the internet, you’ve probably heard of a filter bubble (过滤气泡). Internet sites and social media platforms use algorithms (算法) that show you content based on your previous interactions, likes, and shares. Over time, this creates a filter bubble where you only see content that agrees with your interests and beliefs, which serves to convince you that your beliefs are true. But what you might not know is that in similar fashion, your brain has several mechanisms to filter information, creating personal filter bubbles that deeply shape how you live your life.
Self-created filter bubbles happen through various cognitive processes, and they have multiple consequences. They shape your experience of what’s happening by forming a lens (镜片) through which you see and interpret the world. On the internet, because things are being presented based on past user history, no two people get the same results when they search for something on Google or open their news feed. In real life, no two people are experiencing an event or seeing a situation in the exact same way, because we all bring our own past experiences and biases (偏见) to situations, causing us to process them differently.
Filter bubbles can cause you to stay stuck in self-created and often self-limiting patterns of thought and behavior. If you’ve ever wondered why change is so hard, it’s because your mental filter bubbles make it difficult to see different possibilities. If you hold the belief that you’re not someone who can have a high-paying job, you won’t look for one and you’ll only seek out and see jobs that match up with what you think you’re worth.
Filter bubbles can also prevent critical thinking and can lead to a limited and biased view of the world, where people don’t consider alternative viewpoints and don’t engage with others outside of their own circles. When we only consume information that confirms our preexisting beliefs and values, we don’t question the truth of that information or properly evaluate the evidence.
While you can’t prevent your brain from creating selective filter bubbles, you can become more aware so that you don’t have to be limited or trapped by them.
1. What can we learn about filter bubbles?A.They have little effect on us. |
B.They shape our interpretations of the world. |
C.They are frequent occurrences and have little effect on us. |
D.They assist us in making friends with like-minded individuals. |
A.They facilitate open-mindedness and flexibility. |
B.They help individuals adapt quickly to new situations. |
C.They prevent individuals from successfully securing a job. |
D.They make individuals resistant to seeking out new opportunities. |
A.Barriers to overcoming filter bubbles. |
B.Benefits of recognizing filter bubbles. |
C.Ways to avoid getting trapped in the filter bubbles. |
D.Examples of your brain creating mental filter bubbles. |
A.Negative. | B.Indirect. | C.Positive. | D.Unclear. |