1 . There are thousands of languages in the world. But which language is the oldest? Experts use different methods to find out the age of a language.

Finding the oldest language is a challenging task, according to Danny Hieber, an expert in the study of endangered languages. “If we think that most languages can date back to an original human language, all languages are equally old,” Hieber said. However, it’s impossible to find out such language —the direct ancestor of every language in the world. Accordingly, some experts believe that the “oldest language” should belong to one with a well-established written record.

Many of the earliest recorded examples of writing come from languages that used cuneiform script (楔形文字). Among these languages are Sumerian and Akkadian, both dating back at least 4,600 years. Experts have also found Egyptian hieroglyphs that date to around the same historical period. These hieroglyphs, which can be translated into “He has united the Two Lands for his son, Dual King Peribsen,” are considered the earliest complete sentence ever discovered.

Experts generally agree that Sumerian, Akkadian and Egyptian are the oldest languages with a clear written record. All three are extinct, meaning that they are no longer used and don’t have any living followers which can carry the language to the next generation.

As for the oldest language that is still spoken, several competitors appear. Hebrew and Arabic stand out among such languages for having timelines that experts can reasonably find, according to Hieber. Although these earliest written languages only date back around 3,000 years, Hieber said, “both of them belong to the Afroasiatic language family, whose roots date back to 18, 000 to 8,000 B. C. E. , or about 20,000 to 10,000 years ago.” Even with this wide period of time, it is widely accepted that Afroasiatic is the oldest language family. But the exact point in time when Hebrew and Arabic separated from other Afroasiatic languages is heavily debated among experts.

1. How do experts determine the age of a language?

A．By studying its spoken dialects.	B．By analyzing its basic grammar.
C．By examining its written records.	D．By comparing it to other languages.

2. What is the value of the Egyptian hieroglyphs?

A．They’re an example of cuneiform script.	B．They belong to the Afroasiatic language.
C．They provide evidence of the oldest language.	D．They’re the earliest-known complete sentences.

3. What does the underlined word “extinct” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Gone

B．Ancient.

C．Outdated.

D．Active.

4. What is the main disagreement among experts regarding Hebrew and Arabic?

A．The reason for their standing out.	B．The exact time of their separation.
C．The appearance of their competitors.	D．The roots of earliest written languages.

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。

Tai Chi is par of China’s traditional culture. It is a unique type of Chinese kung fu marked with slow and gentle movements    1     are designed for self-protection, strengthening of body and prevention of diseases. Tai Chi’s movements with deep breathing and relaxation can help promote inner peace and calm, so it is suitable    2     people of different ages.

Tai Chi    3    (date) back as far as 2, 500 years. It is said that Zhang Sanfeng, a 13th-century Taoist, invented Tai Chi after watching     4     fight between a snake and a bird. However, more people tend to believe that Tai Chi     5     (develop) on the basis of martial arts skills by Chen Wangting, a l7th-century master of Chinese martial arts.   

In general, it is believed that Tai Chi can slow down aging, strengthen muscles, and aid in the treatment of heart disease, skin diseases and many other    6     (illness). Besides, Tai Chi can improve mood if people are worried or depressed. According to some studies,     7    (practice) Tai Chi on a daily basis can also help people get a     8     (good) sleep. With so many benefits of Tai Chi, more and more people begin to pick up this     9     (amaze) Chinese traditional sport to improve the quality of     10     (they) life.

3 . 选择合适的短语并用正确的形式填空

donate... to...,       stir up,       refer to,       on hand,       date back,       prevent... from...,       in ruins

1. I always keep a pen______ ______ in case I need to write something down.
2. This ancient vase ______ ______ to the 12th century.
3. If you have any questions, please ______ ______ the instruction book.
4. The fence will ______the dog ______escaping.
5. His speech ______ ______ a lot of debate among the audience yesterday.

4 . Not all birds sing, but some species(物种)do it a lot. They sing to protect their place and impress possible mates (配偶). “Why birds sing is relatively well-answered,” says Iris Adam, a behavioral neuroscientist at the University of Southern Denmark. The big question was:Why do birds sing so often?

In a new study, Adam and her team members offer a new explanation, suggesting that songbirds may have to sing a lot to give their vocal (声音的) muscles the regular exercise they need to produce top-quality song. These findings could be related to human voices too. “Anytime you stop speaking, you might experience a loss in vocal performance,” said Adam, “songbirds one day could help us improve how we train and restore our own voices.”

To figure out whether the muscles that produce birdsong require daily exercise, Adam designed a set of experiments on zebra finches.

One of her first experiments was about taking males at the top of their game, and cutting off the connection between their brains and singing muscles. “After two days, they had lost some of their performance,” she said. “And after three weeks, they were back to the same level when they were young and never had sung before.”

Next she prevented the birds from singing for a week by keeping them in the dark almost around the clock. After a week, the birds’ vocal muscles lost half their strength. When she played it for a group of female birds, six out of nine preferred the song that came from a male who’d been using his singing muscles daily.

Adam’s finding is that “songbirds need to exercise their vocal muscles to produce top-performance song. If they don’t sing, they lose performance, and they get less attractive to females.”

It’s a good rule to live by, whether you’re a bird or a human — practice makes perfect, at least when it comes to singing one’s heart out.

1. What’s the focus of Adam and her team members’ study?

A．How birds train their vocal muscles.

B．The effect of music on birds’ behaviour.

C．The relationship between brain function and birds’ song.

D．Whether birds need to sing often to keep their singing ability.

2. What was the effect of preventing the birds from singing for a week?

A．Their vocal muscles became stronger.

B．They became more attractive to females.

C．Their vocal muscles lost half their strength.

D．They didn’t show any change in singing performance.

3. How did the female birds react to the male bird using vocal muscles daily?

A．They did not show any preference.

B．Most of them preferred his song.

C．They found his song less attractive.

D．None of them were interested in his song.

4. What’s the main message conveyed by the study?

A．Birds need to sing to impress possible mates.

B．Birds sing to mark their place and attract females.

C．Regular exercise is for keeping birds’ singing performance.

D．Human singing performance can be improved by studying songs.

5 . 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。

Every weekend, Yang Jie spends at least a morning at a book house by the 6,300 km-long Yangtze River, reading while enjoying a cup of coffee. The book house that Yang Jie often visits     1     (call) Pipa Pavilion, inspired by a famous poem Pipa Xing. Shaped like     2     pipa from a bird’s eye view, Pipa Pavilion     3     (stand) as a cultural landmark in the Jiujiang section of the Yangtze River National Cultural Park.

Pipa Pavilion offers more than 5,000 books free     4     reading, as well as a coffee shop and a tearoom. These     5     (facility) are part of the Yangtze River National Cultural Park, which aims to pass on the cultural history of Yangtze River, the     6     (long) and most iconic river in China.

Similarly, China is building cultural parks centered around the Great Wall, the Grand Canal, the Long March and the Yellow River, all of     7     are defining symbols of Chinese culture. By     8     (set) up these parks, China proudly displays     9     (it) diverse culture. More importantly, it shows how cultural and     10     (environment) protection coexist in harmony, offering a sustainable legacy (遗产) for generations to come.

6 . In the early hours of the morning on April 17, Kevin Record, 43, was sleeping in his apartment on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, England. His dog, Shogun, jumped onto the bed and ______ him up. Record’s e-scooter (电动摩托车) was sparking. In a sudden, the scooter’s battery ______ and the bedroom was quickly set on fire.

Though suffering serious life-changing ______ on the right-hand side of his body, Record managed to ______ from the flat and survive from the fire. ______, Shogun lost his life. “Losing my hero dog especially made me ______.” Record said. “He was everything to me. I’ll never ______ what he did for me.” Record added: “I can’t explain the ______ of the fire. I had never seen anything like that. Within seconds, it was like a fireball that ______ to everything in sight. It was so quick and ______.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) ______ to the apartment fire. They put out the fire but could not ______ any of Record’s belongings. Fire investigators believed that the ______ in Record’s e-scooter had been overheated while powering up, causing the scooter to catch fire.

Speaking from his hospital bed, Kevin promised he would routinely check his e-scooter and make sure it is in good working ______. After Kevin recovered from his injuries, the 43-year-old was hoping his experience would serve as a(n) ______ for anyone storing or charging e-scooters.

1.

A．pushed

B．picked

C．drew

D．woke

2.

A．fell off

B．blew up

C．turned over

D．ran out

3.

A．knocks

B．cuts

C．ruins

D．burns

4.

A．escape

B．keep

C．hear

D．suffer

5.

A．Finally

B．Typically

C．Unfortunately

D．Undoubtedly

6.

A．scared

B．nervous

C．puzzled

D．heartbroken

7.

A．forget

B．realize

C．express

D．regret

8.

A．result

B．shape

C．speed

D．color

9.

A．spread

B．awoke

C．pointed

D．jumped

10.

A．exciting

B．frightening

C．amazing

D．confusing

11.

A．backed

B．responded

C．turned

D．connected

12.

A．save

B．collect

C．move

D．deliver

13.

A．fuel

B．seat

C．engine

D．battery

14.

A．mind

B．order

C．practice

D．platform

15.

A．aim

B．model

C．warning

D．example

7 . Everyone knows a power nap feels good, but do you know that power naps fit right into your normal sleep or wake cycle? And, if done right, they can really help you get through the day.

We are built to nap

Our bodies have an inside timekeeper called the circadian rhythm (昼夜节律). The term “circadian” comes from the Latin words meaning “about (circa) a day (diem)”. It is based on 24-hour light/dark cycle and allows your body to keep with the light/dark environment. The circadian rhythm helps you fall asleep and wake up. It changes during the day, as shown in the picture.

Keys to power napping

Your body’s circadian rhythm falls and rises throughout the day. With the largest fall in the afternoon, your body becomes more tired during this time. That is to say, in the afternoon, you are designed for napping.

In studies, a nap lasting a quarter can do the most help in school performance and thinking ability. It helps you to concentrate on your class and reduce stress without affecting your ability to fall asleep at night. As for when to start, the best answer will be around 2:00 pm according to the variation of circadian rhythm.

In addition to the length and the timing, there are other ways you can make the most of your power naps:

Try deep-breathing or another relaxation technique as you start.

Choose a quiet, darkened location. A sleep mask may help.

Lie down or sit in a comfortable chair.

Listen to soft music or white noise.

Try a bit of stretching and walking around to refresh after your nap.

1. At which time does the circadian rhythm decrease?

A．From 7:00 am to 10:00 am.	B．From 10:00 am to 12:00 pm.
C．From 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm.	D．From 2:00 pm to 10:00 pm.

2. Which of the following nap length best helps your study?

A．20 minutes.

B．15 minutes.

C．10 minutes.

D．5 minutes.

3. How can we recover after a nap according to the text?

A．Stay in a quiet place.	B．Play country music.
C．Stretch our bodies.	D．Remove the eye mask.

8 . Unlike today’s practice, the Olympic Games were ______ held to honor gods.

A．typically

B．currently

C．originally

D．eventually

9 . In the continuing fever for outdoor sports and activities, China’s young generation now find themselves drawn to a new activity—lure fishing (假饵钓鱼).

Traditional fishing methods use real bait (饵) and often require hours of patient waiting. However, lure fishing takes a different approach. Here, fishermen use man-made bait to copy the movements of a fish’s natural prey (捕食) such as swimming, struggling and escaping. In this way, fish will mistake the bait for the real prey and make attack. Because fishermen need to frequently throw and take back the line to seek for fish, the sport looks elegant and is called “water golf”.

“The fish shakes and struggles sharply. The feeling is just like putting your hand out of the window while driving at fifty miles per hour,” a fishing lover says, recalling his experience of catching a big fish using a lure fishing technique.

In recent months, many young Chinese have taken to social media to share their experiences. The topic “lure fishing” has over 140,000 posts on the lifestyle platform Xiaohongshu, and videos with the same tag have billions of views on the short video platform Douyin.

Another feature that attracts the young generation is lure fishing’s environmentally-responsible approach. By using green man-made bait, the activity does not bring trouble to the natural environment of the water. Also, the general agreement in the lure fishing community is to “catch and release”, which is to let the little fish go and grow, in order to protect fish.

Moreover, lure fishing is beginner-friendly and requires less equipment compared with traditional fishing. A basic set costs between 500 and 2,000 yuan. But costs can rise significantly if you seek to take a more professional approach.

“Each fishing scene has its fishing rod (竿), and each fishing technique also has its fishing rod,” another lure fishing lover says. He adds he has seven to eight sets of fishing rods, which should come to thousands of yuan in cost.

1. How is lure fishing different from traditional methods?

A．It is a more active way.	B．It uses real small fish as bait.
C．It is a more time-consuming way.	D．It saves fishing lovers’ energy.

2. Which of the following best describes the feeling of the lure fishing lover in paragraph 3?

A．Tired.

B．Relaxed.

C．Surprised.

D．Touched.

3. Why is lure fishing thought as environmentally-friendly?

A．It uses more natural bait.	B．It requires fewer resources.
C．It improves the quality of water.	D．It maintains fish’s living condition.

4. What does the last paragraph mainly talk about lure fishing?

A．Its expenses.

B．Its skills.

C．Its benefits.

D．Its audiences.

10 . Netflix ______ Jane Austin’s novel Pride and Prejudice for a TV series by resetting it in modern London.

A．selected

B．adapted

C．described

D．published