1 . For most people, traveling through the mountains or sampling French cuisine is a rare treat.     1     If you intend to become a travel writer, here is how you can get on your professional adventure.

Learn to be a descriptive writer.

People come to travel writing from all walks of life, and publications tend to be concerned with your ability to deliver a great piece over any advanced degree. It’s important to learn skills to describe places so that your readers can feel as if they were personally on the scene.     2    

Immerse readers with your descriptive writing.

Readers want you to take them on a journey with you.     3     What you need to do is evoke (唤起) the five senses using descriptive writing techniques. The use of simile and expressive language brings the piece to life and makes the readers feel like they’re traveling along with you.

Cherry-pick the details that will tell the best story.

    4     To make a stronger piece, you need to focus on the right stories and details, which means knowing what to add and what you can leave out. Identifying what’s most important and most interesting to your audience makes for more absorbing writing.

    5    

You might be asked to write about a topic you aren’t familiar with or you might need to learn more about a place’s history or background to give your piece greater context. Doing research in advance will allow you to create an accurate and well-informed story.

Travel writing allows you to satisfy your strong desire for travel and make a living of it. It is also a way to connect people across cultures and great distances and build an appreciation for the uniqueness and diversity around us.

A．Preparation is key.

B．You don’t necessarily pay for their trip.

C．Make a living by working as a travel writer.

D．A descriptive piece should leave out the details.

E．For travel writers, it might just be another day on the job.

F．To achieve this, you might as well take a travel writing course.

G．Though you may have recorded many interesting details, you can’t include everything.

2 . Animals have developed a circadian clock—an internal body clock that runs in 24-hour cycles. It is regulated by cues (提示) from their environment. But they may suffer from a “jet lag （时差反应）” when the cues animals are exposed to do not match the ones of their natural environment.

Kristine Gandia, a PhD student at the University of Stirling in Scotland, and a team of observers set out to understand how the “jet lag” of living in latitudes (纬度) that animals were not used to can affect them. Giant pandas were chosen as the focus for the study partly because they live highly seasonal lives.”

“Giant pandas are very good animals to focus on,” Gandia said. “They are very popular in zoos and there are a lot that have cameras so we can see how their behavior changes across different latitudes. These cameras enabled us to monitor the giant pandas’ behavior across a 24-hour period.”

Gandia explained that the latitudinal range for giant pandas is between 26 and 42 degrees north. Matching latitudes could also be considered between 26 and 42 degrees south, as these mirror the temperature and lighting conditions.

The team monitored 11 giant pandas in six different zoos. Some zoos were within the animals’ natural latitudes but in other countries and the others were outside that range.

Gandia explained, “We recorded giant panda behavior, trying to account for behaviors that are positive, neutral (中性的) and negative indicators for welfare. So, this would include behaviors like play and grooming as positive behaviors, drinking and defecating as neutral maintenance behaviors, and several abnormal behaviors as negative behaviors, with pacing being the most common.”

Those living in zoos outside of their home latitude were found to be less active and display more negative behaviors.

“Giant pandas living in zoos could be suffering from a ‘jet lag’ if their body clocks don’t match their environments,” Gandia said.

1. What does Gandia and her team’s study focus on?

A．Animal behavior.

B．Animal body clock.

C．Animal popularity.

D．Animal distribution.

2. What is a reason why pandas were chosen for the study?

A．Wide latitude of their natural habitat.	B．Their strong adaptability.
C．The existing findings about them.	D．The convenience of observation.

3. How was the study carried out?

A．By analyzing reasons.	B．By comparing recordings.
C．By conducting interviews.	D．By listing examples.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Will “Jet Lag” Be Able to Be Avoided?

B．Could Animals Suffer from a “Jet Lag”?

C．Is Panda a Proper Subject to Study “Jet Lag”?

D．Does Season Have Anything to Do with “Jet Lag”?

3 . The Voynich manuscript (手稿) is a 234-page book filled with writing in a strange language now called Voynichese. It also features many strange drawings of unknown plants, people and charts. Based on the images alone, it seems to have something to do with medicine.

The language in the manuscript appears nowhere else and has become one of the greatest linguistic riddles of our day, Since its discovery, it has attracted researchers, been called a hoax (骗局), and been the subject of a huge number of articles.

By carbon dating the manuscript, researchers are pretty confident that it was constructed in the early 1400s. And through the magic of linguistic analysis, most people agree that the manuscript is not a hoax. Or, if it is, it’s a very, very complex hoax.

A paper published in 2016 by computer scientist Greg Kondrak and his student Bradley Hauer gained a lot of attention. Their theory was based on the idea that Voynichese was made with a substitution cipher (替代密码). That means it was written in a real language, and then each of the letters in that language was replaced by a specific Voynichese letter.

This is where the computing power comes in. By having a computer compare the text of the Voynich manuscript to 380 languages, Kondrak and Hauer ran the substitution cipher through as many languages as possible and determined if the text would make sense. In the end, they figured out that the original language was Hebrew, and they even translated some of the text. There are a few problems with their results, though: they compared the manuscript to modern Hebrew, not 15th-century Hebrew; they had to make “spelling corrections” for it to make sense; and, possibly most egregious (过分的) of all, they got their results using a translating app.

Despite all the innovations in code-breaking over the last century, the Voynich manuscript still rejects our advances. If Voynichese is indeed ever solved, artificial intelligence could very likely play a role.

1. What can be an agreed point about the Voynich manuscript?

A．It’s a medical book.	B．It has magic power.
C．It was made in the 1400s.	D．It tells the story of a complex hoax.

2. What does Kondrak believe?

A．Voynichese was an endangered language.	B．Voynichese will be replaced soon.
C．Voynichese was made by somebody.	D．Voynichese will attract more attention.

3. What can be inferred about Kondrak’s research?

A．Its samples were insufficient.	B．It failed to get the text to make sense.
C．It didn’t determine the original language.	D．Its conclusion was not convincing enough.

4. What does the author express in the last paragraph?

A．Doubt.

B．Expectation.

C．Determination.

D．Concern.

4 . It was an innocent little detail, backed by centuries of science, in a chemistry book about tea, something American author Michelle Francl never anticipated would cause a stir among the British.

In her new book, Steeped: The Chemistry of Tea, Francl analyzed caffeine levels and studied the molecules that give tea its good smell. She uncovered the little-known presence in tea of other chemicals, including fluoride and aluminum. And she also mentioned a careful study of an 8th-century Chinese article that called for salt to be added to the boiling water.

“The sodium ions (钠离子) in the salt block our sense of bitterness,” says Francl, a chemistry professor at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. “So if you put a tiny bit of salt in — not enough to taste — you make the cup of tea or coffee smoother and less bitter.”

The recipe for a perfect cup of tea, she wrote in her book, includes a little salt. And for tea with milk, Francl recommends warming the milk first, so that it doesn’t curdle (凝结) when it hits the hot water.

Sounds harmless, right? But anyone with British friends and loved ones — or who’s spent more than five minutes in the United Kingdom — will know that recipe amounts to blasphemy. Within hours of the publication of Francl’s book, face palm emojis (捂脸表情) were appearing across the British Isles.

“Hot milk and salt!? Who is this person?” radio host Toni McDonald shouted on his program.

“This scientist supposes that the only way to have a decent cup of tea is with a little salt? That’s foolish!” another radio host, Vic Minett, said.

To respond to these complaints, the U.S. Embassy’s public affairs officer, Rodney Ford told the press, “We want to say to the good people of the U.K. that the unthinkable idea of adding salt to Britain’s national drink is not official United States policy — and never will be.”

1. Why is the Chinese article mentioned in paragraph 2?

A．To tell us where Francl got her idea.

B．To prove tea making enjoys a time-honored history.

C．To introduce the social background of Francl’s book.

D．To explain how tea-making was brought to Britain from China.

2. What can reduce the bitter taste in the tea according to the text?

A．Salt.

B．Boiling water.

C．Curdled milk.

D．An unknown chemical.

3. What does the underlined word “blasphemy” in paragraph 5 mean?

A．Embarrassment.

B．Unbalance.

C．Disrespect.

D．Desperation.

4. What did Francl’s book cause in Britain?

A．Tea craze.

B．Heated discussion.

C．Policy change.

D．Public anger.

5 . Ready to make a good choice for vacation days? Enter Tripadvisor Plus, a membership that the travel company launched. For $99 a year, this subscription service promises discounts and special services for you.

When you book travel through Tripadvisor Plus, members will see a full menu of savings and perks (额外待遇), with eligible properties marked by a Plus logo. Tripadvisor Plus members will save an average of $350 per stay. You’ll also receive a 10% discount on select experiences booked directly through its website. As for the perks, we’re not just talking about a few chocolates. Perks could mean spa services, or even a few meals on the house.

As you’re planning your trip, you can message with travel experts on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. They’ll respond, typically within one business day, with advice on hotels, top restaurants, and can’t-miss experiences.

The first year of your subscription also includes Hertz Five Star elite status, which offers benefits such as car rental upgrades and priority services while you’re hitting the road.

Right now, the members-only perks apply to 100,000 hotels and 400,000 experiences worldwide and these locations are based on where Americans travel most. While we plan to add properties in the future, if you’re dreaming of more off-the-beaten-path destinations, you might not get the most out of your membership.

You’ll receive a full refund of your $99-a-year fee if you cancel your subscription within the first 90 days. However, you can get that refund only if you haven’t already booked a hotel or experience through your membership. Also, keep in mind that your subscription will be automatically renewed each year.

1. What advantage can a Tripadvisor Plus member probably take?

A．Discount on select experiences.	B．Free meals for the whole trip.
C．Priority in five-star hotels.	D．Expert advice on off-the-beaten-path destinations.

2. Who are the intended readers of the text?

A．Travelers to America.	B．Americans planning for a trip.
C．Property runners seeking to attract guests.	D．American travel agencies promoting routes.

3. What does the last paragraph remind readers about the Tripadvisor Plus subscription?

A．It is free of charge for the first year.	B．It can be cancelled unconditionally.
C．It will be automatically renewed annually.	D．It should be confirmed within 90 days.

6 . 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。

Spending time in the great outdoors is a full-on sensory experience with endless skies, beautiful forests, the sounds of the wind and the warm feeling of sunrays     1     (rest) on your face. In addition to nature’s     2     (enjoy) sights, sounds and sensations, the familiar smells of nature can be just as appealing. In fact, a recent study found that nature doesn’t just smell good, but its fragrances make people feel good as well.

The researchers from the University of Kent in the UK     3     (send) 194 participants to relax in the woodlands throughout the four seasons. The participants reported feeling relaxed when they smelled     4    they described as “fresh air” or “earthy” smells. According to the study, these smells brought back fun memories of their childhoods.     5    instance, pine trees made some participants think about Christmas.

“We found that smells affected multiple fields of well-being with physical well-being discussed most    6     (frequent), particularly in relation to relaxation, comfort and rejuvenation (恢复活力),” wrote the researchers in the study. They also found that people feel more settled in a smell-free zone, with this result possibly     7     (link) to the absence of bad- smelling urban smells, like pollution.

Dr Jessica Fisher, study co-author, pointed out these results could     8     (apply) in future practice. In his opinion, when    9     comes to enjoying a hike in the woods or a picnic under the open skies, it pays     10     (keep) not only one’s eyes and ears, but also one’s nose, open.

7 . Are worms the heroes we didn’t know we needed? Silent, slimy and wriggling (扭动), you might think that worms are good for nothing except bait (诱饵) on the end of a fishing pole.     1    

The British naturalist Charles Darwin said that no other animal has “played such an important part in the history of the world as these lowly organised creatures”. They have lived on Earth for 600 million years and have even survived five mass extinctions.     2    

Earthworms literally move the earth, and this is why farmers love them. As they travel, they aerate (使透气) the soil by loosening, mixing and oxygenating it.     3     They are effectively a small but very efficient plough (犁). But it’s not just earthworms that deserve praise.

In 2022, a group of scientists at the Margarita Salas Centre for Biological Research isolated enzymes (酶) found in wax worm saliva (唾液) which are plastic-eating.     4     It’s hoped that by producing these enzymes on an industry-level scale, we will have a more environmentally friendly way to reduce plastic pollution.

    5     Bloodworms are small sea creatures which press themselves into the mud of the ocean floor. Scientists at the University of California, Santa Barbara have been studying their jaws, which are made up of 10% copper proteins (铜蛋白) and are so strong that they last the worm’s entire five-year lifespan. Because of this research, engineers may start using the jaws as inspiration for the design and manufacture of materials like concrete.

So, next time you see a worm, show it a little respect. They really are changing the world!

A．So, what do worms do that is so great?

B．Worms have a lifespan of a few months.

C．And worms are even inspiring the building industry.

D．It increases the ground’s capacity to hold and empty water.

E．However, there is more to the humble worm than meets the eye.

F．Humans produce more than 300 million tons of plastic every year.

G．These can break down a very common plastic that normally breaks down over many years.

8 . Pickleball. It’s got nothing to do with pickles — it’s a sport. It has been described as a combination of tennis, badminton and table tennis. Picture a small plastic ball soaring through the air that you need to bat back to your partner, or partners.

Many Brits are listening to their inner athlete and picking up this racket game. In the UK, there are currently around 7,000 players, according to Pickleball England. But the association aims to have more than 25,000 players by 2025and is even attempting to get the sport played as part of promotion for the 2028 Olympics.

How exactly do you play this game? Well, it can be played indoors or outdoors and it can be played as a singles or doubles game. There are a few easy-to-understand rules. The ball is served underhand and should be batted diagonally across the court. On the first two hits, the ball has to bounce, but after that, players are free to volley. To win a point, the defending side must miss the ball.

So, why is it popular? Firstly, it appears to be a game for all ages. The ball is lightweight because it’s full of holes. This means that, when batting, there is much less impact on the body than when hitting a tennis ball, for example. Elaine Brown, who is in her 50s and a regular pickleball player, told news organisation, The Guardian why she loves the sport. “It’s good exercise, it’s strategic, it can be as hard or as easy as you want it to be, and most of the time it’s just good fun.”

And the social aspect and low-impact nature of the game has been attracting players worldwide, creating a blossoming community of pickleball enthusiasts, such as celebrities Bill Gates and Leonardo DiCaprio. So, if you fancy picking it up, find your local pickleball court and give it a go!

1. What is Paragraph 2 of the text mainly talk about?

A．A new event in the Olympics.	B．The favorite sport of the British.
C．The promising future of pickleball.	D．The number of people playing pickleball.

2. What can be inferred from Paragraph 3?

A．It can be played like a volleyball.

B．You don’t have to follow any game rules.

C．Defeating the defending side is very easy.

D．The game must be played with at least one partner.

3. Why does playing pickleball have less effect on the body than sports like tennis?

A．Because it is lightweight.	B．Because it is full of holes.
C．Because it is easy to play.	D．Because it is just good fun.

4. What may be Bill Gates’ attitude towards playing pickleball?

A．Indifferent.	B．Supportive.
C．Unclear.	D．Doubtful.

9 . Xu Hai’ou has spent most of her life promoting environmental protection work in Beihai, a coastal city in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, by cleaning beaches, protecting mi-grant birds and recycling kitchen waste.

Though her family originally comes from the eastern province of Shandong, the 60-year-old was raised in Guangxi and moved to Beihai for work at age 23, directly after graduating from college. Before she retired, she worked as a reporter for the Guangxi Daily Media Group, a news outlet in the region. In her free time, she became involved in voluntary work.

“In initially, in the 1990s, I helped impoverished children in Guangxi’s rural areas obtain financial aid from donors in Hong Kong, and set up my own NGO in 2004. At the time, it was Beihai’s only nonprofit social organization involved in volunteer work,” she said, “It’s very enjoyable to do this charity work and I have made many friends through it.”

She said her NGO focuses on environmental protection work and organizes a range of voluntary activities, including cleaning up beaches, and protecting mangrove forests and migratory birds.

In 2008, the organization joined a marine life protection event supported by the central government, the UN Environment Programme and the Global Environmental Facility.

Xu and her colleagues at the association arranged a number of voluntary events such as raising awareness of marine biodiversity among local residents and students, and beach-cleaning activities to help promote understanding of the need to protect marine animals and plants.

“Undertaking voluntary activities or charitable work has become my mission, and I want to contribute my own efforts to the nation’s environmental protection work, even if they only produce a small improvement. However, protecting the environment is very hard work. which can’t be done by a single person. I sometimes feel like my ability falls short of my wishes.”

According to Xu, her NGO is currently promoting the classification of waste in Beihai and recycling kitchen waste into compost. “We have mature technologies, but still face difficulties in promoting the program because many residents lack awareness of environmental protection. We hope the government can figure out better ways of managing the garbage after we classify it to make full use of this ‘waste’.”

1. What can we learn about Xu Hai’ou from the first two paragraphs?

A．She grew up in Shandong Province.

B．She graduated in Beihai at the age of 23.

C．She works as a journalist for a newspaper at present.

D．She is a retired reporter volunteering to protect the environment.

2. What did Xu Hai’ou think of her voluntary work?

A．Rewarding.

B．Exhausting.

C．Amazing.

D．Embarrassing.

3. What is Xu and her colleagues’ purpose in arranging voluntary events?

A．To clean beaches and recycle kitchen waste.

B．To get support from the central government.

C．To raise people’s awareness of marine biodiversity.

D．To help people understand the necessity of protecting marine life.

4. Why does Xu Hai’ou persist in her volunteer work?

A．She wants to win a good reputation.

B．She wants to do what others don’t want to do.

C．She wants to do her part to protect the environment.

D．She wants to make the most of kitchen waste on her own.

10 . 阅读下面的材料，在空格处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。

Wang Xin, a marketing manager based in Shanghai, paid special attention to the carbon consumption figures shown on a flight booking platform. “When booking a flight, I will first check the flights     1     meet my time requirements. If multiple flights within the time range are approximately the same price, I will     2     (definite) choose the one with     3     (little) carbon consumption.” Wang says.

Business travelers like Wang have shown a     4     (prefer) for trips that leave a smaller carbon footprint, according to a recent report. More than 60 percent of its business customers have options     5     low-carbon travel products. “The low-carbon travel trend began in 2022 when we launched flight carbon emission data, which has been recognized by     6     increasing number of business clients,” says Zha Jun, an official with the travel management division.

Afterwards, the carbon emission data of hotels, trains and cars     7     (add) up to now. Business travelers have been encouraged to use new energy vehicles and save electricity and water at hotels, as well as food on flights. Those     8     (choose) low-carbon travel products can also get rewards, such as air miles and credits that can be used     9     (reduce) future travel costs.

According to the US-headquartered Global Business Travel Association, 25 percent of companies worldwide consider carbon footprint and sustainability important in business travel. Among     10     (they), 35 percent have carried out sustainable policies.