1 . In the fast-paced rhythm of modern life, the act of eating has often become a hurried and mindless routine.     1     Mindful eating, rooted in ancient practices, offers a refreshing alternative-a pathway to improved well-being and a deeper connection with our food.

The journey into mindful eating begins with the simple act of pausing.     2     Sit comfortably, take a few deep breaths, and distance from electronic devices or work-related materials. This pause sets the tone for a mindful eating experience, creating a space where you can fully engage with the nourishment (养分) and the present moment.

Rather than mindlessly consuming large quantities of food, use visual cues (提示，暗示)， such as the size of your palm or a closed fist, to measure appropriate serving sizes.     3    

As you eat, tune in to your body’s fullness signals. Instead of sticking to external cues or rigid meal schedules, let your body guide you. Don’t forget to chew thoroughly. It supports the digestive process by breaking down food into smaller particles, making it easier for your body to absorb nutrients.     4     Aim to chew each bite at least 20 times. By adopting a more leisurely approach to meals, you invite a sense of relaxation into your dining experience.

Among the focus on food, it’s crucial to extend mindfulness to hydration (水合作用). Drinking water is an inseparable part of the eating experience. Before, during, and after your meal, take moments to hydrate. Mindful hydration complements the act of eating, contributing to overall well-being and ensuring that your body is adequately nourished and hydrated.

    5     It becomes a mindfulness practice that fuels not only your body but also your soul.

A．Common as it is, it is unhealthy.

B．Mindful eating goes beyond the act of consuming food.

C．This approach emphasized on the quantity rather than the quality of your food.

D．Before diving into your meal, take a moment to create a specific space for eating.

E．By dedicating time to eat without multitasking, you honour the food on your plate.

F．Portion awareness is not about restriction but about a balanced relationship with food.

G．Additionally, it provides your brain with the time it needs to register feelings of fullness.

2 . Best Language Learning Apps of 2024

Duolingo

Duolingo encourages you to make a habit of practicing with a reward system and a social component. You’ll receive between one and five Lingots of app currency for each day in which you meet your set goal, with which you can buy fun decorations in the store. Meanwhile, the in-app social network encourages you to invite your friends to the app and compare scores to see who studies the hardest.

Busuu

It is user-friendly and offers flexibility in the choice of the courses. You get to pick where you’d like to begin in the course. The app teaches you vocabulary words and phrases, presenting them both on their own and within sentences. As you progress through the levels, it also evaluates your knowledge through quizzes to ensure you’re learning effectively.

Memrise

Memrise is unique in how it teaches new words and phrases. It integrates words into sentences alongside words that sound similar in your language, which makes it easier to remember. You might also come across multiple images with familiar objects overlaid with foreign words, helping you make stronger connections.

Rosetta Stone

There are dozens of common phrases that are spoken aloud in the language you want to learn, and you have to repeat the words back to practice your pronunciation. One highlight is that it can skip forward to any lesson or let you follow through from beginning to end. There’s also a phrasebook (常用语手册) with basic words and words related to restaurants, hotels, and getting around-all very useful for someone traveling.

1. What can you do with Duolingo?

A．Earn some money.	B．Interact with other learners.
C．Buy decorations in cash.	D．Earn cash through log-in.

2. Which app is most appropriate for visual learners?

A．Duolingo.

B．Busuu.

C．Memrise.

D．Rosetta Stone.

3. What do Busuu and Rosetta Stone have in common?

A．They offer flexibility in courses.

B．They encourage learning by testing.

C．They focus on teaching pronunciation.

D．They adopt themed-based teaching methods.

3 . While we aim to avoid any appearance of baseless theories, it is noteworthy to observe the long-standing practice of putting magnets (磁铁) in cows, a phenomenon that has been carefully unfolding for years. Why are farmers putting magnets in cows?

Known as cow magnets, the devices are placed inside cattle to deal with “hardware disease”. Hardware Disease occurs after an animal eats a metallic object that then makes a hole in the wall of the reticulum, the second stomach room in ruminant animals (反刍动物). This issue arises from the natural eating behaviors of these ruminants, similar to a person at an unlimited food event — quickly and eagerly large bites without sufficient chewing. This fast-paced feeding approach makes them tend to unintentionally consume metal pieces in their food, including broken farm machinery parts, nails and wires used in fencing, for instance.

Metal objects entering the reticulum may result in infections, increased body temperatures, digestive problems, and unease for the animals. To address hardware disease, the main strategy is to prevent metal from entering the cattle’s diet. Farmers have also adopted the method of placing cow magnets into the stomach using either a stomach tube or a balling gun. The cow magnet attracts such objects and prevents them from becoming fixed in the animal’s tissue. These magnets, once positioned, remain within the animals throughout their lifespan, only being removed after death when the cows pass away or are processed for meat.

Moseley, a Veterinary Medicine professor, states in a hardware disease resource, “The magnet gathers foreign metallic objects, reducing the risk of making a hole in the reticulum.” Research shows a mild magnetic field affects a cow’s small blood pathways, improving circulation and aiding recovery without significant impact on the cow or milk quality.

1. Why are magnets fed to cows?

A．To change feeding habits.	B．To prevent hardware disease.
C．To improve the milk quality.	D．To enhance digestive system.

2. What is the main cause of hardware disease in ruminant animals?

A．Eating without chewing.	B．Taking magnets by mistake.
C．Sufficient chewing hard food.	D．Swallowing metals accidentally.

3. What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?

A．To describe the historical practice of putting magnets in cows.

B．To deny the adoption of cow magnets to enhance cattle health.

C．To discuss the influence of a mild magnetic field on milk quality.

D．To explain the reason for using magnets to prevent hardware disease.

4. What might be a logical continuation of the passage?

A．Exploring more potential benefits of cow magnets.

B．Investigating the broader applications of magnets.

C．Discussing the alternative methods of caring for cows.

D．Evaluating the long-term effects of magnets on animals.

4 . Glasgow University researchers have created a laser (激光) camera using AI and quantum technologies to remotely detect a person’s heartbeat, potentially changing health monitoring. Professor Faccio imagines various applications, such as setting up this technology in shopping malls or fixing laser heart monitors in homes. These monitors could be part of an extensive system tracking different health aspects, such as blood pressure and slight changes in movement, indicating early signs of conditions like Alzheimer’s.

Monitoring a person’s heartbeat from a distance holds significant value, as it can detect irregularities like abnormal heart rates, providing crucial warnings of potential heart issues. In contrast to the traditional use of stethoscopes (听诊器), this system overcomes limitations associated with proper stethoscope usage, such as the need for training and the potential reduction of heartbeat signals.

The system developed by Faccio and his team involves high-speed cameras which can record images at speeds of 2,000 frames per second. A laser beam is shone on to the skin of a person’s throat and the reflections are used to measure exactly how much their skin is rising and falling as their main artery (动脉) expands and contracts as blood is forced through it. These changes involve movements of only a few billionths of a metre.

Such acuity is striking, though on its own the tracking of these tiny changes would not be enough to track a heartbeat. Other, much larger movements occur on a person’s chest — from their breathing, for example — which would flood signals from their heartbeat.

“That is where AI comes in,” Faccio said. “We use advanced computing systems to separate out everything except the vibrations caused by a person’s heartbeat. We know the frequency range of the human heartbeat, and the AI focuses on that. The prime use of this technology — which we hope to have ready next year — will be to measure heartbeats easily and quickly outside hospitals. The benefits could be considerable.”

1. What can the laser camera be used for?

A．Improving the usage of stethoscope.

B．Measuring blood pressure remotely.

C．Recording images of the human throat.

D．Detecting a person’s heartbeat from a distance.

2. What does paragraph 3 focus on as for this system?

A．How it works.	B．Where it is used.
C．Whom it benefits.	D．What it is composed of.

3. Which is closest in meaning to “acuity” in paragraph 4?

A．Consistency.

B．Complexity

C．Sensitivity.

D．Intensity.

4. What role does AI play in this system?

A．To measure skin movements.	B．To recognize heartbeat vibrations.
C．To record images at high speeds.	D．To shine a laser beam on the skin.

5 . 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。

I recently went SKYDIVING! It’s something I’ve been talking about doing since last year, but to be honest, it was planned super last minute… like within a matter of a few weeks.

It all started when I ran into a friend of mine walking home from a local festival earlier this summer. We started chatting about what we’d both been up to this summer and somehow got on the subject of both being interested in going skydiving someday. My friend, Denny, said he’d be onboard if I really wanted to schedule a jump and I was so excited to finally have someone to go with!

Later that night, we texted back and forth and decided on our jump date a few weeks in the future. When the very Sunday came, we were both FULL of excitement for our first skydiving experience. He had been bungee jumping before and I’d done my fair share of zip-lining, but neither of us figured that either of those of experiences would prepare us for what we had in store.

The drive there didn’t happen without a slight delay. As soon as we got off the through-way on to the exit towards the small town where the skydiving facility was, Denny’s car started to make a strange noise, forcing us to pull over on a busy interstate (州际公路).

Only 20 minutes away from WNY Skydiving (the place where we were going), we discovered we had a flat tyre (轮胎). At that point, I felt pretty defeated. Our scheduled time was 4 pm — the last appointment time of the day — so I figured they wouldn’t be able to wait for or delay the operations for us since we were racing against the light.

注意：

1. 续写词数应为150个左右；

2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

We called American Automobile Association (AAA) and hoped for the best.

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We were informed we were the final jump of the night… the “sunset jump”.

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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。

Animals and plants can teach humans a lot about design and engineering. As a result, many engineers, scientists, and designers spend time studying them. When they have a problem, nature often has the answer. This science     1     (call) biomimetics. Bio means “living things” and mimetics means “copying”. It involves     2     (draw) inspiration from nature’s designs and processes     3     (solve) human problems or improve technology.

For example, engineers in Canada are studying whale flippers (鳍) because they move so effectively through water. The engineers believe the shape can improve the movement of wind turbines (涡轮机). Similarly, engineers at Mercedes Benz in Germany are using the shape of the box fish     4     one of their new cars because it makes the car     5     (fast) and more fuel efficient.

Velcro (粘扣) is     6     (probable) the most famous example of biomimetics. Most people have some Velcro on     7     item of clothing. It was invented by the Swiss engineer George de Mestral in 1948. He was walking in the countryside     8     he pulled a burr (毛刺) off his trousers. He noticed how well the burr stuck to his clothes so he studied its design. The result was Velcro, which became an     9     (afford) alternative to the traditional zipper.

In conclusion, biomimetics not only has helped to design our world but promises many more     10     (possibility). Unfortunately, they might take a long time to develop. This isn’t really surprising: it took nature millions of years to design its animals and plants.

7 . When I was young, my mom used to buy vegetables from a lady vendor (小贩) who visited our home daily. On a particular Sunday, the vendor_______bunches of spinach (菠菜). Her_______was one pound per bunch. My mom’s counter-bid was exactly half that_______but committed to buying four bunches at that price.

The vendor_______declared that she didn’t even_______her cost at that price, loaded the basket on her head, and walked away. After taking four steps ahead, the vendor turned back and shouted, “Make it 75 pennies a bunch.” My mom_______her original 50 pennies, stressing the_______of quantity discount. The vendor walked on. The two of them precisely knew each other’s _______.The vendor turned around, came back to our house, while my mom was waiting at the doorstep. The deal was finally_______at my mom’s bid. Then my mom took her time________ each bunch by gently choosing and examining each with a________eye for both its quality and quantity. She finally selected four bunches to her satisfaction.

________the vendor got up, she shook due to apparent________.After learning she didn’t have any food, mom hurried inside and came back swiftly with some food and offered it to the vendor. She hungrily and gratefully ate the food and continued her business.

Puzzled, I questioned Mom’s ________—tough in bargaining but ________in offering food. My mom smiled and said, “My dear child, there is no kindness in trading and there shall never be any trading in kindness.”

1.

A．brought

B．washed

C．fetched

D．took

2.

A．material

B．proposal

C．amount

D．quote

3.

A．promise

B．plan

C．figure

D．idea

4.

A．greedily

B．politely

C．desperately

D．anxiously

5.

A．consume

B．promote

C．double

D．recover

6.

A．adjusted to

B．stuck to

C．attended to

D．referred to

7.

A．lesson

B．choice

C．weakness

D．theory

8.

A．schedules

B．dreams

C．tasks

D．strategies

9.

A．constructed

B．designed

C．made

D．arranged

10.

A．checking

B．inspecting

C．reviewing

D．counting

11.

A．critical

B．charming

C．particular

D．logical

12.

A．Though

B．As

C．While

D．Once

13.

A．anger

B．excitement

C．dizziness

D．anxiety

14.

A．gesture

B．approach

C．commitment

D．intervention

15.

A．sensitive

B．humble

C．kind

D．mature

8 . Blogging is a crucial marketing tool for businesses, big or small. Whether pursued as a hobby or for income, success lies in various factors, with the content being the most vital element—from domain name to email list.

Even if you consider yourself a pretty good writer, blogging has its own rules. The first thing is to understand your goals. Why are you writing? Do you plan on blogging just as a fun hobby, or are you hoping to monetize your blog and turn it in to a business?    1    .It will help direct you as you create content and make other important decisions related to your blog.

Then, what you should always do is take some time to understand your audience. Remember that your ultimate goal should be helping your audience solve a problem.    2    .You’ll want the answers to be accessible, easy to find, and as clear and straightforward as possible. Next, brainstorm a list of ideas that you might like to write about and research further. Create a list of potential topics that are more or less related to your blog’s theme.    3    .

As with any kind of wring, it’s always good to start with a solid outline. Whether loose or detailed, use relevant keywords to map out a logical flow for your post’s content.    4    .Unless you have a great hook a ready in mind, feel free to skip that for now and jump into the body paragraph.

    5    .Engage your audience with logical high-quality content close to your blog’s focus. Constructing a consistent storyline will not only draw readers’ attention but also position your blog as a trustworthy authority in your field. Whether for pleasure or business, blogging’s potential lies in its impact on your audience and the personal fulfillment it brings.

A．Get these goals clear in your mind

B．Consistency plays a vital role in blogging

C．Think about your target words when writing a headline

D．Write the content that has the potential to reach a huge audience

E．With a structured outline in place, dive into the body of your post

F．And those topics would be interesting of value to your target audience

G．Keep this in mind as you plan the structure and outline of your content

9 . In the 1970s, a new supermarket selling LPs arrived in my hometown and I began devoting my pocket money to acquiring records. I swiftly developed an affection for Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, harboring dreams of performing that music myself. Despite the absence of a piano at home, there was one at my grandmother’s care home, where I learned to play Beethoven by ear, with pigeons cooing and farmers working in the fields. It was truly magical.

Entering the Royal Academy of Arts at 16 marked the beginning of my artistic journey. In my 30s, I took another significant step in life — marriage. My wife worked at Elephants World, a reserve dedicated to the care of rescued domestic elephants. These elephants have worked for humans all their life and many are blind or disabled from being treated badly, so I wanted to make the effort to carry something heavy myself. For my 50th birthday, my wife successfully persuaded the manager to allow us to bring a piano into the reserve, bringing music to the elephants’ lives.

Initially, when I started playing, it was hard to hear the piano above the sounds of nature and the elephants chewing grass. However, everything changed when a blind elephant ceased eating and tuned into my playing. It struck me that this elephant, trapped in a world of darkness, had a profound love for music. From that moment on, there was no longer any concern about disturbing their peace. We occasionally film these performances, and now, we proudly have nearly 700,000 YouTube subscribers.

I continue to play for these elephants that run freely in the reserve, despite the constant potential danger. Surprisingly, it’s the moody male elephants who show the most fascination with the music. I firmly believe it has a calming effect. These elephants’ breathing actually slows down when I play, which tells me they are relaxed and happy. I’ve even witnessed elephants seemingly dancing to Beethoven’s tunes. With their exceptional hearing and the ability to sense vibrations (震动) through their feet, I am convinced that elephants grasp the language of human expression. This serves as a powerful illustration that music serves as a universal language, connecting us all.

1. What motivated the author’s early affection for music?

A．Exposure to Beethoven’s music.

B．Employment at Elephants World.

C．Attendance at the Royal Academy of Arts.

D．Piano teaching at his grandma’s care home.

2. What did the author’s 50th birthday celebration symbolize?

A．Personal achievements in music.

B．A combination of music and care.

C．Successful fundraising for the reserve.

D．Recognition for the author’s artistic journey.

3. What role did music play in the lives of the elephants in the reserve?

A．Emotional recovery.	B．Physical exercise.
C．Financial support.	D．Artistic expression.

4. Which of the following can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Save the Mistreated Elephants

B．Male Elephants: Moody and Musical

C．Play the Piano for Rescued Elephants

D．Elephants: Animals of Sharp Hearing

10 . 假定你是李华，你的美国笔友Sam看到你在社交媒体上发布的“Just applied to be a volunteer at the 9th Asian Winter Games (HARBIN 2025). Feeling excited!”，他很感兴趣，发邮件询问志愿者申请事宜。请你给他回封邮件，内容包括：
1.志愿活动要求；
2.活动意义。
注意：
1.写作词数应为80个左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Dear Sam,

I hope this email finds you in great spirits.

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Yours,

Li Hua