Three hundred years ago, merchants from Shanxi Province started a daring journey along the ancient tea road, spanning over 10,000 kilometers
There
The workers’ attention to detail and artistic talent make Qixian’s glassware stand out in a highly
Qixian assigns high-end and personalized creations to skilled craftsmen and leaves
The jourmey to transform Qixian’ s glassware companies into time-honored brands may be a
2 . When you're a kid, theme days at school are a big deal. They're a chance to dress up in something special and
As the driver, Larry Farrish noticed the boy was
He asked the office to call Levi down, and that's when their days took a major
As a driver, Farish feels that his
| A．benefit | B．break | C．hide | D．learn |
| A．Generally | B．Gently | C．Fortunately | D．Properly |
| A．spend | B．mark | C．save | D．memorize |
| A．upset | B．funny | C．excited | D．curious |
| A．agreed | B．explained | C．pretended | D．remembered |
| A．changing | B．losing | C．getting | D．finishing |
| A．made | B．selected | C．tried | D．designed |
| A．shape | B．defend | C．warm | D．suit |
| A．turn | B．chance | C．step | D．hit |
| A．honest | B．brave | C．nice | D．humorous |
| A．helpless | B．happy | C．regretful | D．awkward |
| A．enthusiasm | B．ability | C．position | D．belief |
| A．grow up | B．calm down | C．hang out | D．head off |
| A．interest | B．repetition | C．instruction | D．example |
| A．loved | B．respected | C．served | D．praised |
3 . A new study from a team at the University of Pittsburgh has discovered blood-based markers that can reveal someone’s biological age, which could help treat various health problems that can happen as our bodies get older.
We have our actual ages—the number of years we’ve been alive—and then we have biological ages, which is related to the wear and tear on cells and organs. Knowing this biological age can help us work out disease risk, tailor treatments, and better understand the different rates at which our bodies break down.
“Imagine two people aged 65,” says Aditi Gurkar, a scientist at the University of Pittsburgh. “One rides a bike to work and goes skiing on the weekends and the other can’t climb a flight of stairs.”
They have the same age, but different biological ages. Why do these two people age differently? To help answer this question, the researchers enlisted the help of 196 elderly adults, separated into two groups: one group of volunteers aged 75 or older who were classified as healthy agers, and the other group of volunteers aged 65-75 who were classified as rapid agers. The healthy agers were able to climb a flight of stairs or walk for 15 minutes without resting, while the rapid agers had to take breaks through each activity.
The distinction gave the study team the chance to look at differences between the groups in metabolites（代谢物）: small chemical substances left by biological processes in the body. They can be used as evidence for which processes are happening, and how well they’re running.
“We chose to look at metabolites because they are dynamic,” says Gurkar. “They change in real time to reflect our current health and how we feel, and we have the power to influence them through our lifestyle, diet and environment.”
With more research, it might be possible to develop a blood test for quick and easy biological age judgment. That test could then be run on people at earlier ages, when changes to molecular processes are easier to edit.
1. What do the underlined words “the wear and tear” mean in paragraph 2?| A．The damage. | B．The repair. | C．The examination. | D．The decrease. |
| A．By analysing some figures. | B．By making a comparison. |
| C．By giving an example. | D．By grouping volunteers randomly. |
| A．They can affect our lifestyle and diet. | B．They can reflect our current thoughts. |
| C．They can be taken out and tested easily. | D．They can show the present body conditions. |
| A．A Rare Disease Resulted from Blood |
| B．A Better Way to Keep Us Younger |
| C．A Blood Test Indicating Health Problems |
| D．An Approach to Becoming Stronger |
4 . To help you get out and explore, language leaning platform, Preply, has ranked Europe’s walkable cities.
Seville, Spain
Seville in Spain tops the list of Europe’s walkable cities. Visitors to this amazing Spanish city can explore the impressive Plaza de Espana public square, before wandering over to the UNESCO-listed palace of Real Alcazar and Seville Cathedral. With just 20 minutes of walking between these attractions, you can really make the most of your time here.
Venice, Italy
Venice is famous as a port city for walkers. There are endless attractive passages to explore, as well as plenty of extremely impressive bridges over the crossing canals. Just under half an hour of walking here will take you on a tour of the fantastic Grand Canal, Doge’s Palace, St Mark’s Square, Basilica and bell tower, all in only 1.3 miles.
Florence, Italy
Florence secures its place as a walkable city in Europe thanks to its wonderful display of attractions that can be explored on foot. In only 33 minutes, visitors can take in the brilliance of Florence’s top destinations. A 1.6-mile route covers the famous Uffizi Gallery and the Galleria dell’ Accademia, home to Michelangelo’s masterpiece, the Statue of David.
Athens, Greece
Visitors to Athens can begin their journey at the Acropolis, climbing to discover the ancient Parthenon, which stands as evidence for the city’s ancient heritages (遗产). The National Archaeological Museum is also close by, housing a treasure trove (宝库) of artifacts that proudly display Greece’s impressive archaeological heritage.
1. What is special about Seville?| A．It is Europe’s most walkable city. | B．It is famous for impressive canals. |
| C．Ancient treasures are housed there. | D．There are some wonderful attractions. |
| A．Wander around Seville Cathedral. | B．Visit the Grand Canal. |
| C．Explore the Uffizi Gallery. | D．Climb the Acropolis. |
| A．Seville. | B．Venice. | C．Florence. | D．Athens. |
5 . The exploration of the origin of the slow living movement in the Western world began with a slow eating movement in 1986. Slow food, which means purchasing local and sustainable food that has been carefully cooked, became a global movement. Slow food unavoidably stimulates the interest of the Western world in slowing down the pace of life, which does not require wolfing down low nutrient meals between back-to-back meetings, but advocates respecting the tradition and enjoyment of using time.
When we consider the alternate lifestyle that leads to stress and depression, it is a significant sign to poor health, woeful issues like headaches, sleep issues, digestive disorders, depression, and anxiety. With this in mind, slow living isn’t only more enjoyable; it is also a major boon for one’s overall health.
Kathleen DeVos, a mental psychology expert, said, “To me, slow living is as much about how we’re structuring our lives and spending our time as it is how we are relating to our time and the things in our life.”
The resolution to live a more thoughtful lifestyle is common. About 25% of Americans who made resolutions in 2022 focused on the intention to live a healthier life. Another 21% stated they were resolving to commit to their personal improvement or happiness. However, the idea of working towards a goal seems to be antithetical to the concept of slow living. After all, the point is to slow down, live more, and work less. Plus, many struggle to actually meet their resolutions.
Without a doubt, career demands and financial realities can outshine the possibility of slow living for many. However, if you find yourself in a dilemma of nine to nine and find it unbearable, then you must make a change. For those of you working in busy environments with urgent deadlines, the Pomodoro Techniques are ways to call in slowness into your daily life.
1. What made the slow living popular?| A．The slow pace of life. | B．A Western food festival. |
| C．A survey on sustainable food. | D．A slow eating movement. |
| A．Ridiculous. | B．Serious. |
| C．Mysterious. | D．Outstanding. |
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. |
| C．Indifferent. | D．Objective. |
| A．Some career demands. | B．Some financial issues. |
| C．Specific Pomodoro Techniques. | D．The job dilemma of nine to nine. |
The main tomb of the Marquis of Haihun, the discovery of which was one of the most
The Western Han Dynasty tomb,
In addition, naked-eye 3D technology is applied to
The tomb began excavation in 2011, during
The marquis Liu was the grandson of Emperor Wu, whose reign ushered in one of
Liu was given the title “Haihunhou”, after he was deposed as emperor following only 27 days in this role. He was deposed by the royal family because they believed he lacked talent and
7 . It was the first Sunday in December and I was in the Sunday School to learn about a family that was in real need of clothes and food.
Our director began to
Hearing what he saw, I began to
The
When returning back, I told my son what I had done, and more
| A．draw | B．remember | C．write | D．describe |
| A．feed | B．cheat | C．wear | D．ride |
| A．succeed | B．made | C．stuck | D．failed |
| A．supposed | B．used | C．bound | D．related |
| A．recall | B．rebuild | C．review | D．recover |
| A．number | B．amount | C．rest | D．flavors |
| A．food | B．clothes | C．presents | D．money |
| A．imagine | B．tolerate | C．say | D．hear |
| A．mother | B．director | C．kid | D．son |
| A．school | B．community | C．family | D．district |
| A．hour | B．year | C．decade | D．second |
| A．pocket | B．plate | C．wallet | D．table |
| A．annoyed | B．upset | C．shocked | D．unsatisfied |
| A．basically | B．actually | C．importantly | D．unexpectedly |
| A．disappointed | B．unplanned | C．amused | D．touched |
8 . Giving and receiving gifts is one of the great pleasures of the holiday season, but that pleasure is somewhat reduced when you behold the pile of packaging waste that’s left behind. And this year, in the midst of America’s Great Recycling Crisis, the remainder packaging waste is a bigger deal than ever.
However, the US has failed to build additional recycling facilities, launch waste-reduction campaigns or even simply pressure manufacturers to come up with better packaging designs. Even a few of those things could have helped cope with this enormous problem. Instead, the recycling situation is in a state of chaos.
USA Today reports that countless cities across the country cannot find a market for their recyclables. Many are driving their trucks directly to the landfill. Others are paying recycling companies to take away their trash.
These issues, which are big enough on a day-to-day basis, are intensified during the holidays, when people are shopping and consuming more than ever, particularly online. Although UPS predicts it will deliver fewer packages this holiday season, it still expects to process several hundred million packages. If FedEx’s numbers match those from previous years, it will deliver around 400 million packages. That’s a whole lot of cardboard boxes, plastic bags, and packing peanuts.
Unfortunately, the lack of recycling infrastructure cannot change the unfortunate fact that our society has not yet been established to handle this level of waste. But knowing that, we have a clear responsibility to minimize this waste as best we can, and tackling it on a personal level is all we can do. We can avoid unnecessary packaging when shopping for and wrapping holiday gifts in a number of ways.
It’s not going to solve the recycling crisis overnight, but neither will improve our recycling facilities. What’s needed more than that is a dramatic shift in the way we shop and handle our goods, always moving toward less packaging.
1. Why is “Giving and receiving gifts” mentioned in Paragraph 1?| A．To prove a theory. | B．To introduce a topic. |
| C．To present an opinion. | D．To show current situation. |
| A．The recycling problem in the USA is severe. |
| B．Recycling companies play a vital role in America. |
| C．The landfill is the only way to solve package waste. |
| D．Government tries to find a market for their recyclables. |
| A．Fewer packages are delivered on holiday. |
| B．400 million cardboard boxes are delivered. |
| C．People shop more online during holidays. |
| D．FedEx fees are more favorable during holidays. |
| A．Emphasize UPS’s forecast for this year. |
| B．Inspire the setting up of recycling companies. |
| C．Criticize the inaction of the US government. |
| D．Appeal to people to reduce packaging waste. |
No amount of begging (乞求) would change my father’s mind about getting a pet. No matter how desperately I begged, his answer was "No! " Finally, I accepted that he was not going to change his mind. I did the only thing that I could. I spent as much time as possible around other people’s pets and I often spent time at a place called Best Friends, an animal shelter near my house. Animals ended up there when their owners could no longer care for them.
Whenever I visited the shelter (收容所), I dreamed about taking one of the dogs home with me. One day after school, I stopped off at Best Friends like I usually did. Suddenly, I saw a large, shaggy, yellow dog standing in the corner, and when he saw me, he wagged his tail and began whining (哀鸣).
“That’s Fenway,” Renee, the woman at the desk, said. “He whines continuously. His owners brought him here when they moved overseas.”
“He must be lonely,” I suggested.
“Your parents won’t let you have a dog?” Renee asked. I didn’t answer, but my look must have said everything, because then she said, “That’s too bad. These dogs need good homes and good people to take care of them.” On my way home, I had an idea to assist shelter pets like Fenway. I wrote a touching story as if Fenway were writing it. I told all about his family and why he had no home, shedding light on (解释) his longing for a loving family. With the shelter director’s approval, I proposed sharing more stories in newspapers and online to attract potential adopters.
The next weekend, the shelter was flooded with families who wanted pets. They were all drawn by the heartfelt stories of animals like Fenway. Fenway’s tail wagged so fast that I was afraid it might fall off. I stood with Fenway as people admired him. His playful nature and hopeful eyes won over many visitors` hearts, leading to a rise in adoptions.
注意：1. 续写词数应为80左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Suddenly, I saw my parents walking into the shelter towards Fenway.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I was confused why my father changed his mind.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________10 . Problem-solving skills are increasingly valuable in the workplace and could help you achieve more in your personal life too. Mastering these skills involves adopting effective approaches that enhance your ability to face challenges and find solutions.
Develop analytical thinking
Analytical thinking is a very important skill. It breaks down big issues into smaller, more manageable components.
Clear and simple communication is the key to effective problem-solving. Effective communication begins with clearly defining the problem statement. This involves choosing the right words, structuring information, and being mindful of the audience to ensure that your message is broad. Also, active listening is the skill of receiving information with focus. It involves not just hearing words but understanding the differences, emotions and ultimate messages.
Promote cooperation.
Effective problem solving often develops rapidly in a cooperative environment, where diverse opinions fuel innovation.
Stay informed.
| A．Listen to others attentively. |
| B．Improve communication skills. |
| C．The following strategies are worth a try. |
| D．Improving this skill requires a structured approach. |
| E．Regularly updating your knowledge keeps you sharp. |
| F．The process will equip you with the skills to succeed. |
| G．It begins with recognizing the strengths of teammates. |
