1 . Alarming levels of dangerous chemicals known as Perfluorinated Alkylated Substances (PFAS) were discovered in food packaging at a number of well-known fast-food restaurants and grocery store chains, a new report found. The report comes more than two years into the Covid-19 pandemic, when the public has relied heavily on takeout and grocery deliveries.
Often called “forever chemicals” because they do not break down in the environment, PFAS are used in food packaging to prevent grease (油脂) and water from soaking through food wrappers and cups. PFAS can also be found in the ink used to print logos and instructions on food containers.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls exposure to PFAS a “public health concern”, citing that the human-made chemicals can harm the immune system and reduce a person’s resistance to infectious diseases.
Regulatory limits for how much PFAS food packaging should contain can vary greatly. For instance, a new law in California set the limit at less than 100 ppm. “Compared to America, Denmark sets a much lower regulatory limit of 20 ppm with great success,” said Xenia Trier, an expert at the European Environment Agency. “It does work to set limits and enforce them. PFAS do migrate from the paper into the food. Even though it was not 100%, we still saw considerable transmission. In general, transmission from packaging to food is increased as the temperature of the food rises. It is the same with the time spent in wrapping materials.” Trier told NBS, one of the major American mass-media companies.
In response to the issue, Whole Foods became the first grocery chain to publicly commit to remove PFAS from takeout containers and bakery paper. Many other companies followed suit. Experts say people who want to avoid PFAS in their takeout and food delivery packaging should favor companies that have promised to remove the chemicals. “As soon as you receive your takeout, you’d better take food out of the container immediately, and never reheat food in its original container. Instead, remove your food and heat it in ceramic (陶瓷的) or glass containers.” Trier said.
1. What can we learn about PFAS in food packaging?| A．They have been used for two years. |
| B．They do little harm to consumers’ health. |
| C．They are used to break down the chemicals. |
| D．They can make wrappers resistant to grease and water. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Neutral. |
| C．Ambiguous. | D．Opposed. |
| A．Considerable migration of grease and water. |
| B．PFAS transmission from packaging to food. |
| C．Wrapper exposure to high food temperature. |
| D．Regulatory limits concerning food packaging. |
| A．Food packaging contains dangerous chemicals. |
| B．Consumers are recommended to have PFAS-free products. |
| C．PFAS found in food packaging has become a great concern. |
| D．The government has taken measures to reduce PFAS exposure. |
2 . Why do we choose to help one another? There are many reasons. You may be a selfless person or lending a hand may be a cultural expectation.
Now, researchers are raising the possibility that good sleep may be a wonderful ingredient that promotes the alacrity to offer help between human beings. Indeed the better sleep you have, the more willing you will be to lend a hand. And a surprising new set of research studies have found that sleep loss may affect our generosity at different levels.
Researchers at University of California, Berkley, led three small studies to explore generosity. In one study, they exposed a group of healthy adults to a night of 8 hours of sleep and a night with no sleep. Researchers scanned the participants’ brains after each night. After a sleepless night, areas of the brain involved in empathy and helping behavior were less active. In fact, when the study participants were sleepless at night, 78% of them demonstrated a reduction in the desire to help others.
In the next study, researchers tracked 136 people through online questionnaires and sleep diaries for a few days. They wanted to see if nightly variations in sleep affected their desire to help others. They found that, when sleep quality worsened from one night to the next, there was a major decrease in “helping choices” and vice versa.
The third study looked at how sleep loss affected generosity on a larger scale. The researchers analyzed data from over 3 million charitable donations made in the U.S.. They focused on donations during the transition to Daylight Saving Time(DST)in spring each year. During the spring time change, we lose an hour of sleep.
Interestingly, researchers found a 10% drop in donations in regions that change their clocks. This drop wasn’t seen in regions that didn’t observe the time change. It showed that insufficient sleep triggered by the time change impacted donation behavior.
All these results suggest that insufficient sleep makes us less compassionate and helpful. Throughout the world, more than half of adults don’t get enough sleep during the workweek, but we should all start valuing adequate sleep rather than treating it like something optional or unproductive. If so, it will enable us to be more helpful and to be the best versions of ourselves.
1. What’s the writing purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To start a heated discussion. | B．To introduce the topic of the text. |
| C．To present a social phenomenon. | D．To show the author’s conclusion. |
| A．Understanding. | B．Ability. |
| C．Awareness. | D．Eagerness. |
| A．People observing DST are likely to donate less. |
| B．People change their clocks to have more empathy. |
| C．Sleep quality determines the desire to give a hand. |
| D．Sleep loss can severely affect helping behavior. |
| A．Sleep Triggers Behavior | B．Adequate Sleep: A Healthy Person |
| C．Sleep Influences Generosity | D．Sound Sleep: A Productive Person |
3 . AirTag, a small Bluetooth-and-GPS-enabled device, was released by Apple in April 2021. This small device aimed at making our lives easier was originally designed to end the trouble of losing keys, wallets or other little objects. However, it may become the “perfect” tracking tool if in the wrong hands. My ex-husband was an early adopter of the AirTag. He and I had a falling out, leading to a divorce battle. In order to win custody battle, he used the little device to track me.
As a tech giant, the Apple company brought great convenience to the users, including me. I had never given a thought to tracking via AirTag until it happened to me. So I started scanning stories about AirTag. I was surprised to find that I was not alone. There were so many people tracked by these seemingly innocent electronic tags in their daily life. AirTag which was originally launched for a better life should have such a dark side in the wrong hands.
People have found that the digital device has the potential for abuse. What matters is how to avoid its danger. Apple has released updates to the AirTag’s functionality very quickly since they hit the market. Meanwhile, Apple has also improved its customer service to deal with the bugs of this kind. If you find an unwanted AirTag following you, don’t panic. Just disable it. You can follow the prompts on your Apple device to learn more about disabling the device. Once you’ve completed the above step, the tag’s original owner can’t keep track of you any more.
Almost every digital technology creates security issues. Nobody can go and live in a cave to remain unaffected. While enjoying its convenience, you need to be aware of the risks it poses, and know how to deal with them. Prevention is more effective in security issues than fixes. After all, a stitch in time saves nine.
1. What is the original function of AirTag?| A．To track one’s location secretly. | B．To help find one’s easily lost items. |
| C．To locate one’s phone accurately. | D．To ensure the safety of one’s phone. |
| A．Her ex-husband tracked her via AirTag. |
| B．Many people suffered from security problem. |
| C．AirTag was a newly released electronic device. |
| D．She intended to know about its great convenience. |
| A．Have it updated. | B．Make it unable to work. |
| C．Pay no attention to it. | D．Contact its original owner. |
| A．People should keep pace with the times. |
| B．People should use technology in a proper way. |
| C．People should handle potential digital risks actively. |
| D．People should bear the responsibility to fix the bugs bravely. |
4 . Family: Poems—by Mr. Keith Keenan
·Kindle $0.00, Hardcover $12.50, Paperback $7.00
The poet describes personal thoughts and feelings in a lyrical journey to understand and celebrate his family. “Family” looks at living honestly in places, not illusions. Figurative language, a love of metaphor and sharp images all make the poems work.
Time to Heal—by Alexandra Vasiliu
·Kindle $9.99, Hardcover $21.94, Paperback $12.64
From the bestselling author comes an inspirational poetry book about love, healing, and growth. It is a reminder to strive to change for the better. Featuring more than 130 uplifting poems and black-and-white illustrations, it’s a great companion when you need to embrace self-love and personal transformation.
Seeds from a Birch Tree —by Clark Strand
·Kindle $9.99, Hardcover $26.80, Paperback $16.95
Seeds From a Birch Tree makes nature into a spiritual path. Its message was simple: Haiku teaches us to return to nature by following the seasons—seventeen syllables at a time. With its mix of poetry and memoir(回忆录), the book guides us to the joy hidden in plain sight, leading us to get into a good state of body and mind.
A Poem for Every Day—by Allie Esiri
·Kindle $9.99, Hardcover $28.05, Audio CD $18.05
This audio book is a collection of 366 poems which link to events on key dates—funny for April Fool’s Day, festive for Christmas. This is the perfect gift for poetry lovers of all ages. These poems are informative, peaceful, and energetic!
There are a large number of poetry collections on Amazon. More information, please click here.
1. How much will you pay if you are to buy a hardcover edition of haiku?| A．$12.50. | B．$21.94. | C．$26.80. | D．$28.05. |
| A．Family: Poems features plain language. |
| B．Time to Heal features colorful illustrations. |
| C．Seeds from a Birch Tree focuses on human nature. |
| D．A Poem for Every Day focuses on festive celebrations. |
| A．A website. | B．A magazine. |
| C．A book review. | D．A travel brochure. |
Sunlight flooded through the window when Tomas was sitting at the kitchen table, struggling with a literary classic. Streamers of clouds drifted by high above in the sky. Not far away, the huge new tower blocks lined the road. The faint sound of cars was dimly heard.
His mother was chopping tomatoes for their dinner as usual. Suddenly she said, ”You know, the thing I miss most is cooking a really hot salsa (辣番茄酱), with fresh peppers straight from the garden.” She sighed. “That’s what I miss most about Merida.”
Tomas looked up from his book in surprise. His mother had never talked like this about their old life before. He studied her now. She looked a little sad, but then she smiled at him and swept the pile of chopped tomatoes into the cooking pot.
“But I’ve already learned a lot about this new country, Tomas,“ she said. ”For a start, I’ve learned that there’s more than one way to make a salsa!" She waved a packet of chili spice powder at him, and they both laughed.
Watching his mother busy in the kitchen preparing dinner, Tomas thought about the insight his mother had given him into her feelings, and he realized that he felt the same way about leaving.
Sure, it had been great for his father to get this good job, but it had also been hard. Tomas missed his old home-especially the sun and the beach. And his mother missed Merida, too. She had loved working in her market garden, selling the fresh vegetables that she had grown herself and then coming home to cook up huge, tasty meals for her family. Tomas’s stomach rumbled at the memories.
He thought about how different things were for them now, living in this large, gray apartment block where there was no garden and no friends dropping by to share their delicious meals.
He sighed. At least they were still able to speak regularly every night after dinner with his grandmother back in Mexico over the computer-Grandmother! Abuela!
注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右：
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Suddenly Tomas had an idea.
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A week later, a box arrived from Mexico.
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Located at a 30-minute drive from Wuzhen, Maming village is the polar opposite of the famed
Here, tea is a way of life. The street that the Tu teahouse is on may only be fifty meters long, but there are three other similar establishments. Not that anyone really cares about the
7 . Growing up within the Himalayan abode of snow (喜马拉雅雪屋), Akeisha was dynamic and
But Life had other plans for her. Akeisha
“Never say ‘never’. Start climbing the mountains,” said the
Never let words of
| A．creative | B．energetic | C．considerate | D．cautious |
| A．curious | B．concerned | C．upset | D．annoyed |
| A．observe | B．conquer | C．preserve | D．photograph |
| A．fire | B．shame | C．dream | D．question |
| A．cut | B．lost | C．broke | D．twisted |
| A．doubt | B．silence | C．despair | D．loneliness |
| A．never | B．always | C．finally | D．somehow |
| A．grief | B．danger | C．trouble | D．confusion |
| A．take risks | B．take measures | C．lose temper | D．lose heart |
| A．awe | B．fear | C．delight | D．anxiety |
| A．stubborn | B．sorrowful | C．dedicated | D．determined |
| A．puzzled | B．impressed | C．frustrated | D．accompanied |
| A．live with | B．win against | C．let go of | D．make use of |
| A．gradually | B．constantly | C．frequently | D．temporarily |
| A．comfort | B．criticism | C．complaint | D．discouragement |
8 . You’ll make new friends in each stage of your life. Some of them will come and go, while others will last for the rest of your life.
There are many benefits of having strong friendships. According to experts, many people regret not keeping friendships going and end up living a life with no close friends or even enduring mental and physical sufferings.
Sometimes it’s a good idea to let a friendship go, even if you’ve been friends for a long time. If one party isn’t making an effort to keep things going, it can lead to feelings of hurt and betrayal, and it might be time to let things cool off and pursue other friendships.
| A．Lifelong friendships are what most people desire. |
| B．You don’t have to be mean or harsh to get this done. |
| C．If you are lacking in good friendships, it’s not too late. |
| D．You can also make friends with people you work with. |
| E．So making time for your friendships is vital to a healthy life. |
| F．Sign up for a dancing class to meet those with the same passion. |
| G．While this can be sad, it can actually improve your quality of life. |
9 . When Thomas Edison hit a wall with his inventions, he would nap in an armchair while holding a steel ball. As he started to fall asleep and his muscles relaxed, the ball would strike the floor, waking him with insights into his problems. Or so the story goes.
Thomas Edison was somewhat right. Now, more than 100 years later, scientists have repeated the trick in a lab, revealing that the famous inventor was on to something. People following his recipe tripled their chances of solving a math problem. The trick was to wake up in the transition between sleep and wakefulness, just before deep sleep. In this transitional period, we are not quite awake, but also not deeply asleep. It can be as short as a minute and occurs right when we start to doze off.
Researchers recruited more than 100 easy sleepers, each of whom was given a math test with a hidden rule for the answer. By recording brain activity, they found that those who napped and were interrupted during the first phase of sleep were three times better at finding the hidden key to the problem than those who remained awake.
The creative effect happened even for people who spent just 15 seconds in the first sleep stage. But the trick didn’t work for those who reached later stages of sleep. “Our findings suggest there is a creative sweet spot during sleep onset,” says author Delphine Oudiette, a sleep researcher at the Paris Brain Institute. “It is a small window which can disappear if you wake up too early or sleep too deep.”
The study team also identified a brain activity pattern linked to the creativity-boosting phase: moderate levels of brain waves at a slow frequency known as alpha, associated with relaxation, and low levels of delta waves, a hallmark of deep sleep. Oudiette says researchers can now focus on this brain signature when investigating the neural mechanisms (神经机制) of creative problem-solving. The team has already planned an experiment to help people reach a creative zone by monitoring their brain waves in real time.“ Edison was great”, Oudiette says, “and now we have a lot more to explore.”
1. What does the underlined phrase “was on to something” in paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Discovered the truth. | B．Was absorbed in math puzzles. |
| C．Started the experiment. | D．Was engaged in laboratory work. |
| A．gaining adequate deep sleep | B．discovering the hidden rules of problems |
| C．following Edison’s life style | D．waking up right after nodding off to sleep |
| A．To evaluate their sleep efficiency. | B．To measure their amount of sleep. |
| C．To assess their levels of intelligence. | D．To compare their creative thinking abilities. |
| A．Supporting evidence for the research results. |
| B．Potential application of the research findings |
| C．A further explanation of the research methods. |
| D．A reasonable doubt about the research process. |
10 . Two women in their 50s stand beholding in front of Guanyin of the South China Sea, an ancient Chinese sculpture in the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri. Over the past 20 years, they have been visiting the museum, describing the “mother Buddha” as “beautiful and tranquil, a symbol of religious traditions in China”. Measuring 2.4 meters high, 1.68 meters wide and 1.1 meters thick, the larger-than-life sculpture was carved from the trunk of a single poplar tree, which has created a sense of calm and warmth in the hall.
Since its launch in 1933, the museum has been actively collecting, preserving, studying and exhibiting works of Chinese art, ranging from ceramics to furniture, and from paintings to sculptures. And its Chinese art collection contains masterpieces in various historical stages.
An exhibition on the theme of Lively Creatures—Animals in Chinese Art was held at the museum, displaying tens of Chinese ancient paintings with images of animals in many art forms. The creatures on the paintings represented celebration, personal messages, and even political and religious agendas.
Organizers of the exhibition produced a set of cards, with images of animals on one side and their cultural meanings in Chinese artistic tradition on the other. The cards are provided for visitors for free.
“I find it very interesting, and the way that the things are drawn is very cool,” says 17-year-old high school student Camden Lombard after visiting the exhibition. “I want to go to China someday to find more,” he adds.
“It’s kind of eye-opening and we’re bringing the world together,” says Makar, an educator with the school outreach and education programs of the museum. “There are so many similarities as well as beautiful differences, and we are just trying to understand and appreciate one another.”
“We’re in a moment when it’s sometimes hard to look outside of your own personal viewpoints,” says Howard, manager of volunteer engagement at the museum. “I think having access to seeing what other cultures have created, what they valued and appreciated, and what was important to them, is really important in building that understanding about all the people we share this planet with.”
1. The two women kept visiting the Nelson-Atkins Museum for ________.| A．the grand appearance of the exhibition hall |
| B．their affection for Chinese religious traditions |
| C．the great size of the ancient Chinese sculpture |
| D．their curiosity about the delicate artistic carving |
| A．The organizers gained a handsome profit. |
| B．The cards reflected multinational cultures. |
| C．The visitors had rich travel experiences in China. |
| D．The paintings displayed the charm of Chinese culture. |
| A．Instructive and romantic. | B．Imaginary and fascinating. |
| C．Informative and multicultural. | D．Educational and entertaining. |
| A．To bridge different cultures. | B．To popularize religious symbols. |
| C．To exchange personal viewpoints. | D．To demonstrate Chinese paintings. |
