1 . “Mountain Men” is a reality series that focuses on several odd survivalists who live within the numerous mountain ranges of North America. Many of these survivalists, like its regular Eustace Conway, highlight their commitment to living “off-the-grid” and the show often emphasizes their isolation (隔离) from the traditional society.

While the series has come under scrutiny (监督) for potentially staging aspects of this isolated lifestyle, for “Mountain Men” star Morgan Beasley, it’s truly the only way to live. According to his website, Morgan Beasley has devoted his entire life and career to the outdoors and frequently voices his disapproval of busy city life. Beasley’s refusal of the traditional society led him to a remote home in Alaska about 165 miles from the nearest town, where he still lives to this day alongside his partner Megan Stem. Beasley’s adventurous lifestyle deep within the Alaskan Bush was featured in 78 episodes of “Mountain Men” from 2015 to 2019, though his sudden departure prior to Season 9 is certain to have plenty of fans wondering what actually happened to the odd outdoorsman.

Unfortunately, there is still a considerable amount of mystery surrounding Morgan Beasley’s departure from “Mountain Men”, as both he and Megan Stem suddenly vanished from the series after the Season 8 episode “Seize the Day” — without any clarification as to why. Although there have been no reports about why Beasley decided to leave the series, it’s entirely possible that filming “Mountain Men” was taking too much time out of his already busy schedule.

Although there remains no clear answer as to why Beasley ended up leaving “Mountain Men”, it’s abundantly clear that his passion for the outdoors has remained unchanged long after his departure from the series — and he continues to live as a mountain man to this day.

1. What’s “Mountain Men”?

A．A TV show.

B．A survival story.

C．An adventure film.

D．A fiction book.

2. What do we know about Morgan Beasley?

A．He prefers to lead an isolated lifestyle.	B．He is totally cut off from social media.
C．He lives alone in a remote area of America.	D．He feels satisfied to live in the traditional society.

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

A．Arose.

B．Returned.

C．Suffered.

D．Disappeared.

4. What may be the reason why Beasley left “Mountain Men”？

A．He wasn’t content with his reward.	B．He could hardly spare any time for it.
C．He was tired of facing the camera.	D．He lost his passion for living outdoors.

2 . One of the world’s largest technology events, Consumer Electronics Show (CES), is taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada. CES presents the latest technology offerings from companies across the world. Here is a look at some of the top products presented at the show this year.

Transparent televisions   

LG and Samsung brought televisions that have a transparent (透明的) screen design to CES. The TVs use OLED technology. They’re designed to be hidden in a room when not in use. The companies presenting the TVs haven’t provided pricing information, but experts say the transparent models are likely to cost tens of thousands of dollars.

Robot pet sitter

Robotics developer Ogmen presented a new machine designed to assist pets. The ORo robot is equipped with a food container to feed animals. It can also play with pets, record health details and take photos and videos of animals’ daily activities.

Body power to charge a phone

Sports equipment developer LifeSpan introduced an exercise bicycle/desk combination that uses human power to charge phones or other devices. The Ampera bike is designed to be used with a “standing” desk table. LifeSpan says at a speed of 60 rpms, the bike can produce up to 65 watts of electricity per hour.

Home-made ice cream in 2 minutes

The ColdSnap company introduced a machine that can make single servings of ice cream in about two minutes. The machine uses small containers, called pods, just like Keurig coffeemakers. The pods for the ColdSnap machine can be kept at room temperature, saving energy costs. The machines can be taken anywhere and are simple to operate.

1. What can be known from the text?

A．The ORo robot is a perfect pet.

B．The ColdSnap specializes in soft drinks.

C．The price of transparent TVs is still a secret.

D．The Ampera bike can finish charging a phone hourly.

2. What do ColdSnap machines and Keurig coffeemakers have in common?

A．They are quite easy to carry.	B．They are environmentally-friendly.
C．They are equipped with little containers.	D．They are developed by the same company.

3. What’s the main purpose of the text?

A．To show the wide popularity of CES.

B．To advertise a global show called CES.

C．To predict some next-generation technology products.

D．To introduce some top technology products from CES 2024.

3 . All families experience conflict from time to time. Disagreeing with others — even those you love — is generally a part of all types of close relationships.     1     For those who wish to discover how to solve family conflict, some of the tips below may help.

● Learn how to emotionally control.

Emotions can be powerful.     2     However, working toward building your abilities in this way can make a big difference in how you handle all types of conflicts and challenges in life and relationships. Something as simple as deep breathing can help calm the mind.

●     3    

Sometimes, arguments between people escalate (加剧) when one or all parties interpret that they’re not being heard. Making a conscious effort to invite each family involved in a conflict to tell their side can help de-escalate emotions and move participants in the direction of a resolution.

● Explore different formats of conflict resolution.

    4     Being open to different methods and formats of conflict resolution can make the family feel more comfortable expressing their points of view and agreeing on solutions. For example, some people may spend time alone organizing their thoughts. Allowing them to put their thoughts down on paper instead of presenting them orally may be beneficial.

● Avoid interrupting.

According to research, even a two-second interruption is enough to make us lose the thread of what we’re saying. An interruption can make us lose our focus and even the potential to feel satisfied at having fully expressed ourselves. Avoid interrupting family when they’re explaining their side of a conflict.     5    

A．Let others speak.

B．Communicate directly.

C．Not every human is born to handle conflict in the same way.

D．The way in which families handle conflict is the most important.

E．And remaining perfectly in control of them in every situation isn’t always easy.

F．It can help ensure they can express themselves fully and feel heard and understood.

G．And you may be able to influence how others in your family handle conflict over time.

4 . Some Ways to Improve Social Interaction

Greet someone

Nobody wants to feel unwelcome or unappreciated. If they do, they will feel like outcasts (被排斥者).     1    . This can be accomplished with a simple greeting or a firm handshake while looking at the person directly in the eye.

    2    

People have a natural curiosity as to what you are all about. The best way to communicate this is to engage in a simple conversation. Some people are naturally shy and tend to withdraw from such communication. If one person is not willing to start a conversation, another should take the initiative simply by asking the other, “How are you?” or “What do you think?”

Volunteer

    3    . Volunteering your time or skills may add an additional burden, but it tells others you believe in them and are willing to help out. Such an expression also makes it easy for you to seek support when you are in need of help.

Ask for advice

Too often people are too proud to ask for directions in our journey through life. But asking for advice from a co-worker accomplishes two things: first, you might get the answer you seek, and second, it says you trust the person and respect his/her opinion.     4    .

Be polite

Your manners and how to improve interaction with others say a lot about your character.     5    . I am not suggesting everyone turn into a “Miss Manners”, but attention to basic courtesy (礼貌) can improve your image with others.

A．Be curious

B．Engage in conversation

C．The objective is to make people feel at home

D．Basic manners mean you are socially well adjusted

E．It means you are sensitive and interested in the person

F．Many people prefer to sit back and watch as others perform the work

G．By confiding in an individual, the advisor becomes concerned with your best interests

5 . Casey McIntyre, who was 38, worked as a publisher in New York City. In 2019, doctors told her that she had a serious kind of cancer that’s usually found in women much older than her. Though doctors treated her for the cancer, Ms. McIntyre’s health got worse.

But she realized that in a way, she was luckier than some other people. She had insurance to help pay for her medical care. That means she didn’t owe money for her medical care. But she and her husband knew many people with cancer face tough decisions because of the costs of medical care. Soon, she and her husband began donating money to a group called RIP Medical Debt, which works to pay off the unpaid medical debt s of others. Usually, for every $ 100 donated, the group can pay off $ 10,000 in unpaid medical bills.

In late June, 2023, doctors told Ms. McIntyre that she probably had about a month to live. Though her health was failing, Ms. McIntyre lived for about six months. She had many difficult days, but she also spent some wonderful days with her family. In that time, she also thought about what she wanted to happen after she died. She decided to make an effort to pay off the medical debts of as many people as she possibly could.

On November 12, 2023, Ms. McIntyre passed away. Her husband posted a message for her on her social media accounts. “If you’re reading this, I have passed away. To celebrate my life, I’ve arranged to buy up others’ medical debts and then destroy the debts,” the post said.

The couple had set up a page on a website to raise money for this purpose. They’d hoped to raise about $ 20,000. That would have been enough to pay off about $ 2 million worth of medical bills. But the donations on her web page quickly passed the original goal. In less than a week, the site had raised 10 times more than expected. And the donations are still coming in.

1. What conclusion can be drawn about Casey McIntyre from paragraph 1?

A．She caught the cancer far earlier than average.

B．The treatment she received worked well on her.

C．Her cancer was too serious to be worth treating.

D．She was found to have cancer in her late thirties.

2. Why did Casey McIntyre think she was luckier than some others?

A．Because she was able to make proper decisions.

B．Because she was able to afford her medical bills.

C．Because she was accompanied during treatment.

D．Because she could receive the best medical care.

3. What does the last paragraph imply?

A．People enjoyed donating through the Internet.

B．People felt very sorry for the loss of Casey McIntyre.

C．People were generally concerned about cancer patients.

D．People showed great support for Casey McIntyre’s behavior.

4. Which of the following words can best describe Casey McIntyre?

A．Smart and strong-willed.	B．Proud but single-minded.
C．Unfortunate but kind-hearted.	D．Ambitious and easy-going.

6 . When you try a new restaurant or book a hotel, do you consider the online reviews? Do you submit online reviews yourself? Do you pay attention if they are filtered (过滤) and moderated? Does that influence your own online review submissions? A team examined these in recently published research.

In a world where businesses thrive or die by online reviews, it’s important to consider the meaning of a platform’s review moderation policies, the transparency (透明度) of those policies, and how that affects the submitted reviews.

In 2010, Yelp showed a video for the first time to help users understand how its review filter works and why it is necessary. Then, Yelp added a section to show filtered reviews. Previously, Yelp didn’t unveil information about its review filter. This change presented the perfect opportunity to examine the effect of policy transparency on submitted reviews.

The team compared reviews of over 1,000 restaurants on Yelp to those of the same restaurants on TripAdvisor, which wasn’t transparent about its review filter with its practices unchanged. They used a difference-in-difference (DID) approach. They found the number of reviews submitted to Yelp decreased. Those submitted were increasingly negative and shorter in length compared to TripAdvisor. Also, the more positive a review, the shorter it was.

Platforms are pressured to have content guidelines and take measures to prevent fraud (欺诈) and ensure that reviews are legal and helpful. However, most platforms aren’t transparent about their policies, leading consumers to suspect that reviews are handled to increase profits. Whether or not to be transparent about review filters is an important decision for platforms with many considerations.

Users may put less time and effort into their reviews if they suspect that they have a significant chance of being filtered, or they may do the opposite to make their review s less likely to be filtered. Since most fake (假的) reviews are overly positive, users may assume that positive review s are most likely to be filtered and act accordingly.

However, with a transparent policy, those who submit fake reviews may be incentivized (激励) to change their ways.

1. How does the author lead in the topic?

A．By describing a phenomenon.	B．By putting forward questions.
C．By comparing online reviews.	D．By mentioning recent research.

2. The underlined word “unveil” in paragraph 3 most probably means “______”.

A．make something public	B．consider something practical
C．make something perfect	D．consider something important

3. What did the researchers find about the review s submitted to Yelp?

A．Their number was on the rise.	B．Their length was increasing.
C．Longer ones meant less positivity.	D．More positive ones were submitted.

4. What does paragraph 6 mainly talk about?

A．Purposes of applying online review filters.

B．Suggestions on how to treat online reviews.

C．Methods of preventing review s from being filtered.

D．Effects of review filters without transparent policy.

7 . My dad worked in construction. His day started early and ended late. When he got home, all he ________ to do was lie on the couch and relax.

One hot summer, when my parents’ wedding anniversary (周年纪念日) was ________, they made plans to eat out. When the big day ________ arrived, Dad got home at seven. He was obviously tired. “Honey, I just need a thirty-minute sleep and then we’ll eat out for ________ ,” he said as he lay on the couch.

I knew how important that evening was to Mom, but before long Dad was ________. Then Mom did the strangest thing. She ________ the refrigerator and took out eggs and bacon. Soon she had some biscuits baking in the oven.

Mom ________ a plate with a lot of his favorite foods. Then she bent over and kissed him while whispering in his ear, “Time to ________ , honey.”

As Dad looked up, he found Mom standing in front of him with his dinner. I’ll never ________ the love that passed between them. “Honey, I promised you I’d take you out to dinner and I ________ it,” he said sincerely.

She kissed him on the cheek, “I know you would, but I’m also ________ that you’ve had a hard day and you’re tired. What’s important is that we’re together.”

That ________ on love is still with me today five decades later. Whenever I imagine how ________ they’re to be together in heaven, a sweet peace and comfort falls over me, the same way I felt when I   ________ their great love for each other on that night when Mom made Dad a ________ anniversary dinner.

1.

A．happened

B．wanted

C．agreed

D．remembered

2.

A．appearing

B．passing

C．changing

D．approaching

3.

A．eventually

B．secretly

C．surprisingly

D．naturally

4.

A．comfort

B．convenience

C．celebration

D．exploration

5.

A．bored

B．asleep

C．embarrassed

D．impatient

6.

A．reached into

B．packed up

C．searched for

D．switched off

7.

A．exchanged

B．refilled

C．decorated

D．piled

8.

A．depart

B．awake

C．exercise

D．withdraw

9.

A．copy

B．record

C．forget

D．understand

10.

A．meant

B．made

C．admitted

D．regretted

11.

A．afraid

B．ashamed

C．disappointed

D．aware

12.

A．advice

B．lesson

C．comment

D．experiment

13.

A．proud

B．relaxed

C．happy

D．amazed

14.

A．shared

B．deserved

C．gained

D．witnessed

15.

A．random

B．typical

C．special

D．familiar

8 . A 17-year-old teenager who got lost while on a snowmobiling (摩托雪橇) trip in the Canadian wilderness was safely rescued on Saturday evening. He was found in good _________, as he had built himself a snow cave to hole up until he was rescued. “It would have been a (n) _________ night,” the teen,_________ as Robert, told reporters.

Robert went snowmobiling that afternoon with his father James and his brother Peter near Mahood Lake. At some point, James stopped to _________ Peter when Peter’s snowmobile got stuck, but Robert did not realize they were not _________ him. He wound up in a(n) _________ area, where he turned to the steep slopes and got _________. “I tried to get back the way I came, but I destroyed the trail (痕迹) in the _________.” Robert said.

Trying to find a temporary _________, the young snowmobiler left his ____________ in an open field and headed towards a tree line, where he built a snow cave to warm up and wait for help. “It look me about an hour to ____________ build it,” said Robert. Meanwhile, his family had returned lo a parking lot, where Robert never ____________.

“This young man made our task a little less ____________ by staying in place and having some backcountry winter survival ____________.” South Cariboo Search & Rescue (SCSR) said in a statement. “He displayed some real ____________ choices there.”

1.

A．taste

B．faith

C．company

D．condition

2.

A．tough

B．ordinary

C．silent

D．crucial

3.

A．treated

B．honored

C．mistaken

D．identified

4.

A．help

B．greet

C．encourage

D．protect

5.

A．warming

B．guiding

C．following

D．blaming

6.

A．crowded

B．even

C．magic

D．unfamiliar

7.

A．checked

B．trapped

C．wounded

D．rescued

8.

A．match

B．field

C．process

D．shadow

9.

A．job

B．shelter

C．volunteer

D．partner

10.

A．vehicle

B．message

C．key

D．package

11.

A．hesitantly

B．eventually

C．randomly

D．secretly

12.

A．showed up

B．turned around

C．looked up

D．hung around

13.

A．rewarding

B．boring

C．significant

D．difficult

14.

A．concepts

B．knowledge

C．chances

D．equipment

15.

A．unrealistic

B．noble

C．extreme

D．mature

9 . Austin Community College (ACC) offers a stimulating schedule of art classes year-round for beginners and seasoned artists of all ages, from toddlers (学步幼儿) to adults. Taught by experienced professional artists, ACC’s classes are small, scheduled around the school, and tuition fees are affordable. ACC’s art students have access to the excellent contemporary art in our galleries to help stimulate and inspire their own efforts.

Classes for Toddlers: In keeping with research suggesting the value of art in early childhood education, ACC offers its My First Portfolio program for preschoolers, forking alongside their caregiver, young children develop their cognitive (认知的), sensory, and motor skills, and explore their creativity with age-appropriate art activities. Both toddlers and caregivers benefit from this unique and artistic bonding experience.

Classes for Children: Classes for school-age students introduce techniques, including clay modeling, collage, and more. Many classes introduce themes such as art history and current events. Students interact with a professional instructor, meet contemporary artists, and see inventive artwork in the galleries, while developing their creative skills.

Classes for Teens: Classes for teens at ACC are focused on specific themes or techniques, and aim to develop fundamental skills as well as individual artistic voice.

Classes for Adults: Both beginners and experienced artists will find engaging classes at ACC. Our class schedule regularly features drawing, painting, printmaking, and mixed media classes. In addition to professional instruction, adult students are regularly exposed to the work of contemporary artists.

1. What does ACC promise to its participants?

A．Free tuition.

B．Small classes.

C．Great progress.

D．Online courses.

2. What can we learn about My First Portfolio program?

A．It is suitable for all ages.

B．It is beneficial to both toddlers and carers.

C．It helps teens improve their athletic skills.

D．It connects the researchers with the caregivers.

3. Which of the following best suits people interested in learning basic artistic skills?

A．Classes for Children.	B．Classes for Adults.
C．Classes for Teens.	D．Classes for Toddlers.

10 . “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” could eventually become less of a baby lullaby and more of an elegy (挽歌).

Seeing stars keeps getting more difficult because artificial lighting is making the night sky about 10% brighter each year, according to a study that analyzed reports from more than 50,000 amateur stargazers. That’s a much faster rate of change than scientists previously estimated looking at satellite data.

To illustrate the change, researchers gave this example: A child is born where 250 stars are visible on a clear night. By the time that child turns 18, only 100 stars are still visible. “We are losing, year by year, the possibility to see the stars, which has been a universal human experience,” said Fabio Falchi, a physicist at Chile’s University of Santiago de Compostela. “If you can still see the dimmest stars, you are in a very dark place. But if you see only the brightest ones, you are in a very light-polluted place.”

“Prior studies of artificial lighting, which used satellite images of the Earth at night, had estimated the annual increase in sky brightness to be about 2% a year,” said Christopher Kyba, a physicist at the German Research Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam.

But the satellites used weren’t able to detect light with wavelengths toward the blue end of the spectrum (光谱) — including the light from energy-efficient LED bulbs. More than half of the new outdoor lights installed in the United States in the past decade have been LED lights, according to the researchers. The satellites are also better at detecting light that scatters (散射) upward, like a spotlight, than light that scatters horizontally (水平地).

Georgetown University biologist Emily Williams, who was not part of the study, said, “Skyglow disturbs circadian rhythms in humans and other forms of life. Migratory songbirds normally use starlight to find out where they are in the sky at night. And when sea turtle babies hatch, they use light to orient toward the ocean — light pollution is a huge deal for them.”

1. What did the researchers, example indicate in paragraph 3?

A．The rapid decrease in star visibility.	B．The severity of outdoor air pollution.
C．Children’s fondness for a clear night sky.	D．People’s regret for lost childhood activities.

2. Which of the following was a disadvantage of satellites used in previous studies?

A．It couldn’t discover the blue color.	B．It failed to detect the whole spectrum.
C．It was sensitive to light from LED bulbs.	D．It couldn’t find horizontal light resources.

3. What is Emily Williams’ attitude to the effects of light pollution?

A．Tolerant.

B．Concerned.

C．Unclear.

D．Doubtful.

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

A．Stars Are Disappearing from the Night Sky

B．The Meaning Behind a Traditional Baby Song

C．Light Pollution Harms Wildlife and Ecosystems

D．Satellites Used in Measuring Night Sky Brightness