1 . A sugar replacement called erythritol (赤藓糖醇) has been linked to blood clotting (血液凝固), stroke, heart attack and death, according to a new study.

“The degree of risk was not modest,” said lead study author Dr. Stanley Hazen. People with existing risk factors for heart disease will be twice as likely to experience the risk if they have the highest levels of erythritol in their blood. Erythritol appears to be causing blood platelets (血小板) to clot more readily. Clots can break off and travel to the heart or the brain, causing a heart attack or a stroke.

Erythritol is a sugar alcohol, a carb found naturally in many fruits and vegetables. However, artificially manufactured in massive quantities, erythritol has become an extremely popular additive to low-carb products.

The discovery of the connection between erythritol and cardiovascular issues was purely accidental. Hazen’s research had a simple goal: find unknown chemicals or compounds in a person’s blood. To do so, the team analyzed 1,157 blood samples. “We found this substance that seemed to play a big role, but we didn’t know it was erythritol, a sweetener until later,” said Hazen. To confirm the findings, the team tested another two batches of blood samples and found that higher levels of erythritol were connected to a greater risk of heart attack, stroke or death within three years.

“This certainly sounds an alarm,” said Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of a hospital inDenver. “Science needs to take a deeper div e into erythritol and in a hurry, because this substance is widely available right now. If it’s harmful, we should know about it.”

Hazen agreed,“I normally don’t get up on a pedestal (崇高地位) and sound the alarm, but this is something that I think we need to be looking at carefully.”

1. About the risk, what does Hazen’s word in paragraph 2 mean?

A．It is not worth considering.	B．It is removed by erythritol.
C．It should not be underestimated.	D．It is just present in people with disease.

2. What do we know about erythritol?

A．Its quality is uncertain.	B．It has been used widely in food.
C．It is manufactured by artists.	D．It mainly exists in fruits.

3. What can be concluded from the last two paragraphs?

A．Erythritol is not available to people.

B．Hazen likes warning people about potential dangers.

C．People have realized that erythritol is dangerous.

D．Further research should be done on erythritol.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．The Accidental Discovery of a New Sweetener

B．The Potential Health Risks of Erythritol Uncovered

C．The Rise of Erythritol as a Popular Sugar Substitute

D．The Surprising Benefits of Erythritol in Diet Products

2 . Climate change is causing more areas to turn into deserts. This issue is affecting the lives of 250 million people as land that used to be good for farming becomes dry and unproductive. Around one-third of the world’s land is impacted, including regions in Africa, southern Europe, Asia and America.

Sand to Green is a Moroccan company that can transform a patch of desert into a sustainable (可持续的) and profitable plantation in five years, according to Wissal Ben Moussa, its co-founder and chief agricultural officer. The solution is using agroforestry (农林业)to create a new kind of agriculture that is sustainable and that can be resilient (有适应力的) in front of climate change.

The system can be set up close to any source of salty water, which Sand to Green cleans using energy from the sun. It then grows different types of fruit trees and plants together in the same area—a method called mixed planting—and waters the plants’ roots directly with the cleaned water, to reduce water loss to the air. The soil is regenerated using what Sand to Green calls “green manure”, a mixture that includes compost, biochar(生物炭)and microorganisms that help the soil “wake up”. Biochar is a form of charcoal that can help dry soil hold on to water.

In a five-hectare trial in southern Morocco that’s been running since 2017, Sand to Green has tried out a variety of plants in search of the best performers. Among the intercropping herbs (草本植物) that have been successfully trialed are rosemary, geranium, vetiver and citronella, which Ben Moussa describes as “very low-maintenance and very high-profit”.

Sand to Green is now working to scale up to a 20-hectare commercial site, also in southern Morocco. It says a site of that size would cost around $475,000 to set up and would start bringing financial returns in about five years.

According to Ben Moussa, with this system they create biodiversity, which means better soil, healthier crops and a bigger yield. The plantation can generate 1.5 times more yield, thus making more money than a farm that grows only one type of crop in the same space.

1. What phenomenon does the author describe in paragraph 1?

A．Deforestation.	B．Desertification.
C．Global warming.	D．Urbanization.

2. Why did Sand to Green use agroforestry?

A．To preserve the crop’s survival rate.

B．To protect water from pollution.

C．To make a new type of soil.

D．To help people adapt to climate change.

3. What can we learn about Sand to Green?

A．It aims to plant more trees.

B．It earns a good reputation.

C．It develops new plants.

D．It produces good results.

4. What does the underlined phrase “scale up” mean in paragraph 5?

A．Expand.

B．Object.

C．Refer.

D．Prefer.

3 . My family visited the coastal town of St. Pete Beach. Florida. With its pretty sandy beaches, deep blue waters and year-round sunshine, it’s clear to see why St. Pete is a popular tourist destination among travelers from around the world.

Just a few feet from our apartment, we found ourselves walking on white sand towards the bright blue ocean. We were soon greeted by a man offering us the use of one of his luxury beach cabanas (小屋) for the day at a very reasonable price and settled into a full day of relaxation. The peaceful atmosphere was a true escape from the hustle and bustle (喧嚣) of the city. It was so easy to while away the days from morning until dusk, enjoying the warmth of the sun’s rays and getting lost in a good book, before taking a quick swim in the calm waters to cool off.

Once the sun set, there was a various range of bars and restaurants to choose from just a few steps away. The warm evening atmosphere was peppered with the mouthwatering smell of sizzling freshly-caught fish. The only hardship was trying to decide where to dine each evening with so many tasty options!

After a while, we began to desire a bit more adventure on our trip which, to our delight, we discovered was easy to come by. On one of our outings, we took a boat trip to the undisturbed island of Egmont Key State Park. There we explored the ruins of a military outpost built in 1898 and a 150-year-old working lighthouse. The island is also a protected wildlife reserve. On our return journey, we were excited to discover we were being followed by over a dozen dolphins, who were taking turns to leap out of the water playfully in the wake of our boat.

1. What made the author’s family select St. Pete Beach as the destination?

A．Water sports.	B．The city’s busy nightlife.
C．Some historical buildings.	D．The beautiful beach and weather.

2. Why did the family decide to spend a day in a beach cabana?

A．Because of some fun activities.

B．Because of a cost-effective offer.

C．Because of near historical landmarks.

D．Because of the distance of it from their apartment.

3. What troubled the author’s family when they chose a place to eat?

A．Friendly atmosphere in each restaurant.

B．High prices in most restaurants.

C．Diverse choices available.

D．Family members’ preferences for food.

4. What added excitement to the family’s return boat trip?

A．The presence of a wildlife expert in the boat.

B．Dolphins following and playing around the boat.

C．The discovery of hidden treasures on the boat.

D．A surprising visit from some local residents.

4 . Some of the classrooms at Taft Elementary in Santa Clara, California, have one flaw in common. They don’t have ________. Former school psychologist Ernesto Rodriguez thought the lack of windows does ________ kids, because research shows being in and around nature ________ anxiety and has benefits for students.

Rodriguez, who is now a park ranger (护林员) on Southern California’s Catalina Island ________ knows the impact nature has on mental health, and began ________ on his passion — landscape photography. It was during his training to become a park ranger that he learned a fact that ________ with him. “Kids who have views out windows to trees do ________ academically, emotionally and creatively. And more kids ________ and go to college,” he said. “I thought, why isn’t this being used?”

Rodriguez uses his photography skills to take 360 degree ________ of tree canopies (树冠), then he prints them and ________ them onto ceiling tiles. “So when you ________ it feels like you’re sitting under a tree. And it has all those ________ of the science that helps calm you down, focus and communicate,” he said.

A student named Octavio thinks trees bring him ________. “It is surprising to see because any time you’re inside of a school, you mostly don’t see ________ or trees. But now it’s ________ to see that there are trees here,” Octavio said. “I would say that it’s pretty great and ________.”

Rodriguez says if you still don’t believe in the science behind the art, you can ________ it yourself by going outside and looking up at the trees. “This is a(n) ________ of both my careers as a school psychologist and a photographer,” Rodriguez said. “And to be ________ to create imagery — and spend time out in nature creating imagery that I know is going to help people — is really a ________”.

1.

A．desks

B．windows

C．curtains

D．blackboards

2.

A．spoil

B．attract

C．affect

D．frighten

3.

A．shares

B．kills

C．arouses

D．eases

4.

A．deeply

B．rarely

C．simply

D．curiously

5.

A．depending

B．calling

C．focusing

D．counting

6.

A．stuck

B．fought

C．filled

D．concerned

7.

A．quicker

B．better

C．earlier

D．worse

8.

A．register

B．revise

C．skip

D．graduate

9.

A．ways

B．views

C．shots

D．angles

10.

A．takes

B．moves

C．throws

D．fits

11.

A．look up

B．get in

C．come out

D．sit down

12.

A．contents

B．elements

C．types

D．powers

13.

A．credit

B．trouble

C．peace

D．fun

14.

A．changes

B．signs

C．books

D．plants

15.

A．amazing

B．normal

C．common

D．scarce

16.

A．convenient

B．sacred

C．practical

D．beautiful

17.

A．draw

B．try

C．take

D．study

18.

A．design

B．marriage

C．honor

D．image

19.

A．confident

B．likely

C．able

D．happy

20.

A．motivator

B．privacy

C．matter

D．question

5 . You know you really want to get good grades.Your parents have put the pressure on you, or you’ve promised that you’ll do better.    1     If you work to find a focused mindset and establish a study schedule, you can cut out the distractions you have control over and minimize the ones you can’t stop completely.

Tune out specific distractions as you notice them. Say you’re trying to study in the library and you keep getting distracted by someone texting. Take note of this specific distraction and then tell yourself you’re going to overcome it.    2     And eventually you’ll no longer notice it.

Give yourself a break.    3     So it’s no surprise if you find yourself distracted from studying by thoughts about a lot of other things. Rather than acting like all of those other needs don’t exist, give yourself an outlet.Spend five minutes thinking about everything that is on your plate, but then tell yourself that it’s time to focus on the main task — studying.

Prioritize your studying by setting a main goal.When you’ve got an exam coming up, it’s easy to think you need to study everything. If you want to make things more manageable and be less prone to becoming distracted, do as follows:     4    

    5     Some people imagine that knocking out several things at once means you can work faster.However, doing your homework while watching TV or shopping online will cause you to lose your focus. So concentrate on a piece of work at a time instead.

If you follow the above consistently, you’ll find that you gradually spend less and less time being distracted.

A．Life can get really busy.

B．Don’t attempt to multitask.

C．Put off the easier tasks instead.

D．But you are likely unable to concentrate.

E．Break things down and establish just one primary goal.

F．Sometimes stepping away from studies can be more beneficial.

G．Keep doing this every time something taking your attention away comes up.

6 . Discover the Huge Health Benefits of Strength Training

One of the best ways to stay fit and healthy as you age is to do strength and power training exercises. It is known that when you are in your thirties, you will begin to lose muscle mass. This loss actually contributes to achy joints, the increased risk of injury, and the “middle-age spread” we all fear. What’s more, the older you get, the faster muscle mass loses. It means that eventually, simple tasks like getting out of a chair and climbing stairs can become more difficult.

Strength training can help you build muscles, make you strong, increase your staying power and make everyday activities easier. By combining strength and power training exercises, you’ll not only get stronger, but also improve your reaction speed. As you grow older, that’s critical because it can help prevent falls. Here is a book, Strength and Power Training for All Ages, for your reference.

Common sense about fitness in the book:

·The key muscles to work for an injury-free body

·How to tell how much weight is suitable for you

·How to strengthen the bones most likely to break

·How to take pressure off your knees when walking or running

·Why you’ll want to apply heat to sore joints before you exercise

Four total body workouts in the book:

·Build bones

·Fight diseases

·Improve balance

·Strengthen muscles &Increase muscle power

Get a copy, start training, and then you’ll discover a whole new self.

1. What will happen as people age according to paragraph 1?

A．They will need less exercise.

B．They will improve reaction speed.

C．They will experience muscle loss.

D．They will have better staying power.

2. What does Strength and Power Training for All Ages mainly teach people to do?

A．Train their brains.	B．Build a sound body.
C．Treat bone diseases.	D．Cut down their weight.

3. What is the text?

A．A notice.	B．An oral folktale.
C．A scientific paper.	D．An advertisement.

7 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Who has got a part-time job at a bakery?

A．Simon.

B．Tim.

C．Rebecca.

2. When did Rebecca return home?

A．Last Saturday.

B．Last Wednesday.

C．Last Sunday.

3. What happened to Kim?

A．She was ill in hospital.

B．She won a competition.

C．She wrote a text.

4. Why did Danny put up a notice about the show?

A．To show his dancing skill.

B．To give a brief summary of it.

C．To ask people to play parts in it.

8 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. How is the weather now?

A．Cloudy.

B．Sunny.

C．Snowy.

2. What does the woman think of the man’s suggestion?

A．Practical.

B．Crazy.

C．Shameful.

3. What does the woman say about the Black Run?

A．It is very dangerous.

B．It is easy for skiing in the area.

C．It is very good for exercising legs.

9 . What program comes first on TV?

A．A puzzle show.

B．A film.

C．A football match.

10 . The Chicago Botanic Garden opened more than 45 years ago as a beautiful place to visit, and it has matured into one of the world’s great living museums and conservation science centers.

Group Visit Packages
Garden Package

♦$41 per person

♦One activity/tour of your choice

♦Private dining area for one hour and lunch

Tours
Grand Tram Tour

♦35-minute guided tour departs on the hour starting at 10 am

♦Travels 2. 6 miles and shows the entire Garden grounds, including such highlights as 81 acres of lakes, nine islands, and beautiful gardens

♦Maximum capacity of 76 people

♦Available during peak season (April-October)

Activities
Butterflies & Blooms

For $6 more per person, put yourself in a habitat filled with more than 500 butterflies native to South America and North America. From late May through early September, 10 am — 5 pm. This visit takes approximately 20 minutes.

Model Railroad Garden

For $6 more per person, add a unique adventure to your package: 15 model trains journey coast-to-coast across bridges, through tunnels, and past miniature (微型的) scenes of America’s favorite landmarks. From mid-May to late October, 10 am—5 pm. This visit takes approximately 30 minutes.

Specialty Tours
Library Tour

This tour package includes a rare book viewing, a library tour, and an exhibition tour. Maximum 30 people per tour. This tour takes approximately 50 minutes.

Garden Highlights Walking Tour

On this tour, you will be taken to a garden in full bloom. Areas for touring are determined on the day of your visit and are based on blooms and the group’s capacity to walk. This tour takes approximately 35 minutes.

1. What do we know about Grand Tram Tour?

A．It has no time restriction.

B．It offers eight tours a day.

C．It is available all year round.

D．It limits the number of visitors.

2. How much should you pay to enjoy the wonderful scene of butterflies?

A．$6.

B．$20.

C．$41.

D．$ 47.

3. Which of the following can help you learn about landmarks in America?

A．Library Tour.	B．Model Railroad Garden.
C．Butterflies & Blooms.	D．Garden Highlights Walking Tour.