1 . Surf Camp Overview

Take advantage of this opportunity to surf the best waves of the Christchurch surf region while you receive in-depth surf coaching.

The Kaikoura coast will be our target destination. Everything is designed for the average surfer who may have started later than they would have liked. It’s about fun and new surfing experiences. You will improve your surfing by theory sessions, land-based simulations (模拟) video coaching and tips on mindset.

Day 1: We will meet as a group in Christchurch around 10 am, load up the van (小型货车) with our surfboards and equipment and head for Kaikoura. We will get to know each other, I’ll figure out where your surfing is at and we’ll hopefully fit two sessions in once at our destination.

Day 2-4: Three full days of continuous surfing and coaching. In between sessions we’ll check videos and go through theory lessons while calming down. We can also check out local attractions and good food spots etc.

Day 5: We’ll fit in a couple of surf sessions before heading back to Christchurch Airport around 2 pm.

By attending the Christchurch surf camp you will come away with the skills and confidence to move gradually in the direction of your surfing goals. I hope you’ll feel a sense of possibility that you can learn some new skills. You’ll also get:

● video footage (片段) from all your surf sessions

● downloads of all the material from the theory sessions

● a relaxing positive time with like-minded people

1. Who are the camp targeted at?

A．Professional athletes.	B．Unskilled surfers.
C．Surf lifeguards.	D．Surf coaches.

2. What will participants do on Day 1?

A．Select proper surfboards.	B．Visit local attractions.
C．Receive skill check.	D．Watch video lessons.

3. What will participants get from this camp?

A．Resources and skills.	B．Medals and certificates.
C．Tickets and additional training.	D．Individual tutoring and online classes.

2 . In today’s world, it can be challenging to stay motivated and positive. However, one powerful tool that we can use to overcome these challenges is encouragement. Encouragement can make a significant difference in someone’s life.     1     Encouragement can come in many forms, such as words of affirmation (肯定), acts of kindness, or simply showing support. In today’s society, where negativity is common, a little bit of encouragement can go a long way.

One of the most significant benefits of encouragement is that it builds strong relationships. Encouragement creates a positive environment where people feel valued and appreciated. When we encourage others, we are showing them that we believe in them and that we care about their well-being.     2    

Another benefit of encouragement is that it creates a chain reaction.     3     This chain reaction can spread throughout a community, workplace, or family. By building each other up, we create a supportive and empowering environment.

    4     The first step is to be intentional about our words and actions. We can start by offering genuine words, expressing thanks, or simply listening attentively. We can also seek out opportunities to encourage others, whether it’s through volunteering or offering support during tough times. By taking small but consistent actions, we can make a significant impact on the lives of other people.

In conclusion, the power of encouragement cannot be overstated. It has the potential to transform lives, build strong relationships, and create a ripple effect of positivity. By being intentional about our words and actions, we can use encouragement to build others up and create a better world.     5    

A．Encouragement can change our moods.

B．So how can we use encouragement to build others up?

C．Why should we make every effort to encourage others?

D．This strengthens the bond between people and promotes trust and loyalty.

E．When we encourage others, they, in turn, are more likely to encourage others

F．Let us use the power of encouragement and start building each other up today.

G．When we encourage others, we give them the motivation and confidence they need to succeed.

3 . It is widely known that children’s interest in nature is crucial for their mental health and biodiversity (生物多样性) protection efforts. But how can parents and teachers develop children’s interest in nature in the first place? The answer may lie in a garden.

Chinese researchers have recently reported that a school garden with abundant natural components (元素) can be used to cultivate the interest of primary school children in nature while helping to relieve their study-related stress.

In a study published in the journal People and Nature, a research team from Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences analyzed the impact of natural observation and inquiry-based learning activities in a school garden on the development of children’s interest in nature.

The researchers conducted a series of teaching interventions (干预) over a semester in a campus garden of a primary school in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province. The program involved 24 fourth graders taking part in three 40-minute activities that were held weekly: natural observation with assigned tasks, natural observation with open-ended tasks and inquiry-based activities.

Participants kept individual portfolios (档案) consisting of questionnaires, nature journals, observation notes and interviews. Qualitative and quantitative data were analyzed to divide children into three categories: those who developed an interest, those who developed an improved interest, and those not affected by the activities.

After four months in the program, the results showed that more than two-thirds of the 24 students were classified as either “interest started” or “interest enhanced,” showing a generally favorable outcome, according to the study. The results revealed that the school garden, with its unique and safe environment, played a significant role in stimulating children’s curiosity about the creatures in the garden. It also empowered children to learn and explore independently.

Given the current trend of children spending more time in front of screens and less in front of nature, school gardens offer potential solutions, the study said. “Implementing a diverse school garden with informative labels and explanation boards, along with teacher support, represents a potential approach to cultivating children’s interest in nature, particularly during the critical developmental stage of 9 to 11 years of age,” said Chen Jin, a researcher at the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden. “We recommend adopting mini botanical (植物的) gardens and club activities in schools to bridge formal and informal education,” Chen added.

1. What is the main focus of the study?

A．The benefits of traditional classroom settings.

B．The impact of screen time on children’s development.

C．The effects of inquiry-based learning on primary school children.

D．The role of school gardens in developing children’s interest in nature.

2. How did the school garden contribute to children’s curiosity?

A．By limiting children’s access to screens.

B．By focusing on formal classroom activities.

C．By creating a unique and safe environment.

D．By offering inquiry-based learning activities.

3. What is recommended to develop children’s interest in nature?

A．Adopting diverse school gardens with teacher’s support.

B．Encouraging more screen time for educational purposes.

C．Focusing on informal activities without teacher’s support.

D．Increasing the time children spend independently exploring nature.

4 . As warm blood spattered all over us, I screamed… actually it was water, but that didn’t stop me being so scared that my heart was nearly beating out of my chest. My friend had persuaded me onto the Hotel Psycho ride at the Prater Amusement Park, I’m unwilling to experience any fear, but I decided to do it anyway. I came off the ride shaking but excited.

Apparently Eleanor Roosevelt didn’t actually say “do one thing that scares you every day”, as is often thought, but nevertheless it’s a great rule to follow. You don’t need to go on a fairground ride or jump out of a plane, but it is a good idea to push yourself out of your comfort zone regularly.

The human brain, particularly the amygdale (杏仁核), is designed to keep you safe. This sounds like a good thing, and obviously, sometimes it is. However, the fact that the amygdala is always on the lookout for danger means that it will prioritize protecting you over almost anything else: learning something new, experiencing something amazing, getting a great opportunity and meeting other people. The amygdala would really just like you to stay put in a nice safe dark cave.

The more you listen to its urgings to avoid all risks, the narrower and darker your life will become. There is plenty of evidence that the most effective way to deal with our fears and anxieties is exposing ourselves to what we fear. You can start off with small steps, but the more you confront (面对) your fears, the smaller they become: whereas the more you allow your fears to prevent you from doing things, the bigger those fears seem to be.

For this reason, it is important to stretch yourself and keep all those possibilities open. You need to take risks and do things that petrify you, so that you know just what you’re capable of. Sometimes those risks won’t work out, but that’s fine, as long as you can learn from the experience, and get ready for the next adventure.

1. How does the author introduce the topic of the text?

A．By giving a definition.	B．By telling a horrible story.
C．By quoting from a classic book.	D．By describing his own experience.

2. What can be learned about the amygdala?

A．It stops people from trying things out.

B．It functions well in a dark environment.

C．It introduces some risk-taking activities.

D．It highlights people’s demand for learning.

3. What does the author tell us about our fears in Paragraph 4?

A．They could be hard to overcome.

B．They should be addressed effectively.

C．They would be necessary for survival.

D．They might be regular visitors to our life.

4. What does the underlined word “petrify” in the last paragraph mean?

A．Inspire.

B．Scare.

C．Comfort.

D．Anger.

5 . When I was in middle school, my social studies teacher approached me about entering a writing contest. At first, I declined without thinking because English was only my second language. Writing was so difficult and painful for me that my teacher allowed me to present my paper on the sinking of the Titanic by acting out a play, where I played all the parts. No one laughed harder than he did. So, why did he suddenly force me to do something at which I was sure to fail? His reply, “Because I love your stories. If you’re willing to apply yourself I think you have a good shot at this.”

Encouraged by his words, I agreed to give it a try. After much thinking, I settled on an unconventional topic: Paul Revere’s horse. I decided to narrate (叙述) the events of that historic night from the horse’s perspective. It was an unusual choice, but I hoped it would set my writing apart from the others.

As I began to write, I found myself empathizing (同情) with the horse’s journey. What did the horse think, as sped through the night? Did he get tired? Have doubts? Did he want to quit? Like the horse, I too encountered challenges along the way. There were moments of exhaustion, self-doubt, and a strong desire to give up. But I persisted, fueled by the encouragement of my teacher and my own determination.

I poured myself into the essay, carefully checking spelling and grammar and absorbed in research at the library. With each revision, I improved my storytelling skills and grew more passionate about the process.

When I handed in the final draft to my teacher, he laughed at the humor and creativity in my writing but challenged me to refine it even further. And so, I revised and rewrote tirelessly until I felt a sense of satisfaction with the finished product.

In the end, the thought of winning the contest took a backseat to the joy I found in the writing itself. Whether or not I emerged victorious was no longer my primary concern. I had discovered a passion and a sense of achievement that went beyond any awards.

1. What topic did the author choose for the writing contest?

A．The sinking of the Titanic.	B．Paul Revere’s horse.
C．The history of social studies.	D．The American Revolution.

2. How did the author feel about the writing competition at first?

A．Excited and confident.	B．Curious and interested.
C．Unwilling and doubtful.	D．Enthusiastic and determined.

3. What does the horse’s journey reflect about the author’s writing experience?

A．The author considered quitting but held on.

B．The author had no passion for the writing process.

C．The author faced physical challenges while writing.

D．The author experienced constant success and satisfaction.

4. What did the author get after the writing contest?

A．The award of the writing contest.

B．A newfound passion for history.

C．A sense of humor in writing.

D．A sense of achievement and love for writing.

6 . Waste not, Want not

Today, I live in Manhattan with my husband, Alex. I’m an IT specialist and Alex is a lawyer. Life’s good, but sometimes I look at the way we live it and think of Ellie, my grandmother. Her favorite saying was “Waste not, want not.”     1    . Ellie carefully folded the paper from parcels and washed glass jars to use again. Frank, my grandfather, used old socks and pullovers (套头毛衣) to protect the plants in winter. Nowadays, we go to a garden center to buy special felt for that purpose. Have we all gone mad?

Such economy seems strange, even ridiculous, in our modern throwaway society, where everything is sold in boxes.     2    , but as a selling feature to make us want to buy them. Ellie and Frank would have seen the very idea of a “gift pack” as a cheat.

    3    . The United States produces about 180 million metric tons of waste per year, 70% of which is packaging materials. The average American family uses up six trees’ worth of paper a year.     4    , they would reach to the moon and back twelve times. “We can’t go on like this,” I said to Alex. “Let’s start at home. If everybody starts at home, then this madness will stop.”

    5    . Of course, this meant that we produced a lot of waste, but I was shocked to find that this came to over six kilos per week. “Your grandma Ellie with her ‘Waste not, want not’ was really modern, wasn’t she?” “Not really,” I said. “Ellie and their neighbors were just ordinary, traditional New Englanders. We’ve all gone mad since then.”

A．Packaging is not only used to protect goods

B．My grandparents threw almost nothing away

C．In one week alone, we threw away five old magazines

D．We didn’t often go shopping and then cook meals at home

E．As young Manhattan professionals, we buy a lot of “convenience food”

F．But we pay a high financial and ecological price for our lovely packaging

G．If you placed all the cans used in the United States, in one year end to end

7 . Beauty and Well-being Benefits of Handed Massage Guns

What are they?

Originally beloved by athletes, massage guns are gaining popularity as a stress or pain-relieving tool. A quick and convenient alternative to a traditional deep-tissue massage, many offer detachable heads to target calves, ankles or the top s of shoulders, available in a range of sizes and speeds.

What are the supposed benefits?

If you often find yourself aching after the gym or a long day of work, a massage gun may well be your new best friend. Sending pulses at a steady frequency that is difficult to achieve manually, they allow you to target a specific area of tightness, loosening lactic acid buildup muscle and allowing for greater mobility and muscle flexibility. Even if you’re not so physically active, a couple of minutes of regular massaging can do wonders for your complexion.

Through vibration frequency, the movement of a massage gun will encourage blood and lymphatic (淋巴的) circulation, giving a new vibrancy and comfort to skin as toxins (毒素) drain out and oxygen flows through. If you’ve been feeling heavy or struggling to unwind, massage guns are also thought to be a useful tool in the rehabilitation (康复) of depression, anxiety, digestive disorders and stress-related insomnia.

Do they actually work?

Once you get used to the quiet humming noise, the swift, targeted relief a gun can offer more than justifies the initial spend. Leading the market is the Lola, a lightweight handheld gun in a sleek matte finish with four speeds that tucks easily into the pocket of an overnight bag. The key is to operate within your own comfort-be sure to fit the adjustable heads firmly and work through the speed functions slowly, building up to higher pressures only if necessary. While concerns about suitability for specific conditions or injuries should always be discussed with a doctor, the massage gun is certainly proof that both internal and external beauty can be achieved by listening that little bit closer to our bodies.

1. What is not the supposed benefits of handed massage guns?

A．To target a specific area of tightness.

B．To allow for greater mobility and muscle flexibility.

C．To encourage blood and lymphatic circulation.

D．To help lactic acid build up in muscles.

2. What can we learn about handed massage guns?

A．Many offer fixed heads to target diverse muscles.

B．The initial spend is too high to be justified by their functions.

C．They can help rehabilitate people with depression and anxiety.

D．Their suitability for specific conditions and injuries is certain.

3. What is the purpose of this passage?

A．To show the beauty and well-being benefits of handed massage guns.

B．To inform us the availability of different sizes of handed massage guns.

C．To share with us the popularity of handed massage guns among athletes.

D．To compare handed massage guns with doctors on suitability for injuries.

8 . 阅读下面短文，根据题目要求用英文回答问题。请在答题卡指定区域作答。

Balancing Trees and CO₂

Tree planting used to be regarded as an effective means of reducing climate change. Perhaps it’s time for us to rethink this practice. Trees pull CO₂ from the air. This effectively removes CO₂ from the atmosphere. But trees only hold onto CO₂ as long as they’re alive. Once they die, trees decay (腐烂) and release that CO₂ back into the atmosphere.

Recent studies have found that trees around the world are growing faster than ever. The rise of CO₂, mainly due to burning fossil fuels, is probably driving that rapid growth, said Roel Brienen, a forest ecologist at the University of Leeds, UK. High levels of CO₂ are increasing temperatures, which in turn speeds tree growth in those areas, he added.

The faster trees grow, the faster they store carbon. It seems like good news. However, it is known that fast-growing tree species, in general, live shorter lives than their slow-growing relatives.

In order to see whether the growth-lifespan trade-off (生长与寿命之间的权衡) is a universal phenomenon, Brienen and his colleagues analyzed over 210,000 individual tree ring records of 110 tree species from more than 79,000 sites worldwide. They found that, in almost all habitats and all sites, faster-growing tree species died younger than slow-growing species, and even within a species, the trade-off between growth and life span held strong.

The team also created a computer program that modeled a forest and tweaked (微量调整) the growth of the trees in this model. Early on, it showed that “the forest could hold more carbon as the trees grew faster”, Brienen reported. But after 20 years, these trees started dying and losing this extra carbon again. “We must understand that the only solution to bringing down CO₂ levels is to stop emitting (排放) it into the atmosphere,” said Brienen.

1. What does “this practice” in Para.1 refer to?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Why are trees around the world growing faster than ever?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Read the following statement, underline the false part of it and explain the reason. The team has found that the faster trees grow, the faster they store CO₂, and the longer lives they live.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Please briefly present what you can do in daily life to reduce the emission of CO₂.（about 40 words）
____________________________________________________________________________________________

9 . Self-concept is our personal knowledge of who we are, encompassing all of our thoughts and feelings about ourselves physically, personally, and socially.     1     Our self-concept develops most rapidly during early childhood and adolescence, but self-concept continues to form and change over time as we learn more ab ourselves.

By age 2, children begin to differentiate themselves from others.    2     At this stage, a child’s self-image is largely descriptive, based mostly on physical characteristics or concrete details. Yet, children increasingly pay attention to their capabilities, and by about 6 years old, children can communicate what they want and need. They are also starting to define themselves in terms of social groups.

Between the ages of 7 and 11, children begin to make social comparisons and consider how they’re perceived by others.    3     They begin to describe themselves in terms of abilities and not just concrete details, and they realize that their characteristics exist on a continuum. For example, a child at this stage will begin to see himself as more athletic than some and less athletic than others, rather than simply athletic or not athletic. At this point, the ideal self and self-image start to develop.

    4     The self-concept established during adolescence is usually the basis for the self-concept for there mainder of one’s life. During the adolescent years, people experiment with different roles, personas, and selves. For adolescents, self-concept is influenced by success in areas they value and the responses of others valued to them.    5    

A．Adolescence is a key period for self-concept.

B．We all hold numerous, varied ideas about ourselves.

C．At this stage, children’s descriptions of themselves become more abstract.

D．By the ages of 3 and 4, children understand that they are separate and unique selves.

E．However, it is between early childhood and adolescence that self-concept experiences the most growth.

F．Self-concept also includes our knowledge of how we behave, our capabilities, and our individual characteristics.

G．Success and approval can contribute to greater self-esteem and a stronger self-concept into adulthood.

10 . People who get a good workout almost daily can add nearly four years to their life spans, according to the first study to quantify the effect of physical activity this way.

The researchers looked at records of more than 5,000 middle-aged and elderly Americans and found that those who had moderate to high levels of activity lived1.3 to 3.7 years longer than those who got little exercise, with men and women benefiting about equally.

“This shows that physical activity really does make a difference — not only for how long you live but for how long you live a healthy life.” said Oscar H. Franco of the Erasmus M.C. University Medical Center in Rotterdam. “Being more physically active can give you more time.”

Previous studies have found that being physically active has a host of health benefits. It reduces the risk of being overweight and of developing many illnesses, improves overall quality of life, and lowers the death rate. But the new study is the first to directly calculate the effect on how long people live.

People who engaged in moderate activity — the equivalent of walking for 30minutes a day for five days a week — lived about 1.3 to 1.5 years longer than those who were less active. Those who took on more intense exercise—the equivalent of running half an hour a day five days every week—extended their lives by about3.5 to 3.7 years, the researchers found.

The findings show that even for people who are already middle-aged, exercising more can add years to their lives, Franco said.

Other experts said the study was consistent with the growing evidence that exercising on a regular basis is one of the most important things people can do for their health.

“At the end of the day, this is more evidence that the sitting lifestyle is the most damaging to health, longevity and chronic disease development,” said James O. Hill of the University of Colorado at Denver.

Hill and others said exercising regularly also enables people to live healthier lives, free from a host of chronic illnesses that can make it hard for people to enjoy their later years.

In addition, recent studies have also found that exercise has payoffs for the mind, too. It has been shown to improve overall well-being and reduce stress and depression.

“The benefits of physical activity extend well beyond the effects on longevity,” said Joann E. Manson of Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

1. What would be the best title for this text?

A．A Daily Workout Add More Years to Life.	B．How A Daily Workout Is Good to Health.
C．Men Benefit More from A Daily Workout.	D．Middle-aged People Benefit from Workout.

2. In what way is this research different from the previous ones?

A．It finds that men and women benefited about equally.

B．Being physically active has a host of health benefits.

C．It’s the first to calculate the effect on how long people live.

D．Being more physically active can give you more time to live.

3. The author tries to convince the readers by ________.

A．describing successful cases.	B．presenting findings of research.
C．offering professional comments.	D．explaining a certain phenomenon (现象) .