It was a hot summer day, with the sun shining brightly, and all I could think about was cooling down with my favorite ice cream. I decided to make a quick trip to the newly opened ice cream shop close by, eager for a midday treat.

As I stepped inside, the variety of flavors in the shop caught my eye. Although they were tempting, I ordered my preferred flavor in a con e for an immediate treat and chose two cups of chocolate ice cream to take home for my family. Enjoying my cone, I found perfect relaxation in its cool sweetness. I admired the shop’s attractive display of ice creams, each more colorful and inviting than the last.

Now that my to-go order was ready, I headed to the payment count er to settle the bill. There, I encountered an unexpected situation: the cashier, possibly distracted by the day’s rush, had forgotten to include the two cups of chocolate ice cream in my bill.

Faced with a moral (道德的) dilemma, I found myself at a crossroads: on one side was the simple path of paying the bill and overlooking the mistake; on the other, the act of pointing out the error. I knew if I didn’t bring the billing error to his notice, the cost of my ice cream would be charged against his salary.

At that moment, I made up my mind and approached the counter to point out what he had missed. His first shock gave way to great gratitude as he realized the financial loss I had saved him from. His repeated thanks and visible relief warmed my heart. The smile of relief on his face made me smile too.

Leaving the ice cream shop, I felt really happy and satisfied. It reminded me of how good it feels to do the right thing instead of just taking the easy way out. The experience was not just about ice cream; it proved the value of doing what is right, ensuring the joy that comes from acts of honesty and kindness.

6 . Have you ever wondered why people often catch themselves singing while having a shower or making dinner? Or why karaoke has been popular since it appeared in the 1980s? We still have to understand a lot about the effects of music on our brain, but many studies already show it is good for our mind and our body alike.

The first reason you feel like singing along when o you listen to a song is that it makes you feel less lonely. Whether you are cycling home; doing your homework or cheering at your favourite pop star’s concert, singing is communication. It is like sharing a moment with the singer or the people around you. This is why babies often stop crying when they hear music and all children enjoy singing.

All types of singing can make you feel better, but group singing has the best effects on people’s lives. Singing in a group in front of a crowd builds confidence, which explains why joining a choir can decrease anxiety in depressed patients. When you sing, it’s nearly impossible to think about other things. Since you must focus on what you are doing, singing stops you being worried about stressful situations.

Singing can also improve speech development. Children learn to speak faster if they regularly sing from an early age and they are often better at communicating through language. When you sing, you need to remember words and tunes, so this activity is also an excellent way to learn a foreign language and make your pronunciation sound more natural.

You can also improve your physical health when you sing. Since you need to breathe properly, when you sing, you breathe out more carbon dioxide and take in more oxygen, which makes your body fitter and stronger against illnesses. So if you decide to take up a new hobby, singing could be the best way for you to have fun, make new friends and improve your health at the same time.

8 . 阅读短文，按照题目要求用英语回答问题。

Scott McKenzie and Jeremy Uhrich, two dads from Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, have transformed their passion for baking into a heartwarming community endeavor (努力). This journey began when McKenzie, 58, found himself laid off and decided to learn a new skill every week. Baking was one of these new skills, and he was pleasantly surprised by the quality of his first batch of cookies. Proudly, he shared his creation on social media, catching the attention of Uhrich, a longtime friend, who playfully challenged him to a bake-off (食品烘烤比赛).

Uhrich, 42, baked with his sons that same day and proposed a competition to McKenzie. The two agreed to let community workers in the community judge the treats as a thank-you for their help during the challenging times. The competition was a success, but McKenzie and Uhrich didn’t stop there. They decided to deliver the rest of the cookies to community workers, sparking an idea that would eventually become Cookies for Caregivers.

The timing couldn’t have been more crucial—the community had recently experienced a terrible earthquake, leaving many homes destroyed and families displaced. As part of the rebuilding efforts, Cookies for Caregivers was born. The Facebook group created by McKenzie and Uhrich allowed their neighbors to volunteer to make treats for first responders and business owners who were working tirelessly in the aftermath of the earthquake. Since the disaster struck, more than 100 people have joined the group, baking and delivering more than 15,000 cookies to workers at hospitals, grocery stores, fire departments, and more. Each week, bakers drop cookies off at Uhrich’s house, and he and McKenzie organize and deliver them to businesses in large containers.

The impact of Cookies for Caregivers has been profound. Uhrich says “they’ve seen a lot of smiles and tears during deliveries; people are so appreciative”. The project has brought together members of the community who may have never interacted otherwise, all with a common goal of showing gratitude to those on the front lines of the rebuilding efforts after the earthquake. McKenzie says “they plan on continuing the effort because they are immensely grateful for the selfless contributions and want to express their appreciation to as many people as possible”.

McKenzie and Uhrich’s message is clear: kindness doesn’t have an expiration date. In a time of uncertainty and rebuilding, they’ve shown that small acts of kindness can make a big difference. Their bake-off may have been just for fun, but the impact it’s had on their community is immeasurable.

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9 . In today’s digital age, where a vast ocean of information is just a click away, the question arises: can one learn too much? Given that no individual can grasp the entirety of human knowledge. However, there exists a phenomenon where excessive learning can lead to inaction, a state of being overwhelmed by too much information.

Consider a scenario where you’re eager to achieve a particular goal. You begin by conducting extensive research, diving deep into the subject. As you absorb more information, it paradoxically (矛盾地) feels like your understanding diminishes. Each new concept or strategy reveals further layers, making the goal seem more complex and out of reach.

This situation is a common trap: the endless pursuit of more information. Although gaining comprehensive knowledge is valuable, that is to say there’s nothing wrong with learning a lot, issues arise when this pursuit obstructs practical application. If learning continuously prevents you from starting, you’ll find yourself stuck, unable to achieve your desired outcomes.

An alternative and more effective approach to achieving goals is to strike a balance between learning and doing. Gather essential information, then transition into action swiftly, even if you feel somewhat unprepared. This is often the best way to learn, as hands-on experience provides insights that theoretical knowledge alone cannot.

The comparison with a baby learning to walk is a good example here. A baby doesn’t learn to walk by sitting and analyzing the process. Instead, it learns by attempting to walk, falling, and then understanding from each fall what works and what doesn’t. Through repeated effort, walking is eventually mastered. This method is applicable to goal achievement too. By engaging in action, learning from the outcomes, and adjusting accordingly, you gradually move closer to your goals.

In summary, while the pursuit of knowledge is valuable, it’s crucial not to let it become a barrier to action. Learning should be a stepping stone to doing, not an end in itself. It’s through the interplay of gathering knowledge and applying it that we can truly progress towards our aspirations. This balanced approach is key to overcoming the paralysis of overlearning and actively moving towards realizing your ambitions.

10 . Every year, millions of monarch butterflies migrate 3,000 miles to Mexico from North America. “Everybody knows about the monarchs’ migration,” says Andy Davis, an animal ecologist at the University of Georgia. “But one of the things that we still don’t understand is how they’re capable of making such tremendous flight while being such small animals with limited energy.” Amazingly, some of the monarch’s continent-spanning magic may be owed to the size of its wing spot, according to a study published in PLOS One.

The question of how color influences the monarch’s flight began when Mostafa Hassanalian, a professor of mechanical engineering, published a paper about how the colors on the wings of the albatross (信天翁) might help it fly for longer distances. The black on the top of the bird’s wings absorbs more solar energy, creating a pocket of warm air; the white on the bottom absorbs less. Together, the opposite colors create more lift and less drag, helping the albatross to fly up more efficiently.

Motivated by Hassanalian’s paper, Andy Davis contacted him and they teamed up with three other experts to investigate whether the orange, black. and white patterns on North American monarch butterflies’ wings influenced their flight distance. Specifically, they explored whether these color patterns determined how far the butterflies could fly. They discovered that surviving migratory monarchs had 3% less black pigment (色素) and 3% more white pigment a surprising contrast from the albatross. They also observed larger white spots on Eastern monarchs, which migrate farther than Western and Floridian populations, along with deeper shades of orange. The team assumed that these color patterns might offer an aerodynamic (空气动力) advantage, although the reason for the larger white spots remains unknown.

Should the connection between white markings and flight performance prove true, they plan to apply it to drone technology. “If small coloration (自然色彩) effects can improve like 10% of your efficiency, that’s a lot,” Hassanalian says, “Another aspect is that your drone would be able to carry more, because this coloration helps it gain extra lift.” The enhancement could also benefit other aircraft, but he points out one warning: planes fly at a much faster speed than butterflies, so coloration may not be as relevant to them.

Other butterfly scientists have reacted to their work with both enthusiasm and skeptlesm. “It is a totally new idea and it’s quite exciting,” says Marcus Kronforst, an evolutionary biologist. “I’ve worked on butterfly color patterns my whole life, basically, and never, never considered this. It’s never crossed my mind that it might influence how the butterflies fly.”