1 . Exhausted, Jia Ling ate five packs of chocolate cookies alone at night by her bed after wrapping up filming for her new film YOLO that day. “Recalling that moment, I felt so great, like a tired soldier claiming the spoils of war,” she said.
By then, she had lost an incredible 50 kilograms, and her entire image had changed. The chubby (胖乎乎的), round and cute comedian Jia Ling was gone, replaced by a cool, muscular warrior.
Audiences were shocked by her appearance on Chinese New Year’s Day, Feb.10, when the film was first released. Jia had kept everything so secretive, avoiding public appearances for a year, that her new look was only revealed when she appeared on the big screen. Conversations about her high-intensity weight loss training, along with her courage and determination, have become trending topics across China, propelling the film’s box office earnings.
YOLO, which stands for “you only live once,” is the theme Jia aims to tell in her new film. The story follows an overweight, depressed woman who becomes isolated from society. However, after meeting a boxing coach and taking up the sport, she begins to regain her passion and finds her way in life. The filming was divided into five stages. Jia had to gain 20 kilograms at first for the role, moving on to the final stage when she lost a significant amount of weight and became muscular. This method mirrors what some Hollywood stars, such as Christian Bale, have done, but Jia’s effort is jaw-dropping and takes it to an even more extreme level.
Yet, the film’s core goes beyond physical transformation. “This film is not about weight loss, nor is it much about boxing. It’s a film that tells the story of how a kind person finds her true self and learns to love herself,” Jia said.
1. What does the underlined word “propelling” in Paragraph 3 mean?| A．Disturbing. | B．Restoring. | C．Driving. | D．Slowing. |
| A．Generous and funny. | B．Determined and courageous. |
| C．Creative and sensitive. | D．Ambitious and enthusiastic. |
| A．A woman’s pursuit of boxing glory. |
| B．A woman’s journey through weight loss. |
| C．A woman’s struggle with social pressure. |
| D．A woman’s discovery of self-love and acceptance. |
| A．The early bird catches the worm. | B．Actions speak louder than words. |
| C．It’s never too late to change. | D．Don’t cry over spilled milk. |
2 . How much salt is too much salt? Unfortunately, it’s most likely the amount you’re consuming.
A new study published Monday in the journal JAMA found that cutting one teaspoon of salt a day results in a decline in blood pressure comparable to taking blood pressure medication.
Humans need sodium (钠), which is found in salt, for our bodies to work properly. It plays an important role in nerve and muscle function by allowing nerves to pulse with electricity and muscles to contract. But too much sodium can be bad for our health. It contributes to high blood pressure, or hypertension (高血压)which is a major cause of stroke and heart disease.
One way it does this is by making the body absorb more water. Extra sodium in the blood pulls more water into blood vessels (血管), which increases the amount of blood in the vessels. This increases blood pressure and, in some people, leads to high blood pressure and can damage vessels and even organs like the heart, kidney s and brain.
In this latest study, participants who cut out their daily salt intake by one teaspoon had lower blood pressure in just one week. This was even true for people already on blood pressure medication.
But how much sodium is in one teaspoon of salt? A teaspoon of salt has about 2,300 mg of sodium in it. And according to the FDA, Americans eat an average of 3,400 mg of sodium. So cutting out a teaspoon would be equivalent to cutting two-thirds of a person’s daily sodium intake.
But the researchers say that cutting out any amount of sodium will help lower blood pressure-at least more than no reduction at all.
1. What is the function of Paragraph 1?| A．To describe an interesting fact. | B．To present a confusing question. |
| C．To introduce the topic of the text. | D．To provide background information. |
| A．By causing muscle disorders. | B．By bringing about hypertension. |
| C．By directly damaging our organs. | D．By absorbing the water in blood vessels. |
| A．Equal. | B．Relevant. | C．Beneficial. | D．Important. |
| A．The Recommendation on the Intake of Salt |
| B．The Less Sodium We Have, the Better We Are |
| C．Cutting One Teaspoon of Salt May Improve Health |
| D．The Relationship Between Salt and Blood Pressure |
3 . Playing sports is a lot of fun. Getting hurt is not.
Wear protective equipment.
The equipment you wear depends on the sport you play. Helmets (头盔) are the most common protective equipment. They protect your head while you’re playing football, baseball, softball, and so on.
Warm up.
Know the rules of the games.
Traffic lights help prevent crashes between many cars that run on the road together. This works because drivers know the rules and follow them—at least most of the time.
This is a really important one. If you love sports, you may want to get back in the games, even after an injury. But playing when you’re hurt is a bad idea.
Now you know how to prevent sports injuries. If you follow these rules, you can stay safer while you are playing sports.
| A．Don’t play when you’re injured. |
| B．Don’t do too much exercise. |
| C．It’s the same with sports. |
| D．It can lead to an even worse injury. |
| E．It’s not a good idea to just go to the field and start playing. |
| F．You and the other players know what to expect from each other. |
| G．Take these steps to prevent injuries so you can stay in the game. |
4 . Andrea Speranza wanted to be a firefighter long before she had the right word for her wish. After one childhood adventure at a construction site ended with an iron nail embedded (嵌入) in her leg and an emergency call to the fire department, she found herself in awe. “As they gave me the medical treatment, I thought they could help everybody and do anything,” says the now 52-year-old.
In 2000, Andréa Speranza achieved her dream of becoming a firefighter joining the Halifax Regional Fire Service. Her job was exactly as satisfying as she imagined it would be, except for one thing: she still hadn’t seen another woman in her role — not in a magazine, not on television, not in real life. Speranza decided that she wanted to help young women see that they, too, could have a career like hers.
The result was Camp Courage, a program for girls aged 15 to 19 who want to learn more about firefighting. In 2006, Speranza and about 20 volunteers welcomed their first 17 participants, recruiting (招募) attendees through advertising in schools. Over the course of eight days, the girls discovered the ins and outs of being first. responders: learning how to put out fires, deliver first aid and even use the jaws of life (救生钳) on a car.
Camp Courage now runs one session every year in Halifax and is free to attend. To offset costs, Speranza and her fellow campers fundraise by holding everything from car washes to comedy nights. Hopeful campers must also submit an essay describing how they plan to help their community, or a specific individual in need. And they have to deliver on the plan—from building a bench for a senior at a bus stop to launching a local chapter of the Kids Help Phone.
Hundreds of girls have passed through Camp Courage, and 36 percent are doing exactly what 52-year-old Speranza hoped they would: working as first responders across the country. This past summer, the camp held its first session for young women in Halifax, as well as its first national camp in Calgary with plans to roll out more in 2023.
1. What do we know about Speranza?| A．She became a firefighter in her fifties. |
| B．She suffered great pain due to an accident! |
| C．She helped many young girls attend school. |
| D．She found her job as a firefighter undesirable. |
| A．Her family members’ advice. | B．Her unrealized ambitions. |
| C．Growing social demands. | D．Great lack of female firefighters. |
| A．Intellectual and humorous. | B．Courageous and inspiring. |
| C．Creative and influential. | D．Knowledgeable and ambitious. |
| A．Custom makes all things easy. |
| B．The early bird catches the worm. |
| C．Nothing is impossible for a willing heart. |
| D．A bird in the hand is worth than two in the bush. |
5 . At present, research shows that when employees reach the age of 50, they keep quiet about their age. They see fewer promotion prospects compared to younger employees. It’s also harder to get a new job after the age of 50.
But that is set to change. There is already skills shortage in the world with not enough younger people coming into the workforce. Employers will have to work harder at hiring seniors with the skills they need.
The Center for Ageing Better notes that we already have an older workforce and the qualities of older people are being more recognized. When teams mix older and younger workers, productivity goes up and complex problems find more novel solutions because the strengths and weaknesses of both groups are balanced. Age-diversity helps solve complex problems by bringing together a mix of ideas, skill strengths, and experiences. Older workers can draw on a lifetime of experience while younger workers may challenge outdated strategies and bring fresh perspective. Also, seniors’ greater life experience makes them better placed to manage themselves and others in the workplace compared with younger employees.
There are five recommendations the Center for Ageing Better makes, including minimizing age bias (偏见) in taking in employees and encouraging career development at all ages. The really big change that needs to come is to stop seeing older people as “other”, as different…
There are many people in their 80s and 90s who have never stopped working. They enjoy what they do and like the social aspect of work. But most, from 55 onwards choose to retire—with 25% regretting it, according to a recent study.
1. What does the underlined word “that” in Paragraph 2 refer to?| A．Competition in the job market. |
| B．Worldwide skills shortage in the workforce. |
| C．Younger people’s declining promotion prospects. |
| D．Older people being at a disadvantage in workplaces. |
| A．Qualities of older employees. |
| B．The advantages of age-diversity. |
| C．The challenges faced by an older workforce. |
| D．The complex problems that call for solutions. |
| A．Minimizing age bias. |
| B．Giving up outdated strategies. |
| C．Launching career development programs. |
| D．Employing people from different backgrounds. |
| A．Some regret after retirement. |
| B．Some remain social after retirement. |
| C．Most don’t retire until their 80s or 90s. |
| D．Most keep updating their working skills. |
6 . Nenad Bach, an American composer and singer who lives with Parkinson’s disease (帕金森病) is the founder of “Ping-pong Parkinson”, a movement that promotes ping-pong as a therapy (疗法) to improve the lives of Parkinson’s patients worldwide.
After being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2010, Bach found that his tremors (颤抖) and other symptoms were keeping him from playing his guitar. But a friend introduced him to ping-pong, also known as table tennis, and he soon found that both his motor skills and his mood seemed to improve when he played. Bach’s doctor confirmed his improved state. And that’s when the idea for “Ping-pong Parkinson” took root.
In 2017, Bach worked with well-known New York Times crossword puzzle editor Will Shortz. Shortz also happens to be the owner of the Westchester Table Tennis Center. In October of 2019, the first Parkinson’s World Table Tennis Championship was held at the Center, attracting people with Parkinson’s disease from as far away as Sweden, Japan, Brazil, Croatia, England, and China.
Recently, a small study was conducted by scientists at Fukuoka University in Japan. People with Parkinson’s disease participated in a table tennis exercise program once a week for six months. Participants experienced significant improvements in facial expression, posture rigidity, speed of movement and hand tremors. They also experienced improvements in speech, handwriting, getting dressed, getting out of bed and walking.
Dr. Ken-ichi Inoue, the study’s author, comments, “While this study was small, with twelve participants, the results are encouraging because they show ping-pong, a relatively inexpensive form of therapy, may improve some symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.” Dr. Inoue is planning a much larger study to confirm his findings.
1. Why did Bach pick up ping-pong?| A．He found it great fun. |
| B．He followed his doctor’s advice. |
| C．He wanted to improve his conditions. |
| D．His friend needed someone to play it with. |
| A．“Ping-pong Parkinson” met with wide objections. |
| B．Doing word puzzles benefits people living with Parkinson’s disease. |
| C．Bach taught people living with Parkinson’s disease to play the guitar. |
| D．The first Parkinson’s World Table Tennis Championship was held in the US. |
| A．Small subject number. | B．Short studying period. |
| C．Incomplete study aspects. | D．Limited subject performances. |
| A．To promote a sports event. |
| B．To tell the story of Nenad Bach’s struggle. |
| C．To introduce a therapy for Parkinson’s disease. |
| D．To present the findings of Nenad Bach’s research. |
7 . Many children want to have their own pets, but how to be a good pet owner? Besides giving them food and water, what else can we do to give our pets much love?
Provide your pet with the correct diet.
If you prefer to change the previous diet of your pet, do it slowly so that they adjust (适应) properly.
Clean their housing often.
Clean your pet’s home at least once a week and any other times if necessary. Generally, a pet’s home should be clean so it is a good environment for the animal.
Keep your pet clean.
If you have a dog that always plays in the mud, it’s necessary to give it a shower every day!
Train your pet.
Put a collar on your pet with your personal information and the pet’s name. Remember to close the cage door so there is no chance of escaping and being in an unsafe place.
| A．Never hurt or harm your pet. |
| B．Be an owner with a sense of duty. |
| C．No one wants a cat that jumps on the table. |
| D．Animals require different diets based on age. |
| E．Remember that you should check the water first with your hand. |
| F．Water should be fresh, clean and changed daily to keep your pet healthy. |
| G．Without good living conditions, an animal will get sick more, and feel unhappy. |
8 . It’s easy for consumers to buy food and drinks like a bowl of hot rice and coke online or from neighbourhood shops, but for astronauts such things were impossible in the past.
Members of China’s Shenzhou manned space flight last year, however, were able to enjoy such food, thanks to Joyoung, a Chinese firm. Joyoung created a mobile space kitchen for the astronauts. A drinking water machine, an air heater and a soybean milk maker were all accessible in the kitchen through a smart app. Tang Hongbo, who was a member of the Shenzhou manned spacecraft, said in the news that during his three month trip, he could eat hot food with just half-hour efforts, a contrast to the past when similar attempts required several hours. If we had time, we would also use equipment to eat homemade yogurt. We could also control the equipment in the space kitchen through mobile phone apps,” he said.
In the past, most foods couldn’t be directly heated in a microwave oven in the space. Conduction equipment often caused uneven (不均匀的) heating. An astronaut had to spend as long as four hours to heat some vegetables in the space kitchen. To solve the problem, Joyoung has developed equipment that gives out hot air to heat vegetables in a 360-degree way. That enables astronauts to eat steaming-hot fish-flavoured pork and Gongbao chicken, a spicy, stir-fried Chinese dish.
Besides Joyoung, a group of companies, including Xiaomi Corp and Huawei Technologies, have contributed their technologies to the development of the space station. A vacuum (真空) cleaner enabled haircuts on the spacecraft possible. NOLO VR, a Chinese virtual reality manufacturer, has helped astronauts develop an experimental equipment through which laboratory technicians on the ground can see and experience what astronauts are doing in the space.
1. What do astronauts think of Joyoung’s mobile space kitchen?| A．Water-saving. | B．Energy-wasting. |
| C．Time-saving. | D．Money-wasting. |
| A．By making contrasts. | B．By analyzing results. |
| C．By providing pictures. | D．By answering questions. |
| A．There is more tech for the spacecraft. |
| B．Joyoung needs to further its technology. |
| C．Astronauts on board can do as they wish. |
| D．What astronauts are doing is significant. |
| A．Modern Technology Brings Convenience to Human Beings |
| B．Earth to Space, Firms Add Value by Creating Technology |
| C．The Hot Diet on the Space Station Needs to be Addressed |
| D．Manufacturers Make Big Profits from Inventing Equipment |
9 . Best China Nature Tours with the Most Beautiful Landscapes
8-day Lhasa & Everest Base Camp Tour
A famous saying in Tibet goes: “No Tibet tour is complete without visiting Mount Everest!” That’s right! This is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure that everyone should take so they can leave their footprints on the highest mountain in the world but remember not to leave carbon (碳) footprints. This tour will help you realize that dream. The tour starts from Lhasa, travels via the cities of Gyantse and Shigatse, to Mount Everest, and then back to Lhasa.
6-day In-depth Guilin Tour
It is specially designed for travelers who are interested in visiting Guilin, including Guilin City, Yangshuo Town and Longji Rice Terrace. You will have flexible time for both arrival and departure (离开). Not only will Li River and Yangshuo be covered, but also the Longji Terrace.
6-day Fujian Tulou & Xiapu Photography Tour
Unlike well-known Beijing, Shanghai and Guilin, Fujian Province is often ignored by foreign tourists. In fact, there are two masterpieces worth your attention—Tulou and Xiapu mudflat. One is built by native Hakka people, and the other is carved by nature. This Fujian photography tour can be customized depending on which sites you want to visit, what photos you want to take, and on the weather condition when you go. Feel free to tell your interests and ideas to your personal travel advisors!
11-day Amazing Yunnan Tour
Yunnan is a land of the most magical attractions like ethnic groups, snow-capped Tibetan Peaks, ancient tiny villages and temples, species of plants and animals... It’s hard to appreciate all that Yunnan has to offer until you get there. This tour covers the highlights of amazing Yunnan, including top landscape of Kunming, Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-La.
1. What can be known about Lhasa &. Everest Base Camp Tour?| A．Mount Everest is a must-see place in Tibet. |
| B．Travelling alone in Tibet is full of adventure. |
| C．Visitors can leave their carbon footprints there. |
| D．Lhasa is a place worth visiting only once in your life. |
| A．It offers various cultures and landscapes. |
| B．It attracts foreigners from all over the world. |
| C．It takes you the shortest time to finish the tour. |
| D．It can be designed based on your own interests. |
| A．Fujian Tulou &. Xiapu Photography Tour. |
| B．Lhasa &. Everest Base Camp Tour. |
| C．Amazing Yunnan Tour. |
| D．In-depth Guilin Tour. |
10 . Apologizing for a mistake might seem difficult, but it will help you repair and improve your relationships with others after that offense (冒犯).
Acknowledge the offense. This is an essential element of a good apology.
Express regret.
Tell them how you’ll change. Let them know how you’ll change and what you’d do to make that possible. For instance, if you’ve been late once again, instead of just apologizing, share how you’d keep an early alarm to be on time!
| A．Provide a proper explanation. |
| B．Express your intention clearly. |
| C．But many apologies don’t do this enough. |
| D．When you hurt someone, it’s natural to feel shame or regret. |
| E．A true apology is one where you promise it won’t be repeated again. |
| F．This might show that you aren’t taking full ownership for what happened. |
| G．This will enable you to know what means the most to the offended person. |
