1 . Tiny, black-capped chickadees (北美山雀) have big memories. They store food in hundreds to thousands of different locations in the wild — and then comeback to these places when other food sources are low.
Scientists have known that chickadees have incredible memory skills. That memory can be a matter of life or death for these birds when there are no enough food resources in colder months.
Some researchers thought that neurons called place cells (细胞) would explain these birds’ ability to remember where their food is stored. These cells are known to include information about where things are in space. But recently，Selmaan Chettih and his team found that each time a chickadee hides a seed (种子) in a specific location, a unique brain pattern appears — separate from place cells
To observe this, Chettih and his team created special areas with lots of feeders filled with sunflower seeds. They put small flaps (片状下垂物) where birds could hide seeds.
The scientists tracked the activity in their brains. Each time a bird hid a seed under a flap, researchers saw a brief unique brain pattern appear—what they called the barcode. Different patterns appeared even if the birds hid many seeds in the same location. When the birds revisited these sites and retrieved the hidden seeds, the same barcode-like pattern appeared again, as though all the information about each location and seed were related to a unique brain pattern.
The researchers compared these memories to episodic memories in humans, which are memories of specific events or personal experiences. They’re important to how humans connect time, people, places and sensory information together.
Chettih says that this see chiding behavior has a clear pattern of activity, which may help researchers build a structure for how the brain creates and stores memories
1. Why are memory skills necessary for chickadees?| A．Memory skills can help them survive in colder months. |
| B．Memory skills show their intelligence and learning abilities. |
| C．They need memory skills to identify different types of food. |
| D．They use memory skills to avoid being attacked by other animals. |
| A．Chickadees’ memories were controlled by place cells. |
| B．Chickadees preferred hiding sunflower seeds. |
| C．Unique brain patterns appeared when chickadees hid seeds. |
| D．Chickadees often hid many seeds in the same location. |
| A．Repaired. | B．Regained. | C．Decorated. | D．Designed. |
| A．To introduce a study on chickadees’ memory. |
| B．To present a detailed description of chickadees. |
| C．To compare chickadees and human memory skills. |
| D．To provide readers with a way to improve memory skills. |
2 . I have begun every conversation with the usual opening line, “Entschuldigung, mein Deutsch ist noch nicht so gut” since I moved to Hermsdorf, a little village in east Germany in 2015. The purpose was to let the Germans know that they shouldn’t expect me to express more ideas or respond quickly and accurately, so I escape too much conversation with them.
Learning to speak German was not funny for meat all. Even if I could technically write academic (学术的) articles in German, the thought of calling a doctor to make an appointment (约定) would still bring me anxiety. I would stammer (口吃) during small talk with a mother I had never met before, while dressing my one-year-old at kindergarten.
This went on for almost ten years until a month ago. I was at home, telling my husband about a meeting I’d had. As usual, I started the meeting by apologizing (道歉) for my poor German. The lady behind the desk looked at me somewhat confused, “But your German is great.” “She is right, you know,” my husband said. “I don’t know why you still think you speak poor German. OK, it is not perfect, but who cares?” After living in Germany for nearly ten years, why did I still worry so much? I finally saw the light. It was because I was trying to protect my feelings.
Lately, when I sat across from a woman who could be my future boss, I felt anxious about the interview, especially the unavoidable question, “Tell me about yourself.” I really wanted to use my usual opening line, but I didn’t and thought I should trust myself and my German. That afternoon, l was called back to meet the CEO who told me that I was hired, and when we shook hands, she didn’t mention anything about my German skills.
1. Why did the author begin conversations with the usual opening line?| A．She pretended to be polite. |
| B．She hoped to impress people with her language skills. |
| C．She wished form or c opportunities to practice German. |
| D．She wanted to avoid further conversation with Germans |
| A．Excited and inspired. | B．Anxious and bored. |
| C．Confident and relaxed. | D．Pleased and satisfied. |
| A．Not having confidence in speaking German. |
| B．Writing academic articles in German. |
| C．The basic rules of German grammar. |
| D．Small talks with her friends. |
| A．To stress the author’s language skills were praised. |
| B．To illustrate the mental challenges of job interviews. |
| C．To prove good relationship between the author and the CEO. |
| D．To show the author’s changes and growth in speaking German. |
3 . Twelve-year-old Catherine has a lot of friends—632, actually, if you count up her online friends. And she spends a lot of time with them.
But is it possible that Catherine’s online friendships could be making her lonely? That’s what some experts believe. Connecting online is a great way to stay in touch, they say. However, some experts worry that many kids are so busy connecting online that they might be missing out on true friendships.
Could this be true? During your parents’ childhoods, connecting with friends usually meant spending time with them in the flesh. Kids played Scrabble around a table, not words with friends on their phones. When friends missed each other, they picked up the telephone. Friends might even write letters to each other.
Today, most communication takes place online. A typical teen sends 2,000 texts a month and spends more than 44 hours per week in front of a screen. Much of this time is spent on social media platform.
In fact, in many ways, online communication can make friendships stronger. “There’s definitely a positive influence. Kids can stay in constant contact, which means they can share more of their feelings with each other,” says Katie Davis, co-author of The App Generation.
Other experts, however, warn that too much online communication can get in the way of forming deep friendships. “If we are constantly checking in with our virtual world, we will have little time for our real-world friendships,” says Larry Rosen, a professor at California State University. Rosen also worries that today’s kids might mistake the “friends” on the social media for true friends in life. However, in tough times, you don’t need anyone to like your picture or share your blogs. You need someone who will keep your secrets and hold your hand. You would like to talk face to face.
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To tell about true friends. | B．To start a discussion. |
| C．To encourage online friendships. | D．To summarize(总结) the text. |
| A．In any case. | B．In public. | C．In person. | D．In advance. |
| A．Unconcerned. | B．Positive. | C．Worried. | D．Confused. |
| A．Teenagers need to focus on real-world friendships. | B．It’s easier to develop friendships in real life. |
| C．It’s wise to turn to friends online. | D．Social media help people stay closely connected. |
4 . Moving to a foreign country is an amazing, life-changing experience. It’s a chance to meet new people, put yourself in a different culture and possibly learn another language. However, before such an adventure, there are some practical decisions that need to be made. One such decision is choosing where to live.
Will you stay in your own apartment where you can have your own space and privacy? Will you share a flat with other young foreigners who are in a similar position to you? Or will you choose to live with a host family? For me, choosing to live with a French family was the best choice I made, and here is why.
Firstly, a family can show you around the city or town and help you settle in, stopping you from feeling lonely. When you’re in a new environment, you might feel lost, tired and homesick — I know I did. However, my host family were wonderful and welcoming; they showed me which buses to take to get to work, cooked dinner for me, and took me with them on trips to the beach and the theatre. These were great chances to experience French culture and build relationships.
Above all, living with French people has helped me improve my language skills. Being constantly exposed to French conversations has allowed me to learn new phrases, widen my vocabulary and even improve my accent. My host family are happy to answer my questions and correct me when I say things wrong.
Finally, the experience of living abroad is one that you will not forget forever, and perhaps the friendships — like the memories — will also last. I hope to remain in contact with my host family long after I leave France because when I was away from my friends and loved ones, they welcomed me and made me part of their family.
1. What is the purpose of the author in writing the text?| A．To introduce his host family. |
| B．To share his life experience. |
| C．To suggest the foreign life is quite attractive. |
| D．To tell how to choose a living place in a foreign country. |
| A．He could get a lot of help from the family. | B．He was afraid of living in a new environment. |
| C．The family could help him get rid of his illness. | D．The family provided him with free meals every day. |
| A．They cooked dinner for him. | B．They took him to the theatre. |
| C．They showed him around the city. | D．They helped him improve his French. |
| A．By making comparison. | B．By listing detailed reasons. |
| C．By following the time order. | D．By following the order of importance. |
5 . Whether you are travelling for business or pleasure, every trip needs a little planning. Travel planning doesn’t have to be stressful, though. Here are some simple steps for you.
Start planning in advance.
Before you do anything, you need to know how much money you will have for this travel. It is easy to overspend when you are travelling if you don’t plan ahead. So start your planning by working out how much you want to spend on transportation, food, sightseeing and hotels.
Make reservations.
Booking transportation and accommodations in advance is quite necessary. Things like flights, trains and even car rentals can be quite different depending on when and where you book them. It’s worth considering booking accommodations online. There are many reliable websites for booking hotels.
Make a tour routine.
Make your routine simple and clear. You don’t need to plan out every minute of every day.
Pack your essentials.
| A．Get ready to go. |
| B．Set a travel budget. |
| C．See your doctor for health concerns before your trip. |
| D．The longer you wait, the more expensive these will get. |
| E．The further away you want to go, the earlier you need to plan. |
| F．But schedule time for the things you really want to see and do. |
| G．No matter where you’re going, there are some necessities to take. |
6 . A fisherman from Portland, Maine, the US, caught a very rare bright blue lobster (龙虾) off the coast of Maine but chose to set it free back into the ocean. The photo of the blue lobster was shared by tech enterpriser Lars-Johan Larsson. “This blue lobster was caught off the coast of Portland yesterday and returned to the water to continue to grow. Blue lobsters are one in two million,” he wrote.
While the shells of lobsters are generally red or brown in color, the blue shell is a result of gene mutation (基因突变), which causes the lobster to produce more of a particular protein than other lobsters, leading to the rare blue color, as reported by the Toronto Sun.
Yellow, orange and crystal-colored lobsters are considered even rarer than bright blue ones. According to the Lobster Institute, yellow lobsters account for about one in 30 million of the total population. Two fishermen in Dorset caught a crystal-colored lobster in 2011.
“Whatever the odds of catching different-colored lobsters, there’s no denying that bright blue ones are truly beautiful creatures,” said Rob Bayer, executive director of the University of Maine Lobster Institute. “They might not be the most unusual, but they’re undoubtedly the best to look at.”
It’s become something of a trend for restaurants to spare blue lobsters. Austin Hopley, a chef at “The Hare” in Rochdale, the UK, made the news for sparing a bright blue lobster. He gave it to Sea Life in Manchester, as reported by the BBC.
“Now it’s there for people to enjoy,” said Hopley. “I felt responsible. Something so rare didn’t require a place on the menu. Every species deserves a fair chance at survival.”
Expert Brendan Malone from Sea Life said, “It is certainly an extraordinary find and worth saving to try to educate the public about these amazing creatures in the ecosystem.”
1. What is the root cause for the color of blue lobsters?| A．Gene variation. | B．Adaptation failure. |
| C．A specific protein. | D．A mix of red and brown. |
| A．They are the rarest. | B．They are easy to catch. |
| C．They are delicious to eat. | D．They are most beautiful. |
| A．It wouldn’t make a good dish. |
| B．He wanted to follow the trend. |
| C．He took on responsibility to save it. |
| D．It would bring him fame and profits. |
| A．Blue Lobsters Rebound Suddenly |
| B．Chefs Take Action to Protect Lobsters |
| C．Gene Mutation Has an Effect on Lobsters |
| D．Man Catches a “One in Two Million” Blue Lobster |
7 . One day when I was 15 years old, I was making food in the kitchen. My brother came in. He placed his beef next to my thick one and said, “Courtney, your beef is bigger than mine. You don’t need to eat; you’re too fat.” Then he walked out laughing. From then on, I was unwilling to wear shorts until I was 30 years old. For the next 15 years, I spent summer after summer roasting in long pants.
But then I met Rage n Chastain. I couldn’t believe that this almost 300-pound woman who, like myself, was so energetic and happy in her own skin. I listened as she shared her own journey to recovery and self-love. She talked about how amazing our bodies are, simply because of the things they do every day—like breathing, pumping blood to every cell and walking.
Walking! I suddenly realized how foolish I’d been for so long. There are people who are born without legs, or who lack properly working legs, or who lose their legs, and I’d been hiding my perfectly strong, healthy and beautiful legs in shame. The next day, I bought three pairs of shorts and a sundress and spent the entire summer letting my legs see the sun and feel the breeze.
The next time anyone comments on your body in a negative way, look them straight in the eye, smile and say, “If what you see bothers you so much, feel free to practice the ancient art of looking somewhere else.” That’s Ragen’s own creation, but I don’t think she’ll mind if you use it.
1. What can we know about the author when she was a teenager?| A．She was fat. | B．She disliked beef. |
| C．Her parents loved her more. | D．Her brother always helped her. |
| A．Honest. | B．Clever. | C．Positive. | D．Responsible. |
| A．The shorts were on sale. | B．She was inspired by Rage n Chastain. |
| C．The shorts were suitable for the weather. | D．She wanted to give them to Ragen Chastain. |
| A．Dress whatever we want and ignore others’ judgement. |
| B．There are many people who are as fat as us in the world. |
| C．Love ourselves and don’t care about others’ negative opinions. |
| D．Eat as you like and there’s no need to care about our bodies. |
8 . Finding friends that share your interests does not have to be difficult.
Check out online friend seeking websites like friend finder.com, wayn.com or Facebook.
Go to social events in your area-maybe they support a cause you love or include a band that you enjoy. As soon as you meet someone at one of these events,you will know you already have an interest that you share.
Join a sports team at your community center.
Meet new friends through friends you already have.
| A．Join a class in your community |
| B．Many people are looking for friends |
| C．Decide why you want to meet new people |
| D．Friends come and go throughout one’s lifetime |
| E．You will find people with the same interest in sports |
| F．Sometimes we can find a connection through a friend |
| G．You can meet friends that share the same interests on these websites |
9 . The horse-face skirt, or mamianqun in Chinese, is receiving renewed attention on the fashion stage.
Far from being photoshoot prop, wearing the horse-face skirt has become almost trend among many Chinese celebrities and influencers for various international social occasions. On Douyin, China’s TikTok, individuals who sport the horse-face skirt on city streets in Paris and other international cities can easily gain millions of likes. A popular blogger on Xiaohongshu appeared on a British television program to discuss the development of the English Premier League in China while wearing a horse-face skirt.
From its first appearance during the Song Dynasty to becoming a standout representation of Chinese clothing, mamianqun has crossed nearly a millennium of history. In the current trend of traditional Chinese clothing reconstruction, how has the horse-face skirt stood out to become the most famous clothing?
Mao Zhaoxi, who is a hanfu enthusiast, told the Global Times that Hanfu is the external demonstration of culture, integrating the life philosophies, values, and aesthetic (美学) views formed and inherited (继承) by the Chinese people generation after generation. She said, “Many young people believe that the horse-face skirt is not just a fashion item, but also a cultural symbol. This shows the awakening of traditional aesthetic genes among the younger generations, indicating that the confidence in our own culture is constantly increasing.”
Moreover, Hu Xiao, one of the founders of the ancient Chinese costumes restoration team, analyzed one main reason of this phenomenon lies in the fact that the horse-face skirt has managed to remain relevant, never falling out of fashion. “Many people thought the horse-face skirt had disappeared for a while, but in fact, Chinese brides can always be seen in the costume of mamianqun.” The horse-face skirt possesses a strong sense of inheritance while also possessing fashionable features. This perhaps is the cultural DNA that enables it to become a fashion item.
The momentum (潮流) of Chinese-style clothing has begun, and how to lead the trend of Chinese-style clothing through design and how to stay at the forefront of the national trend is an issue that will not disappear in a short time.
1. What does the underlined word “sport” mean in paragraph 2?| A．Compete. | B．Display. | C．Exercise. | D．Decorate. |
| A．Horse-face skirts are Chinese clothing with a long history. |
| B．Horse-face skirts had become fashionable in Song Dynasty. |
| C．Horse-face skirts have been the main clothing for a millennium. |
| D．Horse-face skirts are leading the clothing design around the world. |
| A．It develops everyone’s aesthetic and philosophy view. |
| B．It represents the ancient Chinese costumes and life. |
| C．It wakens the young to love their own traditional culture. |
| D．It demonstrates the importance of Chinese-style clothing. |
| A．Good beginning and it will lead the world fashion. |
| B．Good beginning and it will fall into the disfavors. |
| C．Good beginning and it will own fashionable DNA. |
| D．Good beginning and it will have a long way to go. |
10 . I guess most of you have had an experience like it: it’s the weekend, but instead of having a good rest, you have to bury yourself in the endless homework you have left over from the week. This was my routine too. But it came to an end during my school’s “No Homework Weekend”.
The activity was announced two weeks in advance so we could get prepared. Students in my class did not have any homework on the special weekend, but students in other classes were not so lucky. There were also some teachers who told their students: “You don’t have homework this weekend, but you do have a test next Monday.” This meant: “You don’t have to prepare for the test during the weekend, but good luck if you don’t!” Well, teachers will be teachers, I suppose.
I really made the most of those two days without homework. On Friday night, I stayed up chatting with my friends online because we didn’t need to worry about homework. On Saturday, I watched a band concert, and on Sunday I had a god sleep and organized my notes. Normally I have so much regular homework that I do not have time to review and organize class notes. But on that weekend, I finally had time to do it.
No Homework Weekend was really a great time to release stress and take a look at what we had learned so far. I loved it and I hope my school holds more weekends like it in the future!
1. The writer often _________on weekends.| A．has a good rest | B．watches movies | C．prepares for tests | D．does lots of homework |
| A．will not have any homework | B．will have a special test |
| C．will have to prepare for the exam | D．will have lots of books to read |
A．watch a film | B．sleep very well | C．organize the notes | D．review the lessons |
| A．is worried | B．seems happy | C．doesn’t care | D．is surprised |
