1 . “When we think of curiosity, we often think of the need for immediate answers,” said Abby Hsiung, Ph. D. , a postdoctoral researcher at the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences and lead author of a new research paper. “But we found that when people were more curious, they were actually more pleased to wait.”
“When we watch TV shows or football games, we’re watching that information develop over time, uncertain about how it’s all going to end,” said Hsiung. “I wanted to know if higher curiosity would push people to seek, or to avoid getting an immediate ‘spoiler’ (剧透).”
Hsiung drew inspiration from short cooking videos that are popular on social media. “These videos caught my attention because even though they’re so short, they manage to develop a description and suspense (悬念), so that you’re attracted and curious about how the pizza will all come together.” So Hsiung got out her digital paintbrush and made a lot of 30-second animated line drawing videos that, like the cooking videos, eventually ended up as something highly recognizable, like a hamburger or a dog.
More than 2,000 adults from across the U. S. then watched 25 of these short line drawing videos online. Participants in Hsiung’s study were asked along the way how curious they were, how they felt, and to guess what the drawing would become. Viewers also had a spoiler button to skip ahead to see the final drawing. Hsiung and her team were surprised to find that when people were curious, they refused to hit the spoiler button and kept watching the drawings unfold. It was when people were less curious that they tended to go for an instant answer.
The study also found that curiosity increased at different stages of watching these videos. “We saw higher curiosity during moments when it seemed like the drawing could turn into anything and also when participants were starting to really home in on a single answer,” said co-author Jia-Hou Poh, Ph. D. , a postdoctoral researcher at the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences.
1. What is the popular belief concerning curiosity?| A．It fuels the urge for answers. | B．It leads to endless patience. |
| C．It stresses the need to wait. | D．It brings the pleasure of waiting. |
| A．The evolution the TV shows displayed. | B．The fantasy the short cooking videos shared. |
| C．The way the short cooking videos developed. | D．The popularity the short cooking videos achieved. |
| A．Make drawings to take a shortcut. | B．Answer some questions while watching. |
| C．Press the spoiler button to finish the task. | D．Hunt for an answer as quickly as possible. |
| A．The influence of patience on curiosity | B．Curiosity delays eagerness for the answer |
| C．Curiosity arises from the patience of waiting | D．The way to hold back the urge for an answer |
2 . Nearly a million bats are killed each year in the United States by crashing into working wind turbines (涡轮机), pushing the Department of Energy (DOE) to take some measures.
As the United States seeks to expand wind energy to reduce carbon emissions and minimize climate impacts, land-based wind turbines are emerging as a threat to several bat species. In 2022, wind power generated about 10 percent of U. S. energy and accounted for half of the electricity from renewables. DOE projects U. S. wind capacity to nearly triple by 2050, adding 260 gigawatts. Some of the increase will come from offshore wind farms, which are less harmful to bats. “The 880, 000 bats killed every year in the United States is a shockingly large number, ” said Winifred Frick, a chief scientist at Bat Conservation International.
The death count suggests many bat species could become endangered in the next few years. The value of bats goes beyond benefits that farmers get from pest control. They have a positive impact on pollinating (授粉) plants and increasing agricultural production. They could also help scientists understand aging and death better because bats have relatively longer life.
But the scientific community currently has no idea why wind turbines attract bats or how to keep bats away from the turbines whose blades reach 200 feet. DOE has given scientists millions of dollars, aiming to address the knowledge gap.
The fund is going to scientists who will test untried methods of bat protection. The goal, Frick said, is to “find solutions that can maximize energy production while minimizing the number of bats killed.”
Frick’s team has received $ 2. 5 million to test whether the bright lights fixed on turbines to warn aircraft pilots are attracting bats. If that is the case, wind farms can put up aircraft detection systems that will turn on flashing warning lights only when an airplane is nearby and reduce bat deaths. DOE’s funding will allow researchers at the nonprofit research institute to run tests in a wider range.
1. What can be inferred from the figures in paragraph 2?| A．Wind power is a top priority for DOE. |
| B．Wind turbines are becoming attractive to bats. |
| C．Land-based wind farms are more friendly to bats. |
| D．Bats are indirect victims of environmental awareness. |
| A．They provide insights into life science. | B．They are the primary killers of insects. |
| C．They are used for studies on energy generation. | D．They have a decisive effect on crop production. |
| A．Difference. | B．Conflict. | C．Ignorance. | D．Imbalance. |
| A．Supporting the setup of bright lights on turbines. |
| B．Promoting wide-ranging research on bat conservation. |
| C．Exploring ways to make energy production bat-friendly. |
| D．Seeking methods for improving wind energy production. |
3 . The Canadian town of Churchill is well-known for its arctic (北极的) wilderness. This town of extremes is home to about 900 year-round residents. However, 500, 000 tourists, more or less, flood here throughout the year.
In this setting, there’s a special find in a simple shipping container just outside the town. It’s a new project called Rocket Greens, led by the Churchill Northern Studies Centre(CNSC). Rocket Greens has successfully demonstrated the possibility of planting fresh, leafy produce regardless of seasons or weather conditions.
Erin Greene, a Churchill resident since 2015, became one of the first subscribers to Rocket Greens’s CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program. “When I first moved here, it was very hard to get good-quality fruits and vegetables. We would never get fresh herbs and never see things like Swiss chard or kale,” recalls Greene, who says she now maintains a healthier diet and has become more self-sufficient as a result of the program.
In addition to Rocket Greens, CNSC has set up a seeding project for community garden support. This involves planting seedlings during the late fall and early spring that have been distributed to local community members free of charge in summer. Due to the short growing season and the challenging agricultural conditions, this seeding project offers a head start. “Community members can receive plants at no charge. It’s an educational tool to learn how to seed a field properly and how to grow your own food in your own home,” explains Dylan McCart, director of CNSC. This year’s seeding program will include a variety of crops such as peas, corn and peppers to make up for the traditional vegetables that are typically planted during Churchill summers.
“Considering the challenges of operating in a remote location like Churchill, we were one of the first ones to be able to do it, so it’s great that we were able to have that vision at that time. And it’s still successful today,” McCart says.
1. Why are so many people attracted to Churchill?| A．They want to live in the wilds. | B．They like to enjoy the unique scenery. |
| C．They can taste fresh produce from the locals. | D．They wish to become members of Rocket Greens. |
| A．To advertise the lifestyles of locals. | B．To show the diversity of local food. |
| C．To prove the difficulty of living there. | D．To illustrate the effects of the program. |
| A．It adds fuel to the fire. | B．It teaches a man to fish. |
| C．It pulls a rabbit out of the hat. | D．It kills the goose that lays the golden egg. |
| A．Curious. | B．Relieved. | C．Astonished. | D．Proud. |
4 . Imagine a world where anyone can learn how to do anything in multiple languages in ordinary and extraordinary ways. That’s the world we want to create. We’re looking for a few talented, cooperative, delightful employees to join our cause. Are you in?
Fast Facts●wikiHow is the only company in the Comscore top 150 that has under 30 employees.
●wikiHow helps 100 million people every month, in 19 languages. We have ambitions to push our mission much further.
●wikiHow is completely remote-friendly. We have people working from far and near, but we love having a comfortable office to work in when we can.
●wikiHow is considered to be one of the Internet’s most influential websites.
Open Position.●Staff Writer
If you’re applying for the Staff Writer position, please send a brief introductory email with the subject line “Staff Writer — City you live in — Topic area (Lifestyle/Tech/Both)” to writing@wikihow. com. The email should include your resume (简历), a short cover letter, one writing sample(if you have an example of published work intended for a broad audience, please share that), and a brief (4-5 sentences) sample introduction to one topic you are expert in. Please use this as an opportunity to show us your unique voice and style.
One Thing to Keep in MindWe’re already profitable, financially stable, and we all love working here, so we aren’t in a rush to sell out. For 15 years, we’ve committed to our step-by-step teaching model, and we continue to refine our content to create the best how-to experience. We’ve helped millions of people solve problems, learn new skills, strengthen relationships, pick up healthy habits or try out a new hobby.
1. What quality is required for applicants?| A．Being willing to team up. | B．Speaking several languages. |
| C．Having work experience. | D．Achieving financial independence. |
| A．A finished article. | B．A published book. |
| C．An introduction video. | D．A recommendation letter. |
| A．A sales company. | B．A social app. |
| C．A language school. | D．An education website. |
5 . Traditional feedback (反馈), which often involves criticizing past actions and performance, can sometimes be discouraging. However, there’s a powerful alternative that has been gaining popularity — feedforward. Feedforward is about sharing constructive and forward-looking comments to help individuals and groups move forward together, building a positive path to collective progress.
Constructive feedback has long been a cornerstone of personal development. It helps individuals identify their weaknesses and areas for improvement, but it can sometimes feel like a constant spotlight on one’s shortcomings. Feedforward, on the other hand, shifts the focus from past missteps to future possibilities. It is a tool that fosters (培养) a culture of growth, emphasizing what can be done to enhance one’s performance and contribute to the overall betterment of a group or organization.
Instead of focusing on past mistakes or weaknesses, feedforward encourages people to recognize their strengths and potential, highlighting the possibilities of what they can achieve. This approach not only boosts confidence but also motivates individuals to struggle for excellence. In a world where negativity can often overshadow positivity, the power of feedforward lies in its ability to uplift and inspire people.
When applied in group settings, feedforward becomes a powerful tool for building unity and cooperation. Teams and organizations that welcome feedforward form an environment where team members feel valued and supported. By focusing on future improvement, teams can collectively work towards their goals, fostering innovation, and achieving better results.
Feedforward can also be valuable in building personal relationships. It can be used in families, friendships, and romantic partnerships to encourage personal growth and strengthen bonds. Feedforward instead of being judgemental increases confidence. By offering constructive and forward-looking comments, you can support your loved ones in their pursuit of happiness and self-improvement.
To successfully implement feedforward, it is essential to foster open and honest communication. It’s about providing advice that is specific, practical, and, most importantly, constructive. The emphasis should always be on helping individuals identify their potential and offering suggestions for growth.
1. How does the author introduce the topic?| A．By analyzing a scene. | B．By stating a phenomenon. |
| C．By providing an example. | D．By making a comparison. |
| A．Developing optimism. | B．Enhancing interaction. |
| C．Focusing on potential. | D．Learning from experience. |
| A．Ask for. | B．Pick up. | C．Carry out. | D．Reflect on. |
| A．Giving Effective Feedback | B．The Power of Feedforward |
| C．Feedback and Feedforward | D．Looking Forward, Not Backward |
6 . Flexible, wearable electronics are making their way into everyday use, and their full potential is still to be realized. Soon, this technology could be used for precision medical sensors attached to the skin, designed to perform health monitoring and disease detection. It would be like having a high-tech medical center at your service. Worn routinely, future wearable electronics could potentially detect possible emerging health problems — such as heart disease, cancer-even before obvious signs appear. The device could also do a personalized analysis of the tracked health data while minimizing the need for its wireless transmission (传输).
Such a skin-like device is being developed in a project. Leading the project is Sihong Wang, assistant professor at the University of Chicago. This device would need to collect and process a vast amount of data, well above what even the best smartwatches can do today, and it would have to deal with this data speedily with very low power consumption in a very tiny space. To address that need, the team called upon neuromorphic computing (神经形态计算). This AI technology copies operation of the brain by training on past data sets and learning from experience. Its advantages also include compatibility (兼容性) with stretchable material, lower energy consumption and faster speed than other types of AI.
The other major challenge the team faced was integrating the electronics into a skin-like stretchable material. The key material in any electronic device is a semiconductor. In current rigid electronics used in cell phones and computers, this is normally a solid silicon chip.
Stretchable electronics require that the semiconductor be a highly flexible material that is still able to conduct electricity. The team’s skin-like neuromorphic chip consists of a thin film of a plastic semiconductor combined with stretchable gold nanowire electrodes. Even when stretched to twice its normal size, their device functioned as planned without formation of any breaks.
“While still requiring further development on several fronts, our device could one day be a game changer in which everyone can get their health status in a much more effective and frequent way,” said Wang.
1. What can be inferred about skin-like electronics from paragraph 1?| A．More functional uses of the devices are on the way. |
| B．They offer medical advice through an online platform. |
| C．Accurate disease detection makes the devices popular. |
| D．They can transmit a great deal of patient data wirelessly. |
| A．Quicker processing and better adaptability. |
| B．Better learning ability and greater stability. |
| C．Wider use in life and larger storage capacity. |
| D．Lower power consumption and easier operation. |
| A．The excellent flexibility of the stretchable material. |
| B．The unique structure of the skin-like neuromorphic chip. |
| C．The application of electronics in cell phones and computers. |
| D．The process of replacing silicon chips with neuromorphic ones. |
| A．Uncertain. | B．Challenging. |
| C．Promising. | D．Profitable. |
7 . Juliet Basinger won’t finish high school before 2025, but she has big plans: She wants to be a mechanical engineer.
This year alone, Juliet has used 3D printers, motors and microcontrollers to build the parts needed to construct a robotic dog that she hopes will help those extremely afraid of dogs. She has learned to use technology-enabled woodcutting tools and is at work creating a virtual tour of her school, Laing Middle School in Charleston County, using the drone (无人机) she built in the school’s Fab Lab.
The Fab Lab gives students a chance to get hands-on experience with the sorts of tools they might find in the workplace. “I really have fun doing these things,” says Juliet, “ but I also like that it’s preparing me to be an engineer.”
The Fab Lab is one way the Charleston County School District is trying to build career planning into courses for children at earlier and earlier ages. In the past, students were told whether they were college material or not, and schools paid full attention to preparing students for college. Now, school systems are speeding up their career-and-technical programs to more closely connect the skills students acquire in school with workforce needs.
Some school districts are pushing the new programs into middle and even elementary schools, convinced that helping students connect what they are learning to careers will not only deepen their engagement but also help them make more informed decisions about their educational paths.
Juliet wished that all students took advantage of the opportunity to explore, imagine and experiment in the Fab Lab. “I try to tell everyone how interesting and fun it is and how helpful it will be in the future,” Juliet said. “Many people, though, just want to play ball in the gym or hang out outside in their free time.”
1. Why did Juliet Basinger make a robotic dog?| A．To gain credits. | B．To finish an assignment. |
| C．To help overcome fears. | D．To provide entertainment. |
| A．Making students successful in life. | B．Readying students for further education. |
| C．Connecting students with workforce needs. | D．Helping students develop their personalities. |
| A．They are more centered on a practical goal. | B．They are warmly welcomed by the students. |
| C．They are changing the teaching in local schools. | D．They are expected to bring quick and instant benefits. |
| A．Why Juliet is interested in the new courses. | B．How students will react to the new courses. |
| C．How the school managed to set up the Fab Lab. | D．What will be done to attract students to the Fab Lab. |
8 . Tours & Admission ｜Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens
Explore the former estate (庄园) of F. A. Seiberling, co-founder of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.
Guided Manor House TourExperience the Manor House through the eyes of a trained tour guide and learn more about what life was like at the estate when the Seiberling family lived here. This tour lasts about 75 minutes.
Non-member Adult 18 +: $21 Non-member Youth（ages 3-17）: $10Children 2 & under: Free Stan Hywet Members: 50% off the non-member price
Nooks & Crannies Tour
Take this tour to learn more about the domestic staff who worked and lived at the estate. This tour lasts about 90 minutes. It includes several flights of stairs and narrow passageways and is not recommended for guests who are unable to stand or walk for long distances.
Non-member Adult 18+: $ 30 Non-member Youth（ages 3-17）: $ 15Children 2 & under: Free Stan Hywet Members: 50% off the non-member price
Gardens, Gate Lodge & Corbin Conservatory
Enjoy Stan Hywet's historic gardens and grounds at your own pace on this self-guided grounds tour. Purchase the ticket upon arrival.
Non-member Adult 18+: $ 15 Non-member Youth（ages 3-17）: $7Children 2 & under: Free Stan Hywet Members: Free
Guided Garden Tour
The Guided Garden Tour takes guests around the estate and focuses on how the Seiberlings worked closely with their landscape architect on the overall design of the property. This tour is offered at 11:30 am & 2:30 pm, May through September.
Non-member Adult 18+: $ 21 Non-member Youth（ages 3-17）: $ 10Children 2 & under: Free Stan Hywet Members: 50% off the non-member price
1. How much should a non-member married couple pay to explore the Manor House?
| A．$ 10. | B．$ 20. | C．$ 21. | D．$ 42. |
| A．It runs seasonally. | B．It is physically demanding. |
| C．It offers a trained tour guide. | D．It is only targeted at members. |
| A．Guided Garden Tour. | B．Nooks & Crannies Tour. |
| C．Guided Manor House Tour. | D．Gardens, Gate Lodge & Corbin Conservatory. |
9 . A great skill to have is the ability to solve problems effectively, specifically interpersonal and behavioral problems. In order to achieve this, you need to follow a few key requirements.
First, you should understand “why” the problem exists.
Once you have clearly identified the problem, you need to understand what you have control over and what don’t.
Don’t jump to conclusions. Once you have all of your information, analyze it carefully and look at it from various viewpoints. Be as objective as possible and don’t be quick to judge.
| A．Now determine your options for solutions. |
| B．Remain judgment-free as much as possible. |
| C．Ask yourself questions about what options you have. |
| D．That means figuring out the actual root cause of the problem. |
| E．Read on to find how to become a more effective problem solver. |
| F．The strategies in problem-solving are good lifelong skills to have. |
| G．Your efforts must be within the areas where you are in the driver’s seat. |
10 . Writer Andrew Leland started losing his sight 20 years ago, when he was in high school, as a result of a progressive eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa (色素性视网膜炎). His first experience of loss of sight happened temporarily at night, in which he was confused that everyone else seemed to see in the dark so much better than he did. Over the years, his disease has progressed gradually. He’s now legally blind, although he still has a narrow field of vision, which allows him to see about 6% of what a fully sighted person sees.
Leland analogized his vision to the view you might get by looking through a toilet paper tube or a keyhole. He said, “Imagine having that toilet paper tube tied to your head and trying to walk down the street; there’s a whole bunch of things you don’t see but that you really ought to, like dogs.”
In his new book, The Country of the Blind, Leland writes about losing his vision and preparing for blindness, how his condition impacts his identity, how the world sees him and his marriage, and something valuable he has learned.
He said he was not going to try to tell people that having vision was not an unbelievably useful thing for a human being for many reasons. When talking about the experience of being alive and being conscious, he referred to James Joyce — Joyce believed that he was only losing one world among many, and that vision was only a tiny part of experiences when he was going blind.
He thought if you looked at the things that blind people were capable of imagining, like John Milton writing Paradise Lost as a blind person, there was this unbelievable richness in humans’ consciousness that vision had nothing to do with. Other realms (领域) such as the mental and emotional realms were all so rich that they could also help unfold things on earth before you.
1. What do we know about Leland?| A．He went totally blind in high school. |
| B．He experienced night blindness at first. |
| C．He was born with a narrow field of vision. |
| D．He was aware of his condition throughout. |
| A．Connected. | B．Reduced. | C．Compared. | D．Exposed. |
| A．To help explain an opinion. |
| B．To stress the value of good vision. |
| C．To state his considerable influence. |
| D．To show the inconvenience of blindness. |
| A．Practice is the best teacher. |
| B．The blind have more vivid imagination. |
| C．Things are not set in concrete. |
| D．Vision is not the only window in the world. |
