1 . Have you ever sent a text or shared something online that you immediately regretted? Most of us have. Now a growing number of apps and services are offering users the attractive ability to edit those messages.

In September alone, Twitter and Apple introduced editing features. Twitter kicked off September by announcing it would test an edit button (按钮). Within two weeks of that move, Apple introduced its new iOS 16 operating system, which lets users-for the first time-edit and unsend iMessages.

Users can now edit an iMessage up to five times within 15 minutes after sending it and unsend any message up to two minutes after it’s sent. To do this, users need only tap and hold their sent message, then choose “edit” or “undo send.” On Twitter, the edit button will give people a “generous” time, says Christina Wodtke, a lecturer in computer science at Stanford University. Users will be able to edit a tweet (推文信息) up to five times in the 30 minutes after it’s posted. Once a change is made, a tweet will be marked with a time stamp, and a label (标签) that says “Last Edited.”

“What they’re doing is creating an edit button that allows the Twitter audience to be your personal editor,” Wodtke says. “So if you say something that is difficult to believe, you could quickly change it to be clearer or less open to being misunderstood.” Wodtke does warn that especially on Twitter, editing could be used for harmful purposes. Someone looking to spread disinformation, for example, could edit their originally harmless tweet to make it false or harmful after it’s already started reaching an audience.

To ensure edit tools are used for good purposes, experts say, tech companies must take certain safety measures. “The importance of an ‘edit trail (痕迹)’ that prevents the spread of mis-and disinformation can’t be overstated,” says Wodtke, “especially when the information is part of the public record.”

Twitter says the feature was designed to be transparent (透明的) and protect the integrity (完整性) of the conversation. “We’re purposely starting this test with a smaller group to learn and deal with possible issues before bringing it to more people,” a Twitter spokesperson says.

1. How is Apple’s edit button different from Twitter’s?

A．It offers its users less time to regret.

B．It offers its users fewer chances to edit.

C．It allows its users to tap more words into a message.

D．It allows its users to label the message they have edited.

2. What does Wodtke think of Twitter’s edit button?

A．It can make its users more organized.	B．It can be used to spread wrong messages.
C．It can help messages reach more audiences.	D．It can cause people to take messages lightly.

3. What can we learn about Twitter’s editing feature from the last paragraph?

A．It is still being tested.	B．It will add more functions.
C．It should be more transparent.	D．It has led to unexpected issues.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．A growing need for an edit button	B．The deep thinking behind the edit button
C．The past and present of the edit button	D．Promises and risks of a new edit button

2 . Rumble

In a world where monster wrestling (怪物摔跤) is a global sport and monsters are superstar athletes, teenage Winnie tries to follow in her father’s footsteps as a manager by coaching a loveable but inexperienced monster named Steve into a champion.

Release date (上映日期): December 15,2021

Runtime:1 hour 44 minutes

Ron’s Gone Wrong

It is the story of Barney, an awkward middle-schooler and Ron, his new walking, talking, digitally-connected device (数字连接设备), which is supposed to be his “Best Friend out of the Box.” Ron’s failure to work leads them on a journey to learn about true friendship.

Release date: October 22, 2021

Runtime:1 hour 47 minutes

Luca

A young boy experiences an unforgettable seaside summer on the Italian Riviera. Luca shares these adventures with his newfound best friend, Alberto, but all the fun is threatened (威胁) by a deeply-held secret:

he is a sea monster from another world just below the ocean’s surface.

Release date: June 18,2021

Runtime:1 hour 35 minutes

Onward

Two teenage elf (精灵) brothers, Ian and Barley Lightfoot, go on a journey to discover if there is still a little magic left out there in order to spend one last day with their father, who died when they were too young to remember him. Their journey is filled with magic spells, impossible challenges and unimaginable discoveries.

Release date: March 6, 2020

Runtime: 1 hour 42 minutes

1. Who is one of the main characters in the latest movie?

A．Alberto.

B．Barley.

C．Barney.

D．Steve.

2. Which movie would Tom like if he is interested in the robot?

A．Luca.	B．Rumble.
C．Onward.	D．Ron’s Gone Wrong.

3. How long is the movie about finding magic?

A．1 hour 35 minutes.	B．1 hour 42 minutes.
C．1 hour 44 minutes.	D．1 hour 47 minutes.

3 . What does the term “dinosaur” actually mean? What Beatles’ song stayed in the US singles chart for the longest? Who was the president of the United States when Uncle Sam first got his beard?

These are not just questions from a particularly difficult public test.     1     After asking a group of twenty-four volunteers these questions, they asked each of them to rate how much they cared about the answers to each question, from “low-curiosity” to “high-curiosity”. And then they let the questions stay in the minds of the participants (参与者) for a while. The answers, by the way, are “terrible lizard”, Hey Jude’ and Abraham Lincoln.)

    2     For one thing, the researches assumed that when people were curious about something, they remembered the details better. They were right. The study showed that people were 20 percent more likely to recall an interesting fact.

But what was perhaps more surprising was what was going on in people’s brains at the point that they recalled these facts.     3     They seemed to receive a hit of dopamine (多巴胺). Dopamine is one of our feel-good hormones and activates the part of the brain responsible for learning and forming memories. So, for the study participants, appealing to their curiosity made them feel good.     4    

Making full use of your curiosity is an important method for building adventure into your life.     5     It also allows us to focus longer. After thorough researching the biographies of some of history’s most pioneering minds, from Leonardo da Vinci to Steve Jobs,the writer Walter Isscson summarized his findings thus: ‘Being curious about everything not only makes you more creative. It enriches your life

A．Curiosity doesn’t simply make our lives more enjoyable.

B．They are used by researchers in a pioneering experiment.

C．Feeling good is a normal thing, not something unusual.

D．When given a brain X-ray examination, their brain activity was quite different.

E．They are three of the most interesting questions worldwide.

F．The researchers tried to figure out what effect curiosity had on people’s minds.

G．They in turn become better at receiving information.

4 . “We don’t mind using GPS,” says our Aboriginal guide Baamba in his Australian accent, as he looks out across the wilderness which belongs to his tribe. The red ground ahead is covered with bushes and trees. Although it’s early, it’s already 30 degrees in the shade. It’s a difficult hike, but Baamba is a sensible guide: he always carries a satellite phone in his backpack in case of emergencies. His ancestors, however, relied on songs.

The early Australian Aborigines made the land navigable (可航行的) through songs, dance and paintings. The songs described pathways or “songlines”, which provided an oral “map” of the land. They showed people where to find a water hole, where there was a river and where they could hunt. Generations of Aboriginals followed these pathways, leaving clear marks and carvings on rocks and trees to help future travelers. “But the songs describe more than a pathway,” explains Baamba. “They also tell stories about how the world was created.” According to Aboriginal stories, the world was created, when giant beings, part human, part animal, came down from the sky. From across the sea and from deep in the earth.

One of the many sacred sites called Arkaroo Rock was mentioned in the songs and stories about the land. These songs and stories show the close relationship between the native people and their environment, how they saw themselves as part of nature rather than master of it, and how their way of life resulted in a valuable knowledge of their land. It was a way of life with more than 2,000 generations. It was a way of life that was safe from invasion and influence until 1788.

____________ Sadly, this destroyed their ancient way of life, and many Aboriginal songlines were lost. Today, people like Baamba are trying to restore this heritage and preserve it.

It’s late now and Baamba is waiting outside Arkaroo Rock. Inside, we’re admiring the beautiful cave paintings, but as soon as we have taken some photos, we leave. Dark clouds are visible on the horizon—there are already flashes of lightning and thunder in the distance. As we drive away, the wind blows through the trees, and we can almost hear the voices of those first Australians, singing the songs of their ancestors, and following the songlines.

1. Why does the writer mention Baamba’s ancestors’ songs in paragraph 1?

A．To promote these songs, special culture	B．To draw readers’ attention to the theme.
C．To show off the old but advanced songs.	D．To advertise the place’s tourist attractions

2. What can we know about songlines according to the passage?

A．Songlines were printed maps of die land.

B．Sonlines were mainly used to help hunters.

C．Songlines were a symbol of bravery of the Aborigines.

D．Songlines played a key role in finding people’s way around.

3. What will the author most probably talk about in the blank of paragraph 4?

A．Songlines were negatively influenced by strange tourists.

B．The Aborigines experienced a terrible natural disaster in 1788.

C．The Aborigines celebrated their victories for defeating the enemy.

D．Foreigners’ invasion since 1788 resulted in the natives’ life destroyed.

4. What is the best title of the passage?

A．Guidelines.

B．Songlines.

C．Exploration.

D．Tradition.

7 . “If you feel like sleeping more in the winter, you’re not alone,” said Dr. Raj Dasgupta, an associate professor of clinical medicine in California, citing research that found at least a third of American adults reported they sleep more in the winter.

The 188 patients who underwent sleep studies at St. Hedwig Hospital in Berlin slept about an hour longer in winter than they did in summer. And participants did get 30 more minutes of rapid eye movement, or REM, sleep during winter.

The REM phase of sleep is the sweet spot of sleep cycles, characterized by more dreaming and faster heart rate and breathing than in other stages. Its “an essential stage of sleep that helps with memory, concentration, mood regulation and immune function,” Dasgupta said.

The desire for more sleep during winter may have to do with how light fluctuates (波动,起伏) throughout the year. “Our bodies receive cues from the sun when it comes to our circadian rhythm, meaning that when it is bright outside we tend to be active, but when the sun goes down, you may tend to feel tired,” Dasgupta said. “The decrease in sunlight causes an increase in melatonin (褪黑激素) in the body that regulates sleep-wake cycles.”

With the earlier production of melatonin during winter, “it would be natural to assume that a healthy person also would need more sleep during the winter,” said Dr. Carleara Weiss, a research assistant professor at the University of Buffalo.

And light influences not only sleep quantity but also sleep quality. ‘“REM sleep is highly affected by light and darkness, so when during the winter months we have less light, the body is going to basically overcompensate by giving more REM sleep,” said Dr. Joshua Tal, a clinical psychologist specializing in sleep issues.

Humans still don’t need to hibernate (冬眠), Weiss said, nor can we afford to due to our social and occupational obligations. “But we can make adjustments to perform in a better way, to rest in a better way during winter,” she said. “To help our bodies make this transition from sleep to wake, it’s important to have light exposure in the morning during winter months,” Weiss said. “Along with that, it’s important to keep a consistent bedtime and wake-up times.”

1. What happens in the REM phase of sleep?

A．Faster breathing.	B．Slower heart rate.
C．More concentration.	D．Fewer dreaming.

2. What can we learn about the connection between light and sleep?

A．Light will remove people’s desire for sleep.

B．The brighter it is, the more active you will be.

C．Light affects not sleep quantity, but sleep quality.

D．People are more likely to feel sleepy when it gets dark.

3. What does the underlined sentence suggest in paragraph 6?

A．People’s sleep quality is decided by the REM sleep.

B．People’s health is built up based on the REM sleep.

C．More REM sleep can strengthen our energy in winter.

D．REM sleep can make up for the shortcoming of less light.

4. What is the main idea of the last paragraph?

A．The theory of REM sleep.	B．The approach to relaxing.
C．The way to adapt ourselves.	D．The plan of increasing sleep.

9 . When we wake up, how many of us think of what we want to do today? Almost all of us.

How many of us think of improving at what we do or focus on personal growth and development? Not many.

As Josh Waitzkin, a talented chess player and martial arts world champion, said in his book The Art of Learning, “We focus so much on the result that the details of the learning process are lost on us.”

Why is the process of learning so important? If we are getting the result,why do we have to learn or do things in a better way?

My point: Life is a marathon, not a sprint (冲刺). You have to keep running. You have to build the base of the house strong enough so that it could bear every earthquake or storm. And believe me, bad days come.

That base is the process of learning. Learning is more important than the result. And those who understand this always win.

Many of us, me included, do not realize the importance of this process. When I used to code (编程), rather than understanding the root cause of a code break, I was more interested in just fixing the issue. The next time a similar issue occurred, I worked from scratch again. I didn’t learn anything from the first time and ended up spending even more time later on the same thing.

If you were a designer but didn’t understand how 3D objects could be presented in 2D, you might look at someone else’s sheet and get the work done. But what about the next time? And the next time?

If we don’t do something properly — it could be worse than not doing it at all. But if we focus on the learning process, we could be faster and better for any future problems.

1. If you think of what you want to do today after you wake up, it means you are focusing on        .

A．the result

B．the learning process

C．your personal growth

D．building the base of your life

2. What does the author say about bad days in life in paragraph 5?

A．They are the root cause of failure.

B．They can be avoided with careful work.

C．We don’t need to worry too much about them.

D．We should be prepared for them.

3. What does the underlined phrase ”worked from scratch“ most probably mean?

A．worked very hard

B．lost my interest

C．started from the beginning

D．solved the problem very fast

4. What is the best title of this article?

A．Why the Process of Learning Matters More Than the Result.

B．Why the Result Are Often Focused on.

C．If You Want to Succeed, Please Learn from Others.

D．If You Can’t Get a Good Result, Please Stop.

10 . HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF EVERY BOOK YOU READ

Reading books can be one of life’s greatest pleasures and learning experiences.     1    . Especially if you’re reading a book for more than just the pleasure of it, you have to do more than just turn over its pages. Here we will explore actionable ways to maximize the benefits of reading.

Set clear goals before reading

Understanding why you’re reading a book can significantly impact how you approach it. The right goal will help you pay attention to what’s most important. If you’re reading a book about photography, you may want to pay particular attention to the images.     2    .

Make summaries for every chapter

After finishing a chapter, take a few minutes to summarize it in your own words.     3    . It also creates a handy reference guide for the future. Summarizing can be a creative process, too. Try using bullet points, mind maps, or one-liners to capture the essence of each chapter.

Apply what you’ve learned

    4    . If a book teaches you a new approach to time management, try implementing it in your daily routine. If a novel provides a moral lesson, reflect on how it applies to your life. This active application ensures that the book leaves a lasting impact.

    5    

The process of reading doesn’t end when you turn the last page. Regularly revisiting your notes, summaries, and reflections keeps the material fresh and relevant. Consider setting aside time each month to review previous reads and reflect how they’ve shaped your thoughts and actions. Not for every book, of course, just for the most impactful ones.

A．Repeat reading for deeper insights

B．Review and reflect

C．You may notice details, themes, or ideas that were hidden during your first reading

D．This exercise deepens your understanding and helps identify the central themes and ideas

E．So spend some time reflecting on what you hope to achieve and let that guide your reading process

F．However, many of us struggle to remember and apply what we’ve read

G．Taking action on what you’ve read transforms theoretical knowledge into practical wisdom