1 . It has long been known that dogs can learn commands like “sit,” “stay,” or “fetch” and can respond to these words with learned behaviors, often with the help of a treat or two, but uncovering their understanding of nouns has proven more difficult.
To look into the mystery, Boros from Eötvös Lorán d University in Hungary and her colleagues, inspired by studies investigating the comprehension of babies before they can speak, decided to mimic (模仿) these experiments with dogs.
They invited 18 dog owners to bring their pets to the lab along with five objects the animals knew well. These included balls, slippers, Frisbees, rubber toys, leads and other items. At the lab, the owners were instructed to say words for objects their dogs already knew. Then, the owners held up either the matching object or a different one while small metal disc s harmlessly attached to the dogs’ heads measured brain activity in a process known as electroencephalography (EEG).
Using EEG, the researchers aimed to observe any variances in brain activity when the dog’s owner mentioned a specific object, such as a “ball”, but displayed a different item, like a stick, as opposed to when both the spoken word and the presented object matched. This was indeed the case, with the results being strongest when the object was very familiar to the dog. That’s similar to what researchers have seen in humans and is widely accepted as evidence that they understand the words.
Writing in Current Biology, the scientists say the results “provide the first neural evidence for object word knowledge in a non-human animal”.
But the true extent of the dogs’ comprehension is still unknown, even by the study’s authors, since the dogs were responding to their own toys and objects that the owners brought to the lab.
The researchers are now curious to know if this ability to understand referential language is specific to dogs or might be present in other mammals as well. Either way, they want to learn more about how this ability emerged and whether it depends on dogs’ unique experience of living with people.
1. Which aspect of dogs did Boros’s research focus on?| A．Their speed of learning actions. | B．Their willingness to follow orders. |
| C．Their responses to training treats. | D．Their capacity of understanding nouns. |
| A．The result of human-dog interactions. | B．The process of Boros’s experiment. |
| C．The logic of pattern matching. | D．The theory of EEG analysis. |
| A．pet owners showed more objects than usual |
| B．dogs had a larger vocabulary of object words |
| C．the experiment was conducted in a new environment |
| D．the spoken word and the presented object mismatched |
| A．Conclusions from the experiment. | B．Insights into dogs’ experiences. |
| C．Expectations for future studies. | D．Applications of the discovery. |
2 . The language of Gaelic has been spoken in Scotland since at least the 10th century and was at one time the country’s main language, widespread in towns and cities across the nation. Since the union of Scotland and England in the early 18th century, though, it has been in decline. These days you are most likely to find native Gaelic speakers in the Highlands of Scotland, with concerns having been raised about the future of the language.
Now, a new initiative from Community cafe and Gaelic cultural centre seeks to turn the tide with the release of the first Gaelic edition of the board game Scrabble.
Titled Scrabble Gàidhlig, it contains only the 18 letters found in the Gaelic alphabet and includes the grave accent on vowels À È Ì Ò and Ù. The frequency with which each letter appears has been reconsidered to reflect its usage in Gaelic, and scoring has been reformulated (重新设定) to reflect the respective ease and difficulty of using different letters in the language.
“We worked closely on the development of the new game with the team at An Taigh Cèilidh, who have done a fantastic job of localizing the material and ensuring that the game plays really well,” said CEO Jim Harrison. “I hope everyone enjoys playing it as much as we enjoyed making it.”
“It will help people improve their oral skills and the range of their vocabulary in Gaelic,” said McLeod, professor of Gaelic at the University of Edinburgh. “In particular, many Gaelic speakers are not very confident with their written Gaelic and Gaelic Scrabble could give them a valuable boost. It will be very helpful for Gaelic learners too. Gaelic spelling is very logical once you are familiar with the system, but it does take time to master it.”
Scrabble was invented in 1948 and has been common in UK homes ever since, with about half of all households owning at least one set. It is sold in more than 120 countries and available in 28 languages and counting.
1. Why was Scrabble Gàidhlig invented?| A．To help keep a declining language alive. | B．To add a new type to board games. |
| C．To help reunite the two countries. | D．To promote a language game. |
| A．Its origin. | B．Its feature. | C．Its advantage. | D．Its function. |
| A．It will improve their language competence. | B．It will boost their confidence in socializing. |
| C．It will raise their interest in the board game. | D．It will enhance their hands-on ability. |
| A．Add some background information. | B．Make some further predictions. |
| C．Raise a reasonable doubt. | D．Introduce a global trend. |
3 . York Minster—The Best Cathedral in England
Commonly known as York Minster, the Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Saint Peter in York is one of the finest old-fashioned buildings in Europe and was completed in 1472.
In addition to daily services, there are many features to discover. York Minster has one of Europe’s biggest collections of stained glass, with 128 windows made from approximately 2 million individual pieces of stained glass. In the interactive underground chambers, you can discover the 2000-year-old history of York Minster. In the grounds outside the Minster, the Old Palace houses famous historical treasures, collections and a library.
For the best view in York, climb the Tower for a splendid view of the surrounding Yorkshire countryside. All year round there are special events, including performances by the York Minster Choir.
OPENING TIMESMon to Sat: 9:30am—4:00pm
Sun: 12:45pm—2:15pm
TICKET INFORMATION
MINSTER ONLY | MINSTER AND CENTRAL TOWER |
| Adult/Senior: £18 Child (17 and under)*: free with a paying adult *Up to four children with one paying adult | Adult/Senior: £24 Child (8-17): £6 To climb the tower you must be aged 8* |
It costs £30,000 a day to run York Minster and your admission fee directly supports the future of the cathedral. We never charge for people to enter the cathedral to pray, light a candle or attend a service.
BOOKINGAs a working church, we do need to close from time to time at short notice so we strongly recommend booking in advance so we can keep you informed of any changes in opening times.
For more information or to book, please contact our team using the details below or complete our enquiry form.
T: 01904 557275E: bookings@yorkminster.org
1. What can visitors do in York Minster?
| A．Stay in the Old Palace. | B．Explore its rich history. |
| C．Make windows from stained glass. | D．Climb the Tower to watch performances. |
| A．Ƶ24. | B．Ƶ36. | C．Ƶ42. | D．Ƶ48. |
| A．It takes on a modern style. | B．It bans climbing of the Tower. |
| C．It may have temporary closures. | D．It charges people attending services. |
4 . A visit to Antarctica is much more than a holiday. Remote and undamaged, any journey there is a unique adventure you’ll find nowhere else on earth.
As you cruise in style aboard Discovery, you will gaze upon majestic, icy peaks, giant icebergs and diverse wildlife that includes whales, seals, penguins and birds. You will sail through glassy bays and have the opportunity, weather permitting, to set foot on Antarctica’s shores and volcanic beaches. On all cruises, you will get as close to nature as you would on smaller ships, while enjoying a higher class of Discovery’s 4-star comforts.
Exciting cruises aboard Discovery
No single supplement on cabins
Voyage to Antarctica20 Days, departing 16 November 2023
From Lisbon across the Atlantic Ocean to Buenos Aires with stops in exotic settings like Funchal, Rio de Janeiro and Ushuaia
Now from £3575
Antarctica, Chile &Patagonia
18 Days, departing 16 December 2023
From Buenos Aires sail to Antarctica and depart the ship in Santiago
Now from£3145
Note: some sailings might be in reverse, from Santiago to Buenos Aires
Cape to Cape
23 Days, departing 7 February 2023
Leave from Buenos Aires and sail around Cape Horn, visit Antarctica and make your way to Cape Town, South Africa
Now from£2995
What’s included:
●All meals, entertainment and tips on board. Return flights to /from UK. Overseas transfers between airports, hotels and ship. Hotel stays in Buenos Aires and Santiago. Informative lecture programme, Landings ashore and small boat sightseeing.
●PLUS—Save an extra £500 per couple on early bookings before September 2023.
The priority of the cruises is to provide you with opportunities to learn about Antarctica’s fragile ecosystem. Lectures given by Dr. Peter Carey and his team will bring Antarctica to life. They will accompany you on your landings ashore and on small boat field trips （depending on ice and weather conditions）.
1. What activity is included on Discovery cruises?| A．Camping on the volcanic beaches. |
| B．Interacting with seals and penguins if possible. |
| C．Swimming through the waters filled with icebergs. |
| D．Setting foot on Antarctica’s shores if the weather allows. |
| A．February. | B．December. | C．November. | D．September. |
| A．extending luxury hotel stays |
| B．small boat sightseeing and landing ashore |
| C．learning about the environment of Antarctica |
| D．providing free meals and entertainment on board |
5 . I was standing in front of a stranger’s house, rescue box in hand, my head full of instructions to follow. It would be my first test as a volunteer wildlife rescuer. A call had come through that afternoon from a man: an unknown bird was attacked by other birds. He saved the victim. Could someone please help to transfer it?
I was anxious even at the door: would I be able to transfer it neatly into my rescue box? I entered the house, lifted a shoebox and saw a bird standing on thin legs, shaking. Hesitating for quite a while, I decided to transfer the whole shoebox into my rescue box.
Back home, I could see no obvious sign of injury, but it refused to eat the bird food I provided. I phoned a specialist. She told me this species hunts insects on the wing, so keeping it longer than overnight would make it starve. I released it and it flew high immediately. “What would be different for this delicate creature this time around?” I wondered. Nothing. But at least it would win its life again.
That was in 2009. My first rescue was a second chance for the bird as well as for me. Five months earlier, I’d received a cancer diagnosis. After the treatment, I recovered but was told I couldn’t take on my former work, which would worsen my physical condition. I was at the point where I didn’t know how to schedule my days. Then I heard about a wildlife rescue group that was seeking volunteers and holding a course. I’d been attracted by animals ever since I was a young girl but had always thought that I’d missed that boat. Then I found the boat again.
I did the course and acquired qualifications. All I had to do was wait for a rescue call. And it came: it was in a box waiting, just for me.
1. What can we learn about the author in her first wildlife rescue?| A．She forgot rescue instructions. | B．She experienced high pressure. |
| C．She lacked proper tools for rescue. | D．She was skilled in doing the rescue. |
| A．It would die from the injuries. | B．It would find the food it desired. |
| C．It would seek someone for adoption. | D．It would be too weak and get starved. |
| A．To try a new hobby. | B．To relieve her work stress. |
| C．To find life’s meaning again. | D．To cure her disease completely. |
| A．The Skills of Rescue | B．Wildlife Protection |
| C．Our Second Chance | D．Thoughts after Cancer |
6 . Why is a compliment so impactful? One of the most important things to humans is to feel valued and respected by others, says Vanessa Bohns, a social psychologist, who has researched compliments. According to her research, people feel “significantly better” after both giving and receiving a compliment.
“You handled that situation so well.”
Bohns recently used her favorite compliment when she saw a server address a difficult situation with a customer at the bar. “I like it so much because you use it in anxious moments where the other person is often unsure of whether they handled a situation OK,” she says. In situations that call for a compliment, don’t second-guess yourself. Give your compliments generously.
“
This compliment — one of Bohns’ favorites — works well among romantic partners and close family members. “It’s a beautiful way to highlight how their presence turns life into something meaningful, despite boring routines of our everyday lives,” she says. If you’re afraid that giving a compliment like this will feel strange, you’re not alone.
“Hey, great dress!”
Feel free to compliment strangers. In Bohns’ research, students on a college campus were told to approach a stranger of the same gender and compliment them-about, for example, their nice shirt. Before heading out, the study participants tended to underestimate their positive effect while overestimating how annoying it would be. Across all contexts, strangers are more likely to be pleased than confused. Plus, who knows?
| A．I love the way you bring out the best in people. |
| B．Respect is essential when you deliver compliments. |
| C．One way to overcome this fear is to do a practice run. |
| D．You make even ordinary moments feel extraordinary. |
| E．You might make a new friend in addition to making someone’s day. |
| F．With that in mind, we asked her to share some of her favorite compliments. |
| G．People sometimes worry that they’re going over and will start to sound insincere. |
7 . With egg shortages already a familiar sight on supermarket shelves, farmers are warning that vegetables and grains could be next, because environmental plans take out large areas of land that are used for food production.
Stephen Holt, who owns 670 acres in Northamptonshire, said farmers were being incentivized (刺激) by the government subsidy to reduce food production in favour of wildlife. He has signed up to an environmental plan which is being carried out in England under the concept of “public money for public goods”.
“Instead of 1,300 tonnes of product, we will produce 900 tonnes of product from our farm,” Holt said. Under the new plan, his input costs will be reduced and he will be paid a guaranteed (有保证的) sum.
“In my view, the huge danger is that there will be a serious decrease in agricultural output,” he said. “We are not helping but we can't have the whole food system of the UK on our shoulders, because everyone has to act in their individual best interests.”
James Williams, who farms in Oxfordshire, said the environmental plans will reduce the risks in his farm business and that he will not be affected by the weather and international markets. “It does mean that we will be taking perhaps 30 per cent of our wheat land out of production for a season or two, or more,” he said. “What has not been mentioned is that if some disaster fell and our imports were disrupted (扰乱), growing wheat to produce bread could not be turned on like a tap. It will take several years and a significant increase in prices to get production back up to today’s levels.”
The UK produces about 60 per cent of its food consumption, including the majority of grains, meat, dairy and eggs. However, seasonal labour shortages have led many British farm businesses to reduce their production by as much as 20-30 per cent since 2020. Egg production has dropped to its lowest level in nine years.
Liz Webster, a farmer in north Wiltshire, said, “There just doesn't seem to be any thought or concern for food security and food supply. They’ve just left it up to the supermarkets.” The farmers’ concerns include imported food produced in countries with lower welfare (福利) standards, and labelling of food origins. “These imports are packaged here, and if they’re packaged or processed here they can have a British flag, which is absolutely dishonest,” Webster said.
1. The word “subsidy” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to ______.| A．ban | B．warning | C．permission | D．award |
| A．Reducing wheat production may cause negative impacts. |
| B．The environmental plans can improve the farm business. |
| C．The international markets will affect the farmers' interests. |
| D．A recovery in wheat production will come soon after disruption. |
| A．Supermarkets are responsible for food safety. |
| B．The safety of imported food cannot be guaranteed. |
| C．A British flag on food package ensures food safety. |
| D．Food safety and supply issues have been addressed. |
| A．Seasonal labour is in short supply. |
| B．Imported food prices are on the rise. |
| C．Farmers fear food shortage caused by green plans. |
| D．Government worries about the slow agricultural development. |
8 . Are you an early bird or a night owl? Our activity patterns and sleep cycles could influence our risk of heart disease. New research published in Experimental Physiology found wake/sleep cycles cause metabolic (新陈代谢) differences and change our body’s preference for energy sources.
Researchers from Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA classified participants into two groups(early and late) based on their natural tendency to seek activity and sleep at different times. The participants were monitored for a week to assess their activity patterns across the day. They ate a calorie and nutrition-controlled diet and had to fast overnight to minimize dietary impact on the results. To study fuel preference, they were tested while at rest before completing two 15-minute period of exercise: one moderate and one high intensity session on a running machine. Aerobic fitness levels were tested through an incline challenge where the incline was raised 2.5% every two minutes until the participant reached a point of exhaustion.
The researchers found that those who stay up later have a reduced ability to use fat for energy, meaning fats may build up in the body and increase the risk of heart disease. People who are ‘early birds’ rely more on fat as an energy source and are more active during the day with, higher levels of aerobic fitness than ‘night owls’. On the other hand, ‘night owls’ use less fat for energy at rest and during exercise.
Researchers also found that early birds use more fat for energy at both rest and during exercise than night owls. Professor Steven Malin from Rutgers University said, “We found that early birds are more physically active and have higher fitness levels than night owls. Farther research is needed to examine the link between exercise and metabolic adaptation to identify whether exercising earlier in the day has greater health benefits.”
1. What does the underlined word “fast” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Move quickly. | B．Go without food. |
| C．Exercise regularly. | D．Fall sound asleep. |
| A．By making a survey. | B．By making contrasts. |
| C．By providing examples. | D．By introducing a concept. |
| A．Having lower fitness level. | B．Using less fat during exercise. |
| C．Consuming more fat at rest. | D．Being more active during the night. |
| A．Tolerant. | B．Pessimistic. | C．Indifferent. | D．Uncertain. |
9 . Overcoming barriers to exercising
If you’re having trouble beginning an exercise plan or following through, you’re not alone. Detailed exercise instructions and workout plans are just a click awav. But knowing how and why to exercise was far from enough. Making exercise a habit takes more.
While practical concerns like a busy schedule or poor health can make exercise more challenging, for most of us, the biggest barriers are mental. Maybe it’s a lack of self-confidence that keeps you from taking positive steps.
You don’t have to spend hours in a gym or force yourself into dull or painful activities to experience the physical and mental benefits of exercise.
Research shows that self-sympathy increases the likelihood that you’ll succeed in any attempt. So, don’t blame yourself too much for your current fitness level.
| A．Maybe your passion dies down. |
| B．A little exercise is better than nothing. |
| C．Expecting too much only leads to frustration. |
| D．You know there are great reasons to exercise. |
| E．All that will do is cause you to lose motivation. |
| F．You need the right mindset and a smart approach. |
| G．Many of us are struggling to get into the motionless state. |
10 . The recent spread of “fake news” may make it seem like misinformation is a relatively modern invention. But falsehoods (假话) and wild claims have been part of human culture for about as long as it’s existed. This is because misinformation originates with, and is spread by, fellow humans.
When you’ve ever had to communicate an important, but complex, issue to a general audience, you may have a sea of the most reliable data, the most elegant PowerPoint slides and the full backing of every famous expert in the relevant field. And yet, you can still be less persuasive than someone whose entire argument is: “A guy I met down the pub told me something different.”
In a perfectly sensible, logical world, someone who is loosely connected with a certain field or industry wouldn’t have the same influence as actual data, or the leading experts in the field. But humans aren’t perfectly sensible, logical creatures and neither is the world we live in.
The ability to think rationally and analytically is a relatively recent addition to our mental abilities (in the evolutionary sense). And it costs our brains a lot of energy and effort, The more established, fundamental systems in our brain, which shape memory and learning, are heavily reliant on emotion. The more emotionally stimulating something is, the easier it is to remember. That’s why we can spend months revising the material for a crucial school exam, but struggle to remember any of it once we’ve passed. Meanwhile, the embarrassing tine we slipped and landed on our backside in the school canteen. that memory will last until our dying day.
The most determined sceptics (无神论者) will often say, “Facts don’t care about your feelings,” which is correct. But feelings don’t necessarily care about facts either. And ultimately, feelings have more of a say in what we think and do. And that’s why your mate down the pub can seem more believable than a pile of published research.
1. What contributes to the spread of “fake news”?| A．People factor. | B．Human culture. |
| C．Modern invention. | D．Information accuracy. |
| A．They prefer making sensible analyses. | B．They ae more likely to be emotional. |
| C．They have more trust in authority. | D．They overestimate themselves. |
| A．By listing figures. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By explaining a concept. | D．By citing experts’ words. |
| A．To reveal secrets. | B．To share emotions. |
| C．To criticize a decision. | D．To describe a phenomenon. |
