1 . Homeless animals are usually left without a permanent home when their owners give them up or they’re found on the street. With millions of animals living in shelters every year, there aren’t enough people to take them in.     1     If you’d like to help homeless animals, then there are tons of ways to do so.

●   Adopt a pet

When you adopt an animal from a shelter or rescue group, you save two lives.     2    , but you’ve made room at the shelter for another homeless cat or dog. There’s nothing more rewarding than adopting a pet who knows what home life is like and has been missing it — until the day you bring that pet home. Adopting truly makes you a hero.

●       3    

Whether you like rolling up your sleeves and cleaning cages, socializing with a few of your kitten friends or working with numbers, your skills and interests can make a huge impact on the lives of homeless pets in your community.     4    . Shelters and rescue groups rely on foster (收养的) families to take in dogs and cats on a short-term basis. No matter what you like to do and what you’re good at, there’s a volunteer job for you.

●   Donate to the animals

    5    . Consider paying it forward by sponsoring (发起) a pet’s adoption or donating food, cleaning supplies, blankets or towels to your local rescue. You can also help animals right from your computer or phone by donating items from the Best Friends Amazon wish list.

A．Volunteer with animals

B．So, many animals don’t get the love and care that they need

C．Host an animal shelter talk at your school or workplace

D．Fostering is a fun way to get lots of helpful hands-on time

E．Not only can you feel good about saving the pet you adopted

F．You’ll find rescue groups for just about any type of pet

G．Whenever you give something to a shelter or a rescue group in your community, you’re helping to save lives

2 . The sound of my mother preparing breakfast fills the house — my morning alarm.

As I drag my body toward the kitchen, I’m greeted by my mother standing over the stove. She effortlessly cooks a dish that blends Western and Eastern styles, a beloved breakfast classic in our family. This is my grandmother’s recipe, which reflected her upbringing.

Since my grandmother’s passing, I’ve become more aware of my mother’s aging and her dedication (奉献) to cooking for us. She has cooked for her family for more than 30 years, dividing her time between three countries — Korea, Canada and Germany. When my parents visit us from Korea, they stay with us for several months. My mother helps around the house, showing her cooking skills to provide delicious meals for me, my partner and our kids. In alternating years, she and my dad will travel to Berlin to spend a couple of weeks with my sister and her partner.

According to Statista, most Canadians claim to spend between 31 and 60 minutes preparing an average weekday dinner for themselves and others in their household. Ten percent of respondents to the 2022 survey stated that they spend more than an hour preparing their evening meal. My mother belongs to that 10 percent.

Her cooking extends beyond the kitchen, starting with careful grocery shopping trips where she examines produce (农产品) and finds the best deals. She takes everyone’s preferences and needs into account. The meal she creates becomes a ritual (仪式), bringing the family together to connect and share. Helping her out in the kitchen demands a great deal of patience. Yet, I know it’s her way of expressing love.

As I chop the vegetables, she glances over and notices that my carrots are not equally sized. She pushes me aside to take over the task.

“Just do the dishes.”

1. What do we know about the author’s mother from the text?

A．She has three daughters

B．She has great cooking skills.

C．She lives with the author in Korea.

D．She invented the author’s beloved breakfast classic.

2. What’s the author’s purpose in mentioning statistics about meal preparation time?

A．To show her mother’s devotion.

B．To present a common issue.

C．To explain the reasons behind infrequent cooking.

D．To highlight the significance of home-cooked meals.

3. Why does the author say helping her mother in the kitchen requires patience?

A．Her mother is easily annoyed.	B．Her mother wants to teach her everything.
C．Her mother dislikes being disturbed.	D．Her mother expects perfection in cooking

4. Which would be the best title for the text?

A．Mother’s Love Needs to Be Responded to

B．Mother’s Recipe Is the Best in the World

C．Mother’s Kitchen Draws Us Closer Together

D．Mother’s Selflessness Inspires My Family

3 . The solution to any despair might be hope, experts say. It’s believing in a brighter future and acting towards it.     1     Here are strategies that can help cultivate hope. As Hellman, an assistant professor of psychology at Suffolk University in Boston, points out, “Hope begets hope, and it has such a significant protective factor.”

    2     Make it a point to always be working toward at least one goal that’s meaningful, Hellman advises. In other words, it shouldn’t be something you have to do but something you want to do. “Goals can be anything that’s important to us,” he says.

Brainstorm solutions. If you’ve set a goal that’s meaningful to you, but you can’t figure out a way to achieve it, you’ll probably feel pretty hopeless. People who are high in hope, meanwhile, tend to generate lots of ways.     3     If you’re struggling to make a plan, Hellman suggests sitting down with a pen and paper and giving yourself an hour to brainstorm solutions.

Seek out success stories. It’s said that people cultivate hope by seeking support from their parents and specific teachers. But they also got a lot out of learning about other people who have done well for themselves. Hellman says, “    4    ”

Tap into your imagination. Hellman thinks of imagination as “the instrument of hope”. Let’s say you set a goal for the week. Spend a few minutes reflecting on or talking about what would happen if you achieved it. “How does it impact you, or how would it benefit others?” he says. “    5     And when you can see yourself in the future, that is the very essence of hope.”

A．Do something meaningful.

B．It can be taught and nurtured.

C．Think in a goal-oriented way.

D．With these good examples, people are bound to be successful.

E．So, if one doesn’t work out, they have an alternative at the ready.

F．By seeing other people succeed, they feel like they could succeed.

G．You and I have this wonderful capacity to play a movie in our head.

4 . In a world of music streaming services, access to almost any song is just a few clicks away. Yet, the live performance lives on. People still fill sweaty basements, muddy fields and gilded concert halls to hear their favourite musicians play. And now neuroscientists might know why—live music engages the brain’s emotion centres more than its recorded counterpart.

Concerts are immersive (沉浸式的) social experiences in which people listen to and feel the music together through crescendos, key changes and rhythmic drops. Moreover, they are dynamic — artists can adapt their playing according to the crowd’s reaction.

It was this last difference that led neuroscientists, based at the Universities of Zurich and Oslo, to study the brain responses of people listening to music. In the “live” experiment, participants lay in an MRI scanner listening to the music through earphones, while a pianist was positioned outside the room. The pianist was shown the participant’s real-time brain activity as a form of feedback. In the recorded condition, participants listened to pre-recorded versions of the same tunes.

The scientists were interested in how live music affected the areas of the brain responsible for processing emotions, particularly the amygdala, an area deep inside the brain. The results, just published in the journal PNAS, revealed that live music had a significantly greater emotional impact. Whether the music conveyed happiness or sadness, dynamic live performances led to increased activity not only in the amygdala but also other parts of the brain’s emotion processing network. The researchers also found that participants’ brain activity tracked the acoustic (声学的) features of the music, like tempo and pitch, far more closely when it was played live.

While the study didn’t fully recreate the live concert experience, the findings suggest that artists’ ability to adjust their performance in real time contributes to the emotional resonance (共鸣) of live music. Some musical acts now attempt to recreate live concerts, such as ABBA Voyage, an immersive pre-recorded VR concert, but without artists’ capacity to read audience’s mood and respond accordingly, it will never quite match the real thing.

1. Why do people attend live shows despite music streaming services?

A．Because they prefer being with friends at a concert.

B．Because they enjoy the process of finding popular music.

C．Because they intend to meet their favorite musicians in person.

D．Because they value the emotional connection live music brings.

2. The role of the pianist play in the “live” experiment is to _______.

A．observe the participants’ brain activity as feedback

B．compare the effectiveness of live performances and recorded ones

C．provide live accompaniment to participants inside the MRI scanner

D．demonstrate their ability to read and respond to the audience’s mood

3. What did the study published in PNAS find about the impact of live music on the brain?

A．Live music affected only the amygdala of the brain.

B．The brain responded more intensely to acoustic features of live music.

C．Live music had a reduced emotional impact compared to recorded music.

D．The participants’ brain activity was especially sensitive to dynamic music.

4. What does the author suggest by mentioning ABBA Voyage in the last paragraph?

A．It fails to create a perfect performing atmosphere.

B．It matches the sound quality of live performances.

C．It greatly stirs up the audience’s emotional response.

D．It lacks artists’ response based on audience’s feedback.

5 . Things to do this weekend in NYC: April 12-14 2024

Here are some noteworthy events to check out this week in New York City

Josh Wolf

Gramercy Theatre — 127 E. 23rd St., New York, N.Y. 10010

Sat. April 13 at 7:00 p.m.

Josh Wolf of “Chelsea Lately” will bring his brand of humor to Gramercy’s historic music venue. Josh Wolf’s comedy material is heavily inspired by his family. Wolf, 54, is also known to incorporate (融合) music into his performance, as he does when hosting his own comedy show “The Fantastical Jamboree” at Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club in Las Vegas.

Tickets start at $27.50

“Selena Brunch”

Alamo Drafthouse Staten Island — 2636 Hylan Blvd., Suite 230, Staten Island, N.Y. 10306

Sat. April 13 and Sun. April 14 at 11:30 a.m.

The 1997 Gregory Nava film that made Jennifer Lopez a Hollywood star is getting a nice revisit at Alamo Drafthouse with a “Selena Brunch” this weekend. While enjoying a special menu created for the occasion, see Jenny from the Block in her breakthrough role as the late Tejano star who was tragically murdered at 23. Dishes include a breakfast club sandwich, blueberry donut French toast bake and breakfast tacos, in addition to the regular refreshments on offer.

Though the downtown Brooklyn showings are already sold out, there are still tickets at the Staten Island location.

$12 admission. Prices range from $11.95 to $15.95 for food item

I’m Possible

New Victory Theater — 209 W 42nd St., New York, N.Y. 10036

The Brooklyn-based Omnium Circus company, which prides itself in inclusivity and accessibility for both audience and performers, kicks off a two-week run of its latest show this weekend in Times Square.

“I’m Possible” lives up to its goal to make the Big Top experience accessible to audiences of all abilities with a 90-minute show featuring a gymnast who uses a wheelchair, an tennis player born without legs, and a deaf storyteller.

All performances will incorporate audio description, captioning (字幕), sensory-friendly lighting and sound, and a calm environment where movement and vocalization from audience members are welcome.

Tickets start at $28

1. Where does Josh Wolf get his inspiration for his comedy show?

A．From his favourite music.

B．From his own working experience.

C．From Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club.

D．From his experience with family members.

2. How much will you have to pay if you require top service in Alamo Drafthouse?

A．$ 15.95.

B．$ 23.95.

C．$ 27.95.

D．$ 39.9.

3. Which of the following words may be the most suitable to describe the performance in New Victory Theater ?

A．Entertaining.

B．Encouraging.

C．Terrifying.

D．Puzzling.

6 . In 2009, when Qatar (卡塔尔) bid to host the 2022 Football World Cup, it promised a carbon-neutral (碳中和) event. Even back then, the prospect of neutralizing the carbon-dioxide emissions (排放) generated by hosting hundreds of thousands of fans in newly constructed stadiums, in a desert state, seemed fanciful. So it is proving. In their greenhouse-gas accounting report, published last year, FIFA (国际足联) and the Qatari organizers estimated that the World Cup would generate 3.6 million tons of CO2 emissions. Estimating emissions for big sporting events is a relatively new practice and methods can vary, but that figure is higher than any recent World Cup or Olympics.

It is also likely to be a significant underestimate. A report in May 2022 by Carbon Market Watch (CMW), a climate watchdog (监督者), found that the official forecast failed to account accurately for the emissions generated from stadiums. FIFA, which insists its method is “best in practice”, reckons that the majority of the emissions (52%) will come from fans and players travelling to Qatar, while less than 25% are from stadium construction. That is because organizers expect these stadiums to be used for years after the World Cup, spreading their carbon footprint way into the future.

CMW believes such an excuse is far from reasonable. Before the World Cup, Qataris were able to get by with only one stadium, it points out. Consequently, it estimates that the emissions from stadium construction for the World Cup are undercounted by a factor of eight. It puts the real figure at 5 million tons. Though it amounts to less than 0.02% of the world’s annual emissions, sports teams and organizations should have set a positive example in this.

To remove the doubt from outside, Qatar has established the Global Carbon Council (GCC), a dedicated environmental agency. Beyond adjusting for World Cup emissions, the GCC will promote a path to “a low-carbon future”, a great step for a country with the world’s highest emissions per person. Yet the agency is still at its early stage. Only six projects, saving less than 600,000 tons, have been approved so far.

1. What is the main problem Qatar and FIFA are faced with at present?

A．The 2022 World Cup isn’t as successful as it should be.

B．They may fail to keep the promise to hold a green event.

C．The figure they published is higher than that of other events

D．They are unfamiliar with the new practice of the World Cup.

2. How does Qatar and FIFA cut down the carbon footprint of the World Cup?

A．By insisting on its way of environmental protection.

B．By promising to use the new stadiums for more years.

C．By blaming the greenhouse-gas emissions on travelers.

D．By cooperating with Carbon Market Watch for instructions.

3. Why does the CMW refuse to accept the explanation given by Qatar and FIFA?

A．5 million tons accounts for a little of the annual emissions.

B．The stadium construction for the World Cup sets a bad example.

C．The method they employed in estimating the emissions is unscientific.

D．There will be more stadiums than Qatar actually needs after the World Cup.

4. What can be learned from the last paragraph?

A．The GCC is an agency specially established for the World Cup

B．The Qataris attach great importance to environmental protection.

C．The Qataris need to make more efforts to hold a carbon-neutral event.

D．The GCC has achieved a lot in cutting down greenhouse-gas emissions.

7 . Long believed to have little social structure, giraffes actually are socially complex, University of Bristol scientists suggest. Their social organization is comparable to that of elephants, dolphins and whales.

Lead author Zoe Miller started research work on giraffes in 2005. “I had noticed that giraffe population numbers were decreasing, and I realized that the tallest of all land animals had hardly had any scientific work done on them, which I just found unbelievable. I decided to devote my career to understanding this species better,” said Muller.

Muller and her team looked at research work done in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Researchers then considered giraffes very unsociable and that they formed no long-lasting relationships. “However, this was not what I saw in Africa, and I started to question why they were described as having ‘little or no social structure’ when I could clearly observe them always together,” Muller said.

Muller was based in Kenya for five years, conducting research on giraffes and their social organization. She and her team found that giraffes are actually a highly complex social species that may live in matriarchal (母系的) social systems and include shared care of their young.

“Giraffes may take part in shared parenting of the young, and remain in groups of related females. These types of social organization are well-known in other species, for example elephants and whales, but nobody has ever before suggested that the same could be true for giraffes,” Muller said.

The grandmother giraffes stay in their family groups, passing on survival benefits in tough times to the younger members of the group. For example, they may know where there is water or where they can find food. “This is important information, as this means we should focus on protecting the older adult females, since they are important members to aid the survival of younger generations,” explained Muller.

1. What did Zoe Muller think of researchers’ work done in the 1950s-1970s?

A．Questionable.

B．Inspiring.

C．Reliable.

D．Creative.

2. In what way are giraffes similar to elephants according to the text?

A．Their population numbers are dropping.

B．They remain in groups of related males.

C．They have been well protected in the wild.

D．They take part in shared raising of the young.

3. Why are older female giraffes particularly worthy of protection?

A．They can help keep the balance of nature.

B．They can help researchers learn about giraffes.

C．They can pass on life skills to the younger generations.

D．They can help younger giraffes get on well with each other.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．Secrets of Giraffes: The Older, The Smarter

B．Social Structure: A Gap in Animal Research

C．Giraffes: More Socially Complex than Imagined

D．Survival of Giraffes: The Role of Older Members

8 . Have you ever wondered why you want to do something, or what causes people to go through extraordinary pain or personal investment just to achieve a particular outcome?     1     Motivation.

Motivation is the reason for people’s actions, goals, and willingness to pursue the goals. Sometimes it seems difficult to find, but we all have that spark at our core. Here are some ways you can turn that spark back into a flame.

    2     If your motivation is fading, notice when this starts to happen and what events could have driven it. You’ll find that you’re more likely to feel bored when you’re in certain environments. As you become more aware of this, you can put yourself in situations where you’re more likely to thrive.

Keep a thankfulness journal.     3     When they’re aware of what they’re thankful for, it drives them in specific areas of their lives. Considering this, you may find value in keeping a thankfulness journal where you regularly list blessings.

Design an accomplishment book. Creative people may do well to design an accomplishment book with images of past work and accomplishments as a form of encouragement. It can be as informal or formal as you’d like. It might be a simple scrapbook you keep at your desk, or a professionally printed booklet that you keep by your bed.     4    

Get out of the house. If your life consists of going to work, coming home, watching Netflix, and going to sleep, you shouldn’t be surprised that you’re unmotivated.     5     Stretching yourself will expose you to new ideas, activities, and people, which will either strike up new motivation or rekindle things you have forgotten about.

A．What’s the possible solution?

B．Identify when motivation slips.

C．What’s at the heart of this issue?

D．Decide what works best for you and give it a try.

E．A thankfulness journal is a perfect way to show your gratitude to others.

F．Some people find that thankfulness and motivation are directly connected.

G．Make it a point to go outdoors and try new things even when you don’t want to.

9 . Laughter comes in many forms, from a polite chuckle to an infectious howl of amusement. Scientists are now developing an AI system that can copy various forms of laughter accurately. The team behind the laughing robot, Erica, say that the system could improve natural conversations between people and AI systems.

Dr. Koji Inoue, lead author of the research from Kyoto University, highlights empathy (共情) as a crucial aspect of conversational AI, suggesting laughter sharing as a means for robots to connect with users. To achieve this, Inoue and his team gathered data from over 80 speed-dating dialogues between male students and Erica, initially operated by amateur actors.

Dialogue data labeled for individual, social, and joyful laughter was used to train an AI system to identify and produce fitting laughter responses. Based on the audio files, the algorithm (算法) learned their subtle differences, aiming to imitate social laughs subtly and hearty laughs empathetically.

“Our biggest challenge in this work was identifying the actual cases of shared laughter,” explained Inoue, emphasizing the need for careful categorization. Erica’s “sense of humor” was tested with four dialogues, integrating the new shared-laughter algorithm. These were compared to cases where Erica didn’t laugh or emitted social laughs upon detecting laughter.

The clips were played to 130 volunteers who rated the shared-laughter algorithm highly for empathy and naturalness. The team believed laughter could imbue robots with unique character traits, including conversational behaviors like laughter, eye gaze, gestures, and speaking style. However, Inoue acknowledged it could take over 20 years to have a “casual chat with a robot like we would with a friend.”

Professor Sandra Wachter, of the Oxford Internet Institute at the University of Oxford, said, “One of the things I’d keep in mind is that a robot or algorithm will never be able to understand you. It doesn’t understand the meaning of laughter. They fail to feel, but they might get very good at making you believe they understand what’s going on.”

1. Why do scientists develop the AI system that can copy various forms of laughter?

A．To make robots sound more human-like.

B．To help robots understand human emotions better.

C．To enable robots to have a sense of humor like humans.

D．To enhance the emotional interaction between people and AI systems.

2. What was the challenge Inoue faced while working on this project?

A．Creating an algorithm that can genuinely feel amusement.

B．Identifying the situations where laughter is truly understood.

C．Distinguishing between different types of laughter accurately.

D．Collecting sufficient data for training the machine learning system.

3. What does the underlined word “imbue” mean in Paragraph 5?

A．Equip.

B．Inspire.

C．Engage.

D．Influence.

4. What is Professor Sandra Wachter’s view on laughing robots?

A．They are not capable of capturing human laughter.

B．They can imitate laughter but lack thorough comprehension.

C．It is possible for them to play tricks on humans occasionally.

D．It will take long before humans have comfortable conversations with them.

10 . British cinema boasts a rich diversity of films that weave appealing narratives with stunning landscapes and fascinating characters. These films celebrate the diverse beauty and cultural heritage of Britain.

Local Hero

Local Hero digs into the conflict between a giant US oil company and a remote Scottish village when the former plans to build a refinery. However, the exceptionally beautiful landscapes and the firm attitude of the villagers sway the company’s decision. The story has been a lasting appeal to audiences, even after over four decades.

Kes

British director Ken Loach’s first triumph, Kes, describes the touching narrative of a young Yorkshire boy taking the journey of capturing and training an eagle. The film offers a rare description of Yorkshire, filled with a tender lens that celebrates its essence.

The Dig

The delightful counties surrounding London are vividly depicted in The Dig, set against the peaceful countryside of Suffolk before World War Ⅱ. Ralph Fiennes, a famous actor, plays the role of a self-taught archaeologist unearthing the mysteries of an Anglo-Saxon graveyard, adding to its fun.

Calvary

Irish director Michael McDonagh’s films set in Ireland are undoubtedly attractive, often integrating Ireland’s picturesque scenery into the story. Among these, Calvary, stands out. It records the difficult and tiring journey of a moral priest, dealing with the evil forces within his area.

1. Which of the following films will appeal to curious history lovers?

A．The Dig.

B．Local Hero.

C．Kes.

D．Calvary.

2. What is the setting of the film Local Hero?

A．A Yorkshire village.	B．A remote Scottish village.
C．The countryside of Suffolk.	D．The Anglo-Saxon graveyard.

3. What is the theme of the British films mentioned in the text?

A．The moral dilemma of an Irish priest.

B．The national and cultural heritage of Britain.

C．The beauty and diversity of British landscapes and characters.

D．The adventures of Yorkshire boys capturing and training eagles.