1 . “Hey, lady! You can move your ugly car up now!” The silver-haired driver behind me in a fancy truck rudely yelled at me. Without much thought, I yelled back at the man, “What? Are you in a rush or something?”

I was waiting in line at the drive-through to order our breakfast on a Sunday morning. There were only 12 inches or so between me and the car in front of me. There were also three additional cars in front of that one. We were getting nowhere fast. What was he hoping to gain by yelling at me?

I wanted to let my own anger go after this ridiculous exchange. But the more I thought about it, the angrier I got. I was angry that he yelled at a mother in front of two kids. My daughter and my son were both confused and saddened by what they had just witnessed. We were on our way to a soccer tournament, and we had a bonus day free from school and work. Probably, there was nothing in the world to be upset about. Then this man let his anger out.

I told my kids I was so mad that I had to roll my window up so that I wouldn’t keep yelling at this guy. Then, I stopped and looked back. I had moved up the 12 or so inches at his “suggestion”, while he hadn’t moved an inch. Suddenly, I felt sympathy for him. He must have been suffering in some way. As my kids and I slowly made our way to the pick-up window to pay for our order, I had an idea.

“I heard how rude that man was to you, and I wanted to apologize to you for having to put up with that. He isn’t worth paying for,” the cashier said to me. “My kids support me in doing that,” I answered the cashier, adding that hate cannot drive out hate.

1. Why was the driver angry with the author?

A．Her car cut in.

B．She screamed at him.

C．She held up his truck.

D．Her car stopped suddenly.

2. What does the author mainly tell us in paragraph 3?

A．What her kids’ reaction was.	B．Why her anger kept growing.
C．How she calmed herself down.	D．Why she ordered the breakfast.

3. What was the author’s final decision?

A．She taught her kids a lesson.	B．She apologized to the driver.
C．She paid for the driver’s food.	D．She gave the cashier some advice.

4. What does the author intend to convey in the text?

A．Respond to hate with kindness.	B．Deal with a man as he deals with you.
C．Put distance between your car and another.	D．Never go to the drive-through at rush hours.

2 . From displays of budding local creative minds to famous artists, airports are stepping up their game to share more of what their city is known for within the terminal. Visit our site and the most surprising, engaging, and inspiring art museums within an airport are just a click away.

Athens Eleftherios Venizelos Airport

Ancient Greece travels to you when you arrive at Athens Eleftherios Venizelos Airport. Before security, travelers can explore 172 pieces of archaeological artifacts from the Neolithic and Early Helladie to the Post-Byzantine period. Some of the pieces were actually uncovered during the construction of the airport. Even those not traveling through the airport can explore the displays thanks to an online 3D gallery.

Doha Hamad Airport

Social media enthusiasts have surely seen people posing for photos with the famous yellow “Lamp Bear” inside Doha Hamad Airport. You’ll also find 10 other giant statues and displays within the terminal. These include “A Message of Peace to the World,” a striking sculpture honoring the work of a local nonprofit organization, Reach out to Asia, that supports education in underprivileged Asian countries. The carefully-selected art on display is a cooperation between the airport and Qatar Museums.

Seoul Incheon Airport

Beyond traditional pieces of art, Seoul Incheon Airport takes things a step further by offering interactive experiences and classes for travelers. Within the airport is a branch of the National Museum of Korea exhibiting many pieces from its collection. There are rotating (轮流的) exhibits that allow frequent travelers to see a different selection of local artifacts and art pieces on different visits. There are traditional music concerts, ancient relic exhibitions and contemporary art displays.

Singapore Changi Airport

You may have seen the famous Jewel at Changi Airport in Singapore with its garden-enveloped waterfall. It is part of a larger shopping complex that encourages visitors, including those that are not traveling. Besides, there is other museum - quality art to explore like magnificent sculptures suspended from the ceiling, paintings lining the walls and even a rotating propeller (螺旋桨) that looks like a blossoming flower.

1. Which airport’s artworks can be appreciated both physically and virtually?

A．Athens Eleftherios Venizelos Airport.	B．Doha Hamad Airport.
C．Seoul Incheon Airport.	D．Singapore Changi Airport.

2. What do Doha Hamad Airport and Singapore Changi Airport have in common?

A．They support charity causes.	B．They boast splendid sculptures.
C．They cooperate with local museums.	D．They possess large shopping malls.

3. Where can the text possibly be found?

A．In an art magazine.	B．On a travel website.
C．In a geography textbook.	D．In a museum guidebook.

3 . What would you do if you were troubled by unfair hate comments online? Responding to hate comments in such situations, getting “cancelled” and the influencer industry are among the topics discussed by Secondary 4 students at Compassvale Secondary School, Singapore.

The lesson on cyber wellness is part of the new Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) curriculum that was rolled out to younger secondary students in 2021. It was extended to older secondary students in the following years.

“During the CCE lessons, we look at contemporary issues under different authentic scenarios (真实情况). When faced with this kind of scenario, students get to hear what their peers feel or believe in. And then they will learn from each other how to manage situations through collective discussions,” said Madam Wan Fazithahariani, a senior teacher at the school. “Teachers just facilitate discussion and bring up some interesting points or management skills that they can use. Hopefully, when they’re out there, they will be able to manage on their own.”

In a lesson, the students discussed negative comments received by an influencer. When asked how they would respond or whether they would choose to respond if they were an influencer, the class decided after some discussion that they would leave a positive comment in reply to a negative one. They then discussed their decision, how they felt about the comments, and how they would respond when their positive comment caused even more backlashes (抵制).

“It was shocking to them that even though they chose a positive comment, the backlash could be quite strong. We asked them, ‘How does that make you feel? Do you regret choosing to make a positive comment?’” said Madam Wan. “And we were pleased to note even though they received negative comments, they still decided to make a positive impact. Because they knew if they chose a negative comment, they would perpetuate (使持续) negativity among the cyber community.”

“Contrary to five years ago, students are now facing great pressure online,” Madam Wan said, adding that it was “imperative (迫切的)” to introduce these new situations because students must be able to address numerous challenges that previous generations of students did not encounter.

1. What does the lesson focus on?

A．Preventing “cancel” culture at school.

B．Giving psychological guidance to students.

C．Teaching students to extend their online influence.

D．Helping students handle the challenges they face online.

2. What is a feature of the lesson?

A．It invites some influencers to the class.	B．It is based on various real-life situations.
C．It targets younger secondary students.	D．It stresses outdoor interactions among students.

3. How would the students react to the backlashes that followed their positive responses?

A．They would stick to positive comments.	B．They would seek help from their teacher.
C．They would switch to negative comments.	D．They would turn a blind eye to the backlashes.

4. What is Madam Wan’s attitude toward the lesson?

A．Worried.

B．Doubtful.

C．Positive.

D．Conservative.

4 . Skipping meals is bad news. For teens especially, eating all three meals, or smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day is healthiest. There are many reasons not to skip meals.

Stay energized

One of the primary reasons not to skip meals is that eating keeps you energized. You need to be awake for the note-taking and lecture-listening you plan on doing throughout the day.     1    .

Keep you focused

I think it’s pretty safe to say that when teens are hungry, they’re only thinking about one thing: food! I can remember dozens of days in class when a teacher was lecturing, and all I could do was stare at the wall imagining milkshakes and pizza because I skipped lunch.     2    . Instead, always fill up at breakfast and lunch so that you can focus in school throughout the day.

    3    

Skipping meals affects your mood, too! You get angry easily when you’re hungry. If you want to be fun and have fun, make sure you’re eating plenty of nutritious, filling meals.

Start good habits

Eating well-balanced meals at regular intervals (间隔时间) throughout the day is a great habit to start in high school! If you skip breakfast and lunch, then pig out at dinner, you’re going to get accustomed to living that way.     4    . So do your body and future self a favor by forcing yourself to eat healthy meals throughout the day.

It’s not dieting

    5    . Diets that actually work balance healthy eating with exercise; they don’t eliminate (消除) meals altogether. If you’re unhappy with the way your body looks, talk to your parents and doctor about a healthy meal and exercise plan that might help you reach your goals.

A．Improve your mood

B．Don’t make my mistake

C．From ages 13 to 18, some girls keep growing

D．However, that’s not the way your body is meant to take in food

E．You might think skipping meals is just “dieting”, but in fact, it isn’t

F．Miss meals every once in a while simply because you’re not hungry

G．Your brain doesn’t know how to function well without plenty of calories keeping you awake

5 . A lack of scientific evidence has led some to question whether herbs used in traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) actually relieve people’s illnesses. A new study, published in the journal Science Advances, might start to challenge that view. Scientists have developed a new tool that could be used to predict the effectiveness of these herbs. They’ve begun to confirm some of its predictions using clinical data from patients treated in a traditional Chinese medicine hospital.

“To our knowledge, this is the first scientific theory to explain how a traditional medicine system works,” lead study author Xiao Gan, a researcher at the Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology in China said.

In the new study, the authors looked at genes (基因) thought to be responsible for causing specific symptoms (症状) of disease. They relied on an already published dataset that connected the dots between disease symptoms and the underlying genes and proteins that give rise to those illnesses. Pulling this data together, the researchers were able to score how well these herbs might relieve specific symptoms of the disease. These scores were based on how close the herbs’ target proteins were to the proteins associated with various symptoms.

The authors then compared their predictions to herbs recognized by the Chinese Pharmacopoeia as effective against specific disease symptoms. They also used the model to review prescriptions(处方) that patients at the Hubei Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Wuhan received while being treated for liver disease. Gan said the herbs that they identified as effective from the two data sources supported their model’s predictions. The authors also used their model to identify potential new applications for the herbs, beyond what’s already recommended by the Chinese Pharmacopoeia.

Testing natural products in clinical trials can be costly, so it is helpful to use computer simulations (模拟) to identify potential drug targets, said Xiang-Qun Xie, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh. Xie pointed out more data are needed to support these findings and that it would be useful to study how TCM herbs and modern medications may interact in patients who take them at the same time.

1. What is the purpose of the new study?

A．To study the side effects of TCM herbs.

B．To analyze the genetic makeup of TCM herbs.

C．To forecast the effectiveness of TCM herbs.

D．To compare TCM herbs with modern medications.

2. How did the researchers score TCM herbs in the study?

A．By analyzing their chemical makeup.

B．By carrying out clinical trials on patients.

C．By asking patients about their experiences of using them.

D．By comparing their target proteins with disease-related proteins.

3. What can be inferred about the study from paragraph 4?

A．Some TCM herbs tested by the model are rarely used.

B．The model may be used to develop new medicines.

C．The data sources used by the model are not big enough.

D．More models should be created to review prescriptions.

4. What might Xiang-Qun Xie agree with?

A．Researchers should try to cut the cost of their study.

B．It is necessary to find new ways to figure out potential drug targets.

C．The weaknesses of computer simulations in drug development are ignored.

D．The interaction between TCM herbs and modern medications needs to be studied.

6 . To produce the classic clothing, blue jeans, producers rely on indigo dye (靛蓝染料), the only molecule known to provide jeans’ unique, beloved color. While indigo itself naturally comes from a plant, growing demand for blue jeans throughout the 20th century gave rise to synthetic (合成的) indigo, which is now more commonly used.

Indigo is the dye that makes jeans blue, but it doesn’t mix with water. To dye clothes, usually, chemicals are needed to make the color stick to the cloth. But in Denmark, scientists have created a new way to dye clothes using an enzyme (酶), which is a kind of protein that can cause chemical reactions, instead of harmful chemicals. This new method is better for the environment and doesn’t use poisonous stuff.

The chemical process for dyeing blue jeans has persisted for the last century. Workers are exposed to the poisonous chemicals, which also pollute the environment near factories. Waste water from those factories often ends up in waterways, decimating local ecosystems and even dyeing rivers blue.

Ditte Hededam Welner, the study’s lead researcher, says their new enzyme works really well and is strong enough for making lots of jeans without breaking down. This enzyme makes dyeing with indican, which is like indigo, much less harmful to the planet — about 92% better than the old way.

However, the new method doesn’t fix all the environmental problems of making jeans. Making a single pair of jeans uses a lot of water — enough to fill many bathtubs — from growing the cotton to putting the final touches on the jeans.

Even though the new dyeing process is better for the environment, it’s not always easy or cheap to change to it. Welner’s team isn’t sure if jeans companies will find it easy or affordable to switch to this method. It costs a little bit more — just seven cents extra per pair of jeans — to use the enzyme for dyeing. But Welner believes it’s worth it because it’s much better for the environment.

1. Why was synthetic indigo created in the 20th century?

A．It made jeans’ color unique.	B．It was easy to dye cloth with it.
C．People liked jeans made from it.	D．People were in greater need of jeans.

2. What does the underlined word “decimating” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Troubling.

B．Entering.

C．Destroying.

D．Defeating.

3. Which is an advantage of the new method?

A．The colour is more beautiful than the synthetic indigo.

B．The market can keep stable goods supplies.

C．Enzyme facilitates the advance of science.

D．The dye is more environmentally friendly.

4. What makes Welner worried about the new method?

A．Production costs.	B．Environmental benefits.
C．Water consumption.	D．Laborer shortage.

7 . A study following nearly 30,000 older adults for more than 10 years has found six key healthy lifestyle factors can significantly reduce memory loss and those adults engaging in between four and six of the healthy lifestyle behaviors could dramatically reduce their risks of developing dementia (痴呆), even when carrying genes that increase their risks of Alzheimer’s disease.

“Six healthy lifestyle aspects were assessed: a healthy diet, regular physical exercise, active social contact, active cognitive (认知的) activity, never smoking, and never drinking alcohol,” the researchers explained in the new study. Participants were classified (分类) into the favorable group if they had four to six healthy lifestyle factors, into the average group for two to three factors, and into the unfavorable group for zero to one factor.

The study found that people with four to six healthy habits had a much slower loss of memory than those with fewer healthy habits. People with these good habits were also much less likely to get dementia than those with one or no healthy habits. Those who had two or three good habits were 30% less likely to get dementia.

The study didn’t figure out which of the six healthy habits is the best for stopping dementia or which combination is the best. However, the information did show that eating healthy seemed to help prevent memory loss the most, with brain exercise and regular physical exercise also very helpful.

About 20% of the people in the study had a gene that makes Alzheimer’s disease more likely. Even so, having several good health habits helped slow down memory loss. This shows that changing how we live can really help.

Even though each health habit helped in a different way, overall, the study found that people with more good health habits had much less memory loss than those with fewer good habits. This suggests that the choices we make in how we live can help protect our memory. The study adds to the evidence that we might be able to change our risk of memory loss.

1. What were the groups categorized based on?

A．The participants’ age.	B．What hobbies the participants got rid of.
C．The healthy lifestyles the participants had.	D．What the participants’ attitudes to factors were.

2. What can we infer from paragraph 3?

A．The favorable group was happier than the other two.

B．More healthy lifestyles were of more benefit to health.

C．Healthy habits had little impact on memory or dementia.

D．People with a healthy diet wouldn’t suffer a loss of memory.

3. Which plays the second greatest role in reducing memory loss?

A．A healthy diet.	B．Active social contact.
C．Active cognitive activities.	D．Never drinking alcohol.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．Healthy Lifestyles Slowing Memory Loss	B．A Study Making A Great Breakthrough
C．A Healthy Diet Being The Best Lifestyle	D．Old Adults Suffering From Health Problems

8 . Thomas was a well-known wise man. One day, he wandered in a beautiful small town. Because of his fame, people from nearby towns who heard of his arrival all came to visit and seek his advice.

Many who came sought help with difficulties in daily life, and Thomas, unable to bear turning them away, patiently offered suggestions. Word spread quickly, and more and more people came to see Thomas for guidance.

One day, dozens of people crowded outside Thomas’s door, all clamoring (大声地要求) that their problems were the most serious and urgent, each insisting that Thomas address their concerns first, with no one willing to yield (让步).

After a moment of thought, Thomas took out some paper and a pen and said, “I can’t hear clearly with everyone talking at once. How about everyone write down your problem on a piece of paper and place it in this basket beside me?”

Once everyone had placed their notes in the basket, Thomas shook the basket and said, “Please each take a piece of paper from the basket and read what it says.”

As everyone read a note from someone else, they all realized that indeed, each person has their own troubles, and every household has its own challenges. Then Thomas spoke up, “Now, whose problem is the most urgent to solve?” Hearing that question, no one spoke again, because now no one dared to claim that their problem was the most severe.

Often, we are bound by our immediate feelings. When difficulties and problems strike, it feels as though we are caught in a vortex of pain. But if we shift our focus from ourselves and look towards others, we might discover that the problems we face are not so significant. Perhaps others are the ones who need help more urgently, or maybe there is something within our power that we can do for them.

1. Why did people visit Thomas?

A．For advice.	B．For a meeting.
C．For a competition.	D．For introductions.

2. How did Thomas handle the crowd?

A．He ignored them.	B．He listened to each one individually.
C．He prioritized the problems himself.	D．He asked them to write down their problems.

3. What did reading others’ problems show to the people?

A．The complexity of their difficulties.	B．The similarity of their situations.
C．Their need for more advice.	D．Their living conditions.

4. What lesson did Thomas teach?

A．Competition.

B．Sympathy.

C．Prioritization.

D．Self-confidence.

9 . A new study led by researchers at the Yale School of Public Health finds air pollution may negatively impact standardized test scores. Using data from the North Carolina Education Research Data Center, the researchers tracked 2.8 million public school students in North Carolina from 2001 to 2018 and measured their exposure to PM2.5 found in polluted air. While previous research has shown negative effects on academic performance, it has relied on relatively small or less representative samples. “The biggest strength of this study is that we tracked every student in North Carolina in those years, for the whole time period that they were in the public schools,” said Emma Zang, coauthor of the study.

The study also finds that test scores of ethnic minorities and girls are disproportionately (不成比例地) impacted by PM2.5 levels. “Females and ethnic minorities face sexism and racism,” said Zang. “There are a lot of policies that are not friendly towards them. So, when they’re exposed to the same level of air pollution, they don’t have the resources to lessen the negative influences.” More privileged populations, however, might have more resources that allow them to live in a better environment, such as in houses with air purifiers.

“The level of PM2.5 pollution in the US is relatively low, but students living in areas below the current air quality standard of annual PM2.5 concentration are still negatively impacted by air pollution when it comes to their test scores,” said Zang. “We should aim to strengthen the annual PM2.5 standard to better protect our children.”

Air pollution is known to contribute to disease and death, and it also negatively affects students’ academic performance even at low levels of pollution. The subsequent studies, the researchers said, would involve looking at whether the findings hold true in different areas, and also the reasons behind the ethnic and sexual differences.

1. What’s the greatest advantage of the study?

A．Tracking each student for 18 years.	B．Collecting more comprehensive data.
C．Measuring students’ PM2.5 exposure precisely.	D．Building links between air pollution and test scores.

2. According to Zang, ethnic minorities and girls ________.

A．benefit from current policies on PM2.5 pollution

B．have the lowest test scores due to their identities

C．lack resources to reduce the impact of air pollution

D．suffer from educational inequalities owing to their background

3. What’s Zang doing in paragraph 3?

A．Offering a suggestion.	B．Raising a doubt.
C．Making a comparison.	D．Giving a prediction.

4. What might be the focus of the follow-up studies?

A．Applicability of the findings to other regions.	B．Ways to address racial and sexual differences.
C．Long-term impacts of air pollution on children.	D．Establishment of PM2.5 standard fit for children.

10 . Inside the low lighting of Gather East Rock, the smell of coffee beans swirls (打旋) through the air. Art adorns (装点) the blue walls, but one painting stands out among the others. The painting’s name is “Mother Divine”, by the artist Sarahi Zacatelco. The mother in question is a green woman, with colorful plants adorning her head and water dripping (滴下) down her neck. In every brushstroke, Zacatelco pays homage to the man who taught her how to paint: her grandfather Agustin.

Born in 1982, Zacatelco learned how to create art from her grandfather in Oaxaca. At the time, her grandfather lived with her while her mother worked. Together, the two spent hours going out to the central plaza in Juchitán, where she let her senses take over. “You can see the food, you can smell it, you can see the lady selling flowers, and you can see everything,” she recalled excitedly. When she was six years old, her grandfather gave her a piece of paper and watercolors and showed her how to put the colors on it. She hasn’t stopped making art since.

Zacatelco’s grandparents made chess pieces out of rocks and wood to sell. They also made Talavera pottery (陶器) pieces, which Zacatelco described as “a Baroque tradition” that one might see in old colonial (殖民地的) homes. She no longer has any of her grandparent’s Talavera —“the tradition was lost due to being poorly paid and a lot of effort going into each piece.”

In the 1990s, Zacatelco’s mother decided to move her family to give them a better life. She moved her children to Mexico City, then to the Bronx, and then to the Brownsville neighborhood in Eastern Brooklyn. The family moved to Fair Haven, where Zacatelco still lives, in 2001. She called it the perfect place to raise two boys and two girls. Her family did not keep any of her grandfather’s old art before he died. But his artistic spirit did not die with him. Zacatelco carries on his legacy today with her art.

1. How is paragraph 1 developed?

A．By testing an assumption.	B．By giving a description.
C．By making a comparison.	D．By analyzing a phenomenon.

2. How did Agustin inspire Zacatelco’s artistic spirit at first?

A．He instructed her in watercolor painting.

B．He introduced sensory experiences to her.

C．He taught her to make chess pieces out of rocks.

D．He asked her to observe his creation of pottery pieces.

3. Why did Zacatelco’s mother move her family?

A．She wanted them to live a better life.

B．She needed to change jobs frequently.

C．She found their house was too small for them.

D．She wanted to relieve the pain of losing a loved one.

4. What would be the best title for this text?

A．Art: comfort for imperfect lives

B．Baroque tradition: a dying art form

C．An artist’s first teacher: her grandfather

D．An artist’s moving experiences: sources of inspiration