1 . Organic food (有机食品) is very popular. It is also expensive. Some organic food costs twice as much as inorganic food. Some parents and pet owners pay up to 200 percent more for organic food while some people think organic food is a waste of money.
There is one main difference between organic and inorganic food. Organic farms do not use agricultural chemicals, such as pesticides (杀虫剂). This makes sure that the products are natural.
Some people think “organic” means “locally grown”. At the beginning, this was true. Over time organic farming became more difficult. The demand for organic food grew larger than the supply. Small companies had to sell out to large companies. There weren’t enough organic materials. This made it difficult for many organic companies to stay in business. Today, many large companies have an organic line of products.
Is organic food more nutritious (有营养的)? This is part of the debate. Many farmers and consumers (消费者) believe it is. They think agricultural chemicals cause health problems, such as cancer. Many health experts disagree. Few studies prove that organic food prevents health problems. Health experts worry more about bacteria (细菌). These can come into contact with organic and inorganic food. Doctors recommend washing produce very carefully.
Most people agree that naturally grown food tastes better. Is tastier food worth the extra money? This is a matter of opinion. Whether it is healthier or not may require more research. However, organic consumers argue it is better to be safe than sorry.
1. What is probably the major concern (关注) of organic food consumers?| A．Price. | B．Safety. | C．Freshness. | D．Variety. |
| A．Grow your own food. | B．Reduce the use of pesticides. |
| C．Make sure the food is clean. | D．Buy large companies’ products. |
| A．It tastes better. | B．It is easier to grow. |
| C．It contains more fat. | D．It is more nutritious. |
| A．A health magazine. | B．A medical report. |
| C．A chemistry paper. | D．A menu of a restaurant. |
2 . Lion dance is a valued tradition deeply rooted in South China’s Guangdong province and among Chinese communities in Southeast Asian countries. Historically, this art form was only practiced by men. However, a unique team consisting entirely of teenage girls stands out among all the male groups — they are the Nanxing Hexingtang Women’s Lion Dance Team from the town of Ren he in Guangzhou.
Nearly every village in Guangzhou has its own lion dance team. Yet as of 2018, Hexingtang had only male participants. As there was a decline in the number of young people practicing lion dance, it accepted a few young girls. The journey was far from smooth for the girls. They were once hired to perform for a family on the first day of Chinese New Year. When the family realized that it was the girls who would be performing, they erupted in anger and chased them away. Then Hexingtang decided to formally establish a women’s team to make the female lion dance leagal. They customized flags and banners printed with “women’s team”, crafted pink and purple lion heads, which are rarely seen in male lion dance, and even fashioned a lion head looking like the image of the female general Mu Guiying, a famous figure in Yue Opera.
It was hoped that after the girls won awards and proved themselves, they might be accepted by more people. Their breakthrough came in 2021 when the girls beat all-male teams and won the first prize in a competition in Guangzhou’s Baiyun district. The following year, at the 16th Guangdong Provincial Games, the girls once again got the top prize in the junior group, representing Guangzhou. Since then, they have continued to win awards. In the recent Maofeng Mountain competition just before Spring Festival in Guangzhou, the team performed a routine titled “Tramping Over Mountains and Hills Step by Step”, which mirrors the growth journey of these girls themselves as they navigate through numerous challenges. Behind this near-perfect performance is girls’ dedication and hard work.
Lion dance is not easy, especially for girls, as it demands significant strength and mastery of martial arts movements. However, girls possess unique advantages and can cultivate a distinctive style. Girls typically have a keen understanding of music, performing perfectly in both lion and instrument roles. Furthermore, their superior physical flexibility allows them to complete difficult moves. Most importantly, their sensitivity enables them to capture the expressions and behaviors of lions.
1. What do we know about lion dance?| A．It is a tradition rooted in all Asian countries. |
| B．Only men could practice lion dance in the past. |
| C．Every village in Guangzhou has its own lion dance team. |
| D．It’s easy for people to practice. |
| A．made. | B．bought. | C．painted. | D．had. |
| A．They performed for a family on the first day of Chinese New Year. |
| B．They performed a routine titled “Tramping Over Mountains and Hills Step by Step”. |
| C．They won the first prize in a competition in Guangzhou’s Baiyun district. |
| D．They won the top prize in the junior group at the 16th Guangdang Provincial Games. |
| A．They can complete difficult moves with superior physical flexibility. |
| B．They have great strength and master martial arts movements. |
| C．They have a keen understanding of music, performing perfectly in different roles. |
| D．They can capture the expressions and behaviors of lions with sensitivity. |
3 . Sarah Toumi, a young girl growing up in France, had a dream of becoming a leader who could make a positive impact on the world. Her desire to help others was awakened when she accompanied her Tunisian father to his hometown in the eastern part of Tunisia during vacations. During her time there, she organized homework clubs and activities for children. Toumi personally witnessed the negative effects of desertification (沙漠化). She realized that within 10 years, wealthy farmers had become worse off. Toumi was determined to stop the progression of the Sahara Desert. Due to a decrease in average rainfall and an increase in severe droughts (干旱), nearly 75% of Tunisia’s agricultural lands are currently at risk of desertification.
Toumi understood the need for a change in farming practices. She firmly believed that even small plots of land could bring significant returns if farmers were willing to adapt. This adaptation involved planting sustainable crops, using advanced water treatment technologies, and using natural products and fertilizers (肥料) instead of chemical alternatives.
In 2012, Toumi took a decisive step towards realizing her dream of fighting desertification. She moved to Tunisia and set up a program called Acacias for All, with the aim of putting her sustainable farming ideas into action. “I want to show young people in the countryside that they can create opportunities where they are. Nobody is better able to understand the impact of desertification and climate change than somebody who is living without water.”
By September 2016, over 130,000 acacia trees had been planted on 20 pilot farms, with a survival rate of 60% reported by farmers. Toumi estimates that around 3 million acacia trees are required to protect Tunisia’s farmland. She plans to plant 1 million trees by 2018. In the coming years, Toumi aims to promote the program to Algeria and Morocco.
1. How did Toumi’s holiday trips to Tunisia influence her?| A．They made her decide to leave the country. | B．They helped her better understand her father. |
| C．They destroyed her dream of being a teacher. | D．They inspired her to take action to help others. |
| A．Cold weather. | B．Soil pollution. | C．Low rainfall. | D．Forest damage. |
| A．To ensure access to primary education for children. |
| B．To promote the protection of agricultural land. |
| C．To create job opportunities for young people. |
| D．To persuade the farmers not to use fertilizers. |
| A．Determined and helpful. | B．Considerate and calm. |
| C．Wealthy and academic. | D．Thankful and flexible. |
4 . In 2019, a white-haired senior was awarded the Friendship Medal, the highest order of honor of China for foreigners. It was Isabel Crook. In her more than a century of life, she spent more than 90 years in China and cultivated (培养) a large number of foreign language talents for China.
In 1915, Isabel was born in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. After graduating from the University of Toronto in 1938, Isabel couldn’t wait to return to China. With hard work, she and her colleague completed the survey of over 1,500 families in some villages in Bishan County. She recorded the daily life of the villagers in Xinglongchang with detailed field notes, which give the young people today some idea of the state of affairs in villages at that time.
In 1947, Isabel and her husband David Crook came to China to observe and study the ongoing land reform. A year later, they completed the study and accepted the invitation to stay in China for language teaching.
One could hardly imagine the teaching conditions in the midst of a war. They asked their students to take small stools (凳子) with them so that they could give class everywhere. They tailored (定制) teaching approaches to suit students’ different language proficiency levels. Without handy teaching materials, they collected articles from English newspapers and magazines. In oral English teaching, Isabel asked students to watch their teachers in a given conversation first. Since there were no tape recorders at school, she had to perform the conversation again and again.
Isabel retired in 1981, but she returned to Southwest China many times to set up scholarship for children from poor families. She also went to Inner Mongolia, Ningxia and other places to help with foreign language teaching. Isabel died in 2023 in Beijing.
1. What do we know about Isabel according to the text?| A．She got China’s highest honor for foreigners. |
| B．She received her college education in China. |
| C．She returned to China as a teacher at age 23. |
| D．She helped children in need all over China. |
| A．In 1915. | B．In 1938. | C．In 1948. | D．In 1981. |
| A．Boring but helpful. | B．Simple and modern. |
| C．Traditional but attractive. | D．Flexible and personalized. |
| A．Her working experiences were rich. |
| B．Her life in China was quite colorful. |
| C．She devoted herself to teaching in China. |
| D．She showed great interest in Chinese history. |
5 . Thanksgiving is basically a harvest-related festival which celebrates communal harmony. Though this festival is said to have originated in America, a number of other countries also celebrate harvest-related festivals. The festival is observed with different names and in different seasons. In Australia we can see a number of harvest festivals.
Apple Festival & Grape Festival
The harvest for apples and grapes takes place in the month of March in Australia in the granite belt, a special area. The festival is celebrated for 3-4 days. During the festival, various cultural and fun events are organized. Activities like grape crushing competitions, apple picking competitions, street carnivals (狂欢), and grand parades are also part of the festival.
Renmark Orange Week Festival
In August or September, the large orange growing area along the Murray River in South Australia holds a festival in Renmark, which is called the Renmark Orange Week. All kinds of games, competitions and fun last for a week during the carnival. Fireworks are another feature of the festival. The two varieties that are being harvested in Australia are the Valencia, which is from October to May and the Navel, which is from May to October.
Cane Festival
The cane is harvested from June to December in Australia. Most of the cane crop is grow n in Queensland and some in Maclean, New South Wales. And June is time for cane festivals. Just before harvest, the cane is burnt to remove dead leaves and to drive out pests. Machines are being used to cut the cane to the ground.
Wheat Festival
Wheat is harvested in the month of December and is usually finished by the end of January. Harvesting is done by machines. A new harvester invented by Headlie Taylor makes it easier to harvest crops which get flattened or damaged by bad weather.
1. Which festival takes place in June?| A．Cane Festival. | B．Wheat Festival. |
| C．Renmark Orange Week Festival. | D．Apple Festival & Grape Festival. |
| A．Appreciate fireworks. | B．Taste delicious grape wine. |
| C．Join in apple eating competitions. | D．Take part in grand parades. |
| A．Wheat Festival begins in January. |
| B．Harvest-related festivals originated in America. |
| C．Oranges are being harvested in Australia all the year round. |
| D．Renmark Orange Week Festival takes place in the granite belt. |
6 . Part of the reason American shoppers are so attracted to wholesale shopping is their belief that it not only prevents waste but can save time and money, providing more value for the dollar. However, recent research suggests that the opposite may be true.
Victoria Ligon, an expert on consumer sciences, studied food purchasing habits of consumers and found that people tended to buy too much food and waste more of it than they realized. “The problem is that people are not shopping frequently enough,” Ligon said, “People are very price sensitive at the grocery store, but tend to fail to notice the cost of unused and wasted food at home.”
A common practice is to visit different stores for different items on a grocery list, “But people tend to overbuy at each of the places,” Ligon said. “People are not planning for the next day, but planning for the next week or two.”
“In theory, planning a week or more in advance sounds ideal. But given the reality of many people’s lives, this is challenging to do well,” Ligon said. “All of our food promotions are designed to get people to buy more. We believe it’s cheaper if we buy more now, but we rarely take into account how much we throw out in the end.”
Ligon noted shifts in the grocery industry that appear promising to help customers reduce food waste. Examples include cost-effective delivery services such as Amazon Fresh and Google Express, which allow consumers to purchase food items when they want to consume them, also reducing their need to frequent so many different stores. However, the study resulted in another troubling finding: The majority of people involved in the study had no idea that they were buying too much and wasting so much.
“When you read advice about reducing waste, it usually centers on what people do after the food is purchased,” Ligon said. “But more importantly, shop on a more frequent basis, so that you are only buying what you are going to consume in the short term.”
1. What do people often ignore when buying food in large quantities?| A．How good the food is. | B．How much will be wasted. |
| C．How much the food costs. | D．How often they should shop. |
| A．It is worth trying. | B．It is not practical. |
| C．It takes great effort. | D．It is not good for health. |
| A．Food prices are lowered. | B．Food waste is prevented. |
| C．Food consumption is reduced. | D．Food purchasing can be done at home. |
| A．Shop More, Buy Less | B．Shop Wisely, Eat Wisely |
| C．Consume More, Waste Less | D．The More You Shop, the More You Waste |
7 . As a child, Liu Wenwen disliked the suona, a “loud, high-pitched” traditional Chinese musical instrument, an ancestral heritage of her family that was to become her career.
Her peers at primary school laughed at her, saying her whole family was engaged only in “weddings and funerals.” Indeed, these are the two major occasions where the horn-like wind instrument is played in China’s rural areas. Liu felt ashamed. People admired things that were modern and international. “Suona, in comparison, was considered an art of the hillbilly.” Her father’s family has performed suona for seven generations.
The music is rooted in Liu’s DNA, but it takes time and hard work to become a skilled musician. The instrument was so loud that it annoyed the neighbors when she practiced at home. “So my parents would wake me up at 4 a.m. every day and take me to practice outside in a park.”
While she followed her parents to play the suona as a child, she only fell in love with the instrument at university. She found suona music beautiful for the first time in 2008, when she entered Shanghai Conservatory of Music to learn the instrument more systematically.
On China’s social media platforms, her name is often followed by a video of her live performance at a concert in Sydney, Australia, alongside award-winning composer Tan Dun in 2017. For her debut on the international stage, she was playing Hundreds of Birds Paying Homage to Phoenix, a masterpiece that often represents excellence in suona performance.
Liu promoted the “hillbilly” music to an international audience, thanks to Tan and his team, who recomposed the traditional music and arranged the piece into an orchestra. “It was a smooth dialogue between a Chinese instrument and a Western orchestra, loved by the musicians and audience alike,” she said. “I felt my hard work had paid off. I trained for over 20 years, probably just to win cheers and applause for traditional Chinese music on the international stage.”
1. What can we learn about Liu from the first two paragraphs?| A．She was born into a musical family. |
| B．She enjoyed playing the suona as a child. |
| C．She showed a talent for suona when she was young. |
| D．She felt ashamed of admiring modern and international things. |
| A．To get more time for her practice. | B．To avoid disturbing the neighbors. |
| C．To spend more time with her parents. | D．To make practising the suona a habit. |
| A．Audience like Chinese instruments better than Western orchestra. |
| B．Liu’s performance at a Sydney concert got her recognized by the public. |
| C．Liu promoted traditional Chinese music to the whole world with her parents. |
| D．Social media is a major platform to carry forward traditional Chinese music. |
| A．Technology. | B．Education. |
| C．People. | D．Entertainment. |
8 . Family: Poems — by Mr. Keith Keenan
Kindle $0.00; Hardcover $12.50; Paperback $7.00.
The poet describes personal thoughts and feelings in a lyrical journey to understand and celebrate his family. “Family” looks at living honestly in places, not illusions. Figurative (形象的) language, a love of metaphor and sharp images all make the poems work.
Time to Heal — by Aleandra Vasiliu
Kindle $9.99; Hardcover $21.94; Paperback $12.64.
From the bestselling author comes an inspirational poetry book about love, healing, and growth. It is a reminder to strive to change for the better. Featuring more than 130 uplifting poems and black-and-white illustrations, it’s a great companion when you need to embrace self-love and personal transformation.
Seeds from a Birch Tree — by Clark Strand
Kindle $9.99; Hardcover $26.80; Paperback $16.95.
Seeds from a Birch Tree makes nature into a spiritual path. Its message was simple: Haiku teaches us to return to nature by following the seasons — seventeen syllables at a time. With its mix of poetry and memoir (回忆录), the book guides us to the joy hidden in plain sight, leading us to get into a good state of body and mind.
A Poem for Every Day — by Allie Esiri
Kindle $9.99; Hardcover $28.05; Audio CD $18.05.
This audio book is a collection of 366 poems which link to events on key dates—funny for April Fools’ Day, festive for Christmas. This is the perfect gift for poetry lovers of all ages. These poems are informative, peaceful, and energetic!
There are a large number of poetry collections on Amazon. More information, please click here.
1. How much will you pay if you are to buy a hardcover edition of a book on haiku?| A．$12.50. | B．$21.94. | C．$26.80. | D．$28.05. |
| A．Family: Poems features plain language. |
| B．Time to Heal features colorful illustrations. |
| C．Seeds from a Birch Tree focuses on human nature. |
| D．A Poem for Every Day focuses on festive celebrations. |
| A．A marketing website. | B．A literature magazine. |
| C．A book review. | D．A news report. |
9 . Music can really affect your well-being, learning, quality of life, and even happiness. The fact that music can make a difficult task more tolerable may be why students often choose to listen to it while doing their homework. But is listening to music the smart choice for students who want to improve their learning? A new study suggests that for some students, listening to music is a wise strategy, but for others, it isn’t. The effect of music on cognitive (认知的) function appears to depend partly on your personality — specifically, on your need for external stimulation (刺激).
Researchers not only assessed listeners’ personality but also changed the difficulty of the task and the complexity of the music. Participants first completed a personality test used to determine the need for external stimulation. Then, they engaged in an easy cognitive task (searching for the letter A in lists of words) and a more challenging one (remembering word pairs) in order. Participants finished both tasks under one of two sound conditions: (1) no music, (2) with music.
The data suggests that for those with a high need of external stimulation, on the simple task of finding A’s, the scores for the music condition were significantly worse than those for the silent condition. On the complex task of learning word pairs, their performance was worse whenever music was played. For those with a low need of external stimulation, however, on the simple task, such participants’ scores for the music condition were much better than those for the silent condition. On the complex task of learning word pairs, the participants showed a small but reliable benefit when listening to music.
According to the study, there are individual differences in the impact of music on cognitive function. Students who are easily bored and who seek out stimulation should be cautious of adding music to the mix. On the other hand, students with a low need for stimulation may benefit significantly from the presence of music.
With the right personality, the right music and the right task, the presence of music may significantly improve cognitive functioning. Given the benefits of music, subscription to Spotify will be rewarding!
1. What is the function of the first paragraph?| A．To explain what is stimulation. | B．To lead into the topic. |
| C．To make a prediction. | D．To offer some advice. |
| A．It is done under one and only sound condition. |
| B．Participants only need to complete a personality test. |
| C．The difficulty of the two tasks decreased in the experiment. |
| D．Participants were grouped by their needs for external stimulation. |
| A．The complexity of tasks might reduce the benefit of music. |
| B．Students should listen to music when performing complex tasks. |
| C．Students with less external stimulation perform badly with music. |
| D．The presence of music benefits students who seek for external stimulation. |
| A．A dictionary. |
| B．A psychology journal. |
| C．A music platform. |
| D．A personality test. |
10 . On a cold morning in May, I received a fascinating email from a high school friend, inviting me to a 10-day all-female surfing adventure in Portugal. The offer was irresistible, and I instantly knew my answer was yes. The trip seemed simple enough. Ten women, ranging from 30 to 45 years old, all strangers, would gather on the Portuguese coast to embrace the challenge of surfing the Atlantic waves. As a fan of travel, I quickly sought permission from my boss for this once-in-a-lifetime journey.
Through my 33 years, I’ve observed a common adult tendency: we often limit ourselves to improving skills we already have. There’s a certain pride in improving our expert knowledge, becoming increasingly knowledgeable in our chosen fields, yet unintentionally, this focus often leaves other skills undeveloped and leads to ignoring other areas of potential growth.
Two days later, I arrived in Ericeira, a charming surf town, where I met my surfing group. Despite our different personalities and backgrounds, we were all united in a passionate desire to challenge ourselves, learn, tackle and grow.
The shores at Ericeira, where the beginners learn to surf, are shallow and covered with slippery rocks. They make for softer waves but are difficult to navigate (驾驭). Guided by our amazing coaches, together, we faced the waves. Sometimes, it poured with rain, and the waves crashed around us, but we were still out there. And with every slip and fall, words of encouragement filled the air. Honestly, I probably spent most of my days frozen to the bone, but that didn’t matter because a new level of genuine joy and personal achievement had been unlocked. Learning a new skill taught me the humbleness that can come from doing badly at something new, and the pride that develops when you finally manage to grasp something you’ve been working on.
While surfing might not be my calling, trying it out inspired me to take more risks in life, to step outside of my comfort zone and to never stop believing in myself. You never know what you’re capable of if you don’t go out there and try.
1. What motivated the author to join the surf trip to Portugal?| A．The desire to meet and enjoy a challenge. |
| B．The opportunity to improve existing skills. |
| C．The need to reconnect with a high school friend. |
| D．The chance to undertake work duties in Portugal. |
| A．It narrows one’s abilities. | B．It is essential for career success. |
| C．It disturbs one’s work-life balance. | D．It brings them the greatest pride. |
| A．Tough but rewarding. | B．Common and inspiring. |
| C．Dull and discouraging. | D．Relaxing but unpredictable. |
| A．The importance of being an expert in one field. |
| B．The benefit of traveling with unknown companions. |
| C．The need to seek professional training in all new skills. |
| D．The idea of getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. |
