1 . How to Fall Back in Love with Reading
Do you remember the last time you spent time reading books for pleasure? In the age of digital distractions, it is easy to struggle to find the time and headspace to get lost in literature.
Set aside time for reading books. Whether it’s 20 minutes before bedtime or an hour on your lunch break, carving out sometime in your schedule will make it easier to sit down and read. And if you find that you don’t have much free time, try listening to audiobooks.
Keep a reading journal. In your journal, you can write down your thoughts about what you’re reading or graffiti pictures inspired by the book.
Make reading a social activity. Whether you start a book club with your friends or join an online reading group, being able to discuss what you’re reading with others can make the experience more enjoyable.
| A．Find a book that interests you. |
| B．Create a positive reading routine. |
| C．But that doesn’t mean reading books is a thing of the past! |
| D．By this way, you can easily fit reading into your busy lifestyle. |
| E．Plus, it’s a great way to get recommendations for what to read next! |
| F．The others in your book club may come from different backgrounds. |
| G．It doesn’t have to be very involved, just a couple of sentences to jog your memory. |
2 . Top-down processing is the process of using context or general knowledge to understand what we perceive (感知). In 1970, psychologist Richard Gregory introduced the concept. He claimed that perception is constructive.
The processing plays an important role in our interactions with our environment. Our five senses are constantly taking in information. At any given time, we are experiencing different sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and ways things feel when we touch them. If we paid attention to each one of our senses all the time, we’d never do anything else. It enables us to simplify the process by relying on context and our pre-existing knowledge to understand what we notice. If our brains didn’t employ top-down processing our senses would overwhelm us.
Top-down processing helps us understand what our senses are perceiving in our daily lives. For example, suppose you receive an important letter but a few drops of water have ruined part of the text. A few letters in different words are now just smudges (污迹). Yet, you’re still able to read the letter in its entirety using top-down processing. You use the context of the words and sentences in which the smudges appear and your knowledge of reading to comprehend the meaning of the letter’s message. See a word LO*E, with one letter knocked down, yet you are still able to quickly recognize the word as LOVE.
On the one hand, top-down processing serves a positive function by simplifying the way we comprehend our sensory perceptions. It enables us to shortcut the cognitive path between our perceptions and their meaning. On the other hand, patterns can also prevent us from perceiving things in unique ways. So we may understand the pattern of how to use a mobile phone, but if the manufacturer comes out with a new phone that employs completely unique interaction patterns, we may not be able to figure out how to use it. Besides, as our knowledge is limited and biased (片面的) in certain ways, it can lead to perceptual errors.
1. What is the author’s purpose in writing paragraph 2?| A．To explain main reasons. | B．To give practical examples. |
| C．To draw specific conclusions. | D．To analyse theoretical frameworks. |
| A．Pre-existing knowledge. | B．Active interactions. |
| C．Five physical senses. | D．Lessons from mistakes |
| A．Seeing is believing. | B．Practice makes perfect. |
| C．Every coin has two sides. | D．Experience is the best teacher. |
| A．Introduce a reading method. | B．Deepen underlying meanings. |
| C．Illustrate a cognitive strategy. | D．Clarify a producing process. |
3 . Several times a month, you can find Doctor Daniel Nadeau in the Ralph’s market in Huntington Beach, California, wearing a white coat and helping people learn about food. He notices the pre-made macaroni (通心粉) and cheese boxes in am other’s shopping cart and suggests she switch to wholegrain macaroni and real cheese.
Nadeau says sugar and processed foods are big contributors to the rising diabetes (糖尿病) rates among children. “In America, over 50 percent of our food is processed food,” Nadeau tells her. “And only 5 percent of our food is plant-based food. I think we should try to reverse that.” This mother agrees to try more fruit juices for the kids and to make real macaroni and cheese. Score one point for the doctor, zero for diabetes.
Research findings increasingly show the power of food to treat or reverse diseases, but that does not mean that diet alone is always the solution, or that every illness can benefit substantially from dietary changes. Nevertheless, physicians say that they look at the collective data and a clear picture emerges: that the salt, sugar, fat and processed foods in the American diet contribute to the nation’s high rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
By prescribing (开处方) nutritional changes or launching programs such as “Shop with your Doc”, they are trying to prevent, limit or even reverse disease by changing what patients eat. The program will offer patients several bags of food prescribed for their condition, along with intensive training in how to cook it. They believe teaching people about which foods are healthy and how to prepare them can actually transform a patient’s life. And beyond that, it might transform the health and lives of that patient’s family.
1. Why does Doctor Nadeau advise buying wholegrain macaroni and real cheese?| A．They’re easy to make. | B．They’re plant-based. |
| C．They’re delicious to eat. | D．They’re processed food. |
| A．Try out. | B．Pick up. | C．Take in. | D．Turn around. |
| A．Neutral. | B．Dismissive. | C．Doubtful. | D．Positive. |
| A．A good cure for diabetes. | B．A new attempt on cooking. |
| C．A food-as-medicine program. | D．A simple tip on doing shopping. |
4 . Science is always seen as hard-core and hard to understand. But could you imagine hundreds of people being attracted by the cover of a science magazine?
The achievement was completed after Wang Yixi and his team made the cover of an October issue of Structure, a US-based Cell Press journal. The cover shows a Chinese ink painting that vividly shows the process in which a special enzyme (酶) involved in the biosynthesis (生物合成) of an important organic compound is activated―the latest breakthrough by a Chinese scientific research team. Another one of his popular works that carries distinctive Chinese elements is a composite image, describing a scientist as the folk goddess Nyuwa, carrying her newly discovered compound to fill a crack in the sky.
While studying chemistry at university, Wang Yixi often came across an experimental preparation process that he had to explain, but the amount of text was too large and abstract. A she had been interested in drawing, and related software like Photoshop, he decided to turn his graphics into a fine art. He went on to study 3D graphics software in order to better display the microscopic structures in his field and improve the presentation of his papers.
It didn’t take long before his classmates and professors noticed his talents and asked him to help them with their papers. By word of mouth, more people beat a path to Wang’s door and were willing to pay for his service. Over the past four years, Wang and his team have come up with more than 10,000 visual works for academic papers across a variety of fields, many of which have made their way to the world’s top academic journals, including Nature, Science and Cell.
“Every scientific paper is innovative, and graphics are an essential part of scientific papers,” Wang says, adding that what he tries to achieve is an explanation of models or methods, to showcase experimental results, visually process data or compare differences among experiments.
1. What play a special role in Wang’s works?| A．Fairytales. | B．Chinese elements. | C．Rich colors. | D．Complex structures. |
| A．He preferred painting to Chemistry. | B．He developed useful mapping software. |
| C．He had an active mind to solve problem. | D．He had trouble conducting his experiment. |
| A．By visualizing them vividly. | B．By showing them accurately. |
| C．By explaining them in detail. | D．By constructing them uniquely |
| A．The power of art | B．Dilemmas of science |
| C．Mysteries of Chemistry | D．Inspiration from science |
5 . I had always struggled with my body weight since my childhood. Though I was the one who wore a women’s size 16 dress. I had never been teased or bullied (欺凌) in my school thanks to the help of my best friends.
After I started to work, I decided to join the gym with my colleague. At the gym, I stepped on the scale to weigh myself. and when 170 pounds hit on the scale, it was the most terrifying moment. I thought after a few months of going to the gym and doing rigorous (严格的) works I would come down to 150 pounds. However, owing to the work stress and lack of time. I had to drop out of my journey.
In 2015, I went to a gym again and began my weight loss journey — one that lasted for 12 months and concluded with me losing 20 more pounds so that I could be a bridesmaid (伴娘) of my best friend. I could hit 130 pounds on the scale. Sure I lost some pounds in the journey, however, when I again went to my old habits. I regained all the weight that I had lost.
The day I reached my weight back to 150 pounds thanks to all the pizzas, sodas and junk foods. I was set on fire with motivation to change my life. Just as I’d done for the past few years. I again started to go back to the gym this time with determination and healthier eating.
A little over a year after I’d started. I stepped on the same scale I’d first weighed myself on. I hit 110 pounds on the scale. It was the most transformative experience of my life — and not simply in the ways one might expect.
Even now, when I feel my confidence flagging (衰落) or self-doubt creeping in, I think back to having successfully finished that, and I can draw strength.
1. Why did the author stop going to the gym for the first time?| A．She was already satisfied with her weight. | B．She had to devote her time to her work. |
| C．She didn’t experience any weight loss. | D．She was laughed at by others. |
| A．She lost confidence in herself | B．She became too busy to work out. |
| C．She developed some new bad habits. | D．She had difficulty keeping weight off. |
| A．She could be at self-doubt. | B．She expected to help others. |
| C．She lost interest in going to the gym. | D．She cared more about her appearance. |
| A．It’s important to live a full life. | B．We should always focus on our weight. |
| C．We should try our best to change our life. | D．It requires determination to keep a healthy lifestyle. |
6 . Since the pandemic (流行病) hit, we’re on video calls more than ever before, and many are finding it extremely tiring.
Being on a video call requires more focus than a face-to-face chat, says Gianpiero Petriglien, an associate professor at Insead. Video chats mean we need to work harder to process facial expressions, the tone and pitch of the voice, and body language: paying more attention to these consumes a lot of energy. “Our minds are together when our bodies feel we’re not. That causes people to have conflicting (互相冲突) feelings, and i: is exhausting You cannot relax into the conversation naturally.” he says.
“Silence is another challenge.” he adds. “Silence creates a natural rhythm in a real-life conversation. However, when it happens in a video call, you become anxious about the technology.” It also makes people uncomfortable. One 2014 study by German Scholars showed that delays (延迟) on phone or conferencing systems shaped our unpleasant views of people: even delays of 1.2 seconds made people regard the responder as less friendly or focused.
An added factor, says Marissa Shulffer, an associate professor at Clemson University, is that if we are physically on camera, we are very aware of being watched. “When you’re on a video conference, you knew everybody’s looking at you; you are on stage, so there comes the social pressure and feeling like you need to perform. Being performative is nerve-wracking.” It’s also very hard for people not to look at their own face if they can see it on screen, or not to be conscious (有意识的) of how they behave in front of the camera.
Both experts suggest limiting video calls to those that are necessary. Turning on the camera should be optional and is general there should be more understanding that cameras do not always have to be on throughout teach meeting. Having your screen off to the side, instead of straight ahead, could also help your concentration, particularly in group meetings, says Petriglien. It makes you feel like you’re in a next-door room, so you may be less bring.
1. What does Gianpiero Petriglien think of video calls?| A．They need more concentration. | B．They go on more naturally. |
| C．They are more relaxing. | D．They take longer time. |
| A．Facial expressions. | B．Occasional silence. |
| C．Processing body language | D．Not receiving a timely reply |
| A．Causing excitement. | B．Causing disappointment. |
| C．Making one feel nervous. | D．Making one feel surprised. |
| A．The convenience of video chats. | B．Why video chats are so exhausting. |
| C．The development of mobile phones. | D．What technological development brings |
7 . The relationship between Jeffrey Pang and his son, Kevin Pang, was like hot-and-sour soup. It boiled over easily. The Pangs, who moved to the United States in 1988, wanted their son and daughter to know Chinese culture. As a video game-playing American teen, Kevin wasn’t interested.
But when Kevin became a food writer for the Chicago Tribune, he realized he had a valuable resource: his cook-laving dad. “My father and I shared, for the first time, a common interest. I would call to ask about recipes and cooking techniques. He would school me on the world of Chinese food,” Kevin writes in the introduction to the cookbook he has just published.
When it comes to cooking Chinese food, he points out that there is no one definition of Chinese food. “Chinese cooking is not hidebound. For example, consider baked pork chop rice, popularized in Hong Kong. It is a pork chop with egg-fried rice. And then you top it with this thick tomato sauce,” explains Kevin. “And then you top that with some cheese. It’s a very interesting combined dish that has some Western British influences, and it’s altogether very Chinese as well.”
By the time Kevin joined America’s Test Kitchen (ATK) staff in 2020 as its editorial director for digital content, his dad had become an Internet celebrity demonstrating the family’s recipes. Kevin recognized an opportunity not only to share his own family’s food stories but also to apply the ATK method of breaking down recipes into simple steps for the home cook.
“I think this cookbook can teach fathers and sons how to connect, how to find a common interest and improve their relationship, ” Kevin says. That feeling has found an enthusiastic fan base, generating nearly 3 million views, for their online cooking series “Hunger Pangs”, where viewers speak highly of their father-son bond as much as they do of their attractive dishes. Today the Pangs’ relationship is rarely sour or hot.
1. Why would Kevin phone his father after becoming a food writer?| A．To publish his Chinese cookbook. | B．To inquire about hot-and-sour soup. |
| C．To seek permission for video games. | D．To ask about cooking Chinese food. |
| A．Inflexible. | B．Inclusive. | C．Unpleasant. | D．Uncertain. |
| A．Their relationship has improved. | B．They run America’s. Test Kitchen. |
| C．They do dishes to attract followers. | D．Their cookbook is about low-fat food. |
| A．Cooking at home helps you cook well for less. | B．Father and son jointly teach Chinese cooking. |
| C．Chinese culture is becoming popular in the us. | D．Recipes and cooking techniques are really easy. |
8 . Happiness is a state of mind. When you learn to observe your thoughts and emotions (情感), you can nurture a joyful life and think more positively. After all, everyone has the potential to feel happy.
Keep a thought diary
Write down thoughts as they come up throughout the day. When you’ve finished, go back and read your thought diary out loud. Can you identify negative(消极的) self-talk that might hold you back from feeling joyful? When these situations arise in the future, step back for a moment. Think about why you think this way and what happened the last time you were in this situation.
Control the monkey mind with meditation (冥想)
Is your mind full of questions like “What do I really want to do with my life?” “Am I happy?” “Did I remember to lock the door?”
Respond vs react
| A．What kinds of thinking habits do you usually have? |
| B．Learn to respond to your emotions, rather than react. |
| C．Following these practices, you’ll think more positively and be happy. |
| D．Sometimes that voice in your head behaves like a bunch of monkeys. |
| E．You can start by understanding what causes negative thought patterns. |
| F．People cannot block thoughts and emotions because they are necessary. |
| G．Perhaps you can even come up with other good opinions on the situation. |
9 . Lake Victoria is best known to the general public following the introduction of the 2004 documentary Darwin’s Nightmare, which focuses on the environmental and social effects of the Nile perch (河鲈) fishing industry. The Nile perch is the largest freshwater fish, which can grow up to two metres long and weigh 200kg. Its introduction into Lake Victoria in the 1950s and its rapid population growth in the 1960s gradually wiped out the native fish species living in the lake, causing a major ecological disaster. Today, the Nile perch population can be found everywhere but has reduced slightly due to overfishing, allowing some species to partially recover.
What is less well known, and perhaps interacting with the presence of the Nile perch, but equally damaging to the ecosystem, is the general water quality of the lake. “This declined sharply between the 1960s and the 1990s due to eutrophication (富营养化), which is caused by increased inputs of nutrients (营养物) into the water bodies as a result of increased human activities in the catchment area.” explains Alberto Borges, FNRS Research Director at the Laboratory of Chemical Oceanography from the University of Liege.
From 2018 to 2019, a research team led by Alberto Borges, studied the biomass (生物量) and composition of phytoplankton (浮游植物) as well as the nutrient status of the lake during three scientific missions. This study shows that the phytoplankton camass has decreased by about seven times compared to the 1990s.” says the researchers. “and that the species composition has also changed in a subtle way.” What seems to be good news for the environment of Lake Victoria may only be on the surface.
“This means that the current improvement in water quality in Lake Victoria may only be temporary and that conditions could become worse again in the future due to continued climate warming.” says Alberto Borges.
1. Why was the documentary Darwin’s Nightmare made in 2004?| A．To honor Darwin’s great contributions. |
| B．To make Lake Victoria known to the world. |
| C．To record the serious pollution in Lake Victoria. |
| D．To show how the Nile perch fishing industry affected Lake Victoria. |
| A．It was disastrous to Lake Victoria. |
| B．It helped control other species in Lake Victoria. |
| C．It benefited the fishermen a lot in Lake Victoria area. |
| D．It greatly improved the water quality in Lake Victoria. |
| A．The fishing industry. | B．The decreased number of fish. |
| C．The decrease of phytoplankton. | D．More and more inputs of nutrients. |
| A．Hopeful. | B．Deeply concerned. |
| C．Indifferent | D．Cautiously optimistic |
10 . Breakthrough Junior Challenge
For students looking for a more creatively inspired and nontraditional competition, the Breakthrough Junior Challenge tasks students with creating a short video in which they explain a complex scientific idea.
Rules
•Students between the ages of 13 and 18 can participate.
•Your video must be two minutes or under. One participant is required to submit (提交) only one entry.
•Entries are limited to individuals only. Previous award holders are not allowed to participate
•Go to breakthrough junior challenge org to submit your application and video before June 25.
Judging
Participants also play an important role in the judging process. You must score at least five videos submitted by other participants. After that , the seventy-five top-scoring videos from the process will be reviewed by the Evaluation Panel (评审团) made up of top-class scholars and science leaders. Each of these videos will receive at least an additional five review s from the Evaluation Panel members. Lastly, the Selection Committee will review and score the top group of finalists determined by the Evaluation Panel and select five entries for final consideration. Besides, the competition invites Internet users to participate in its judging process. The top-scoring video in the Popular Vote will be added to this group for the final review.
Prizes
The total value of the prizes is $400,000. The winner will receive a $250,000 scholarship (奖学金) to leading universities, as well as a $100,000 grant to the winner’s school for the development of a science lab and a $50,000 award to a teacher of the winner’s choice
1. Which of the following students can compete in the challenge?| A．A 19-year-old science lover. | B．The winner of last year. |
| C．A team of high schoolers. | D．A first-am e participant aged 15. |
| A．Participants’ opinions are valued most | B．Both public and expert views are considered. |
| C．Five entries are chosen for the final review. | D．Experts’ scoring is involved in every round. |
| A．$400,000 | B．$250,000 | C．$100,000 | D．$50,000 |
