1 . The first time I had a roommate was during my freshman year of college. Lucky for me, she was great. She was clean and organized. I, on the other hand, was a horrible roommate.
Discuss the rules of your living arrangement. How are we splitting (分摊) rent? What’s our guest policy? Should we create a cleaning schedule? Make your expectations clear. If your roommates say they’re good about “paying rent on time”, for example, what does “on time” mean to them?
Deal with small things directly
If your roommate does something that annoys you, get it solved immediately, says Bayard.
Invite more play into your home
Learn from them
Living with a roommate is a good opportunity to meet someone with a very different background from yours.
| A．Set clear rules |
| B．It might feel awkward |
| C．I left my dirty clothes everywhere |
| D．We can develop friendships in many ways |
| E．Don’t forget to have fun with your roommate |
| F．In this case, you can learn something new from your roommate |
| G．Traditional ways of communication can be limiting and take time |
2 . Teenagers have long been told that being active and taking part in various sports is good for their health. But new research suggests that too much sport for teenagers could negatively affect their well-being just as much as too little sport.
Researchers from Switzerland say their study suggests that 14 hours of physical activity a week is best for promoting good health in teenagers. However, they found that more than 14 hours appears to be detrimental to their health. To reach their findings, the researchers surveyed more than 1,245 teenagers aged between 16 and 20 from Switzerland.
All participants were required to answer questions on height and weight, sports practice, sports injuries and well-being. Their well-being was assessed(评估) using the World Health Organization (WHO) Well-Being Index,and the average well-being score for all participants was 17.
The researchers divided sports participation into low (0—3.5 hours a week), average (3.6— 10.5 hours), high (10.6— 17.5 hours), and very high (more than 17.5 hours).The researchers found that participants in the low and very high activity groups were more than twice as likely to have well-being scores below 13, compared with participants in the average group. The researchers found that the highest well-being scores were gotten by participants who carried cut around 14 hours of physical activity a week, but exercising beyond 14 hours resulted in lower well-being scores.
Commenting on their findings, the researchers say physical activity has been connected with positive emotional well-being, reduced sadness, anxiety and stress disorders, and improved self-respect in teenagers.
The researchers suggest that their study stresses the importance for physicians caring for teenagers to check their level of sports practice and ask them about their well-being. Teenagers probably need a supportive and closer follow-up of their health and well-being. The findings can provide information for guideline groups who produce recommendations on sports practice for teenagers.
1. What does the underlined word “detrimental” in paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Useless. | B．Important. | C．Reasonable. | D．Harmful. |
| A．To much sport is less healthy than what is traditionally believed. |
| B．Both low and high sports participation help teenagers improve confidence. |
| C．Very high activity groups tend to get higher well-being scores. |
| D．Low spirit participation is proved to be the cause of obesity. |
| A．A research paper. | B．A health magazine. |
| C．A business report. | D．A fitness diary. |
| A．Measures to improve teenagers’ well-being. |
| B．Concerns of physicians about teenagers' well-being. |
| C．Importance of physical activities on teenagers'well-being. |
| D．Relationship between sports participation and teenagers' well-being. |
3 . Two and a half months before the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season officially begins, and almost six months before it enters its peak (高峰), weathermen are already predicting (预测) that it could be particularly active.
Officially, hurricane season begins from June 1 and runs through November. One reason is that sea surface temperatures in the tropical (热带的) Atlantic are already at record highs.
Meanwhile, another significant potential factor in this year’s hurricane season is taking shape thousands of miles away in the Pacific. Over periods ranging from three to seven years, the waters of the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean warm and cool in turn as a result of a repeating climate pattern called the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). El Niño makes Atlantic hurricanes less likely to form but La Niña does.
During the 2023 season, ENSO was in an El Niño period. However, by the time the 2024 season starts, it will have changed into a “neutral(中立)” period, but that by the peak months, it is likely to have changed fully into a La Niña.
“How quickly that change occurs can affect everything as well,” says DaSilva, a lead hurricane weatherman. “There’s a lag time. So, while we expect the change to occur in mid-summer, it may not be until late summer or fall where we really see those effects across the Atlantic basin.” As a result, he says, this year’s hurricane season could remain particularly active deep into November.
Of course, no report can predict when individual storms will come or the paths they will take, but DaSilva warns that those who live in areas likely to suffer hurricanes, especially around the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, should prepare. “If a tropical storm system comes into this area, it could rapidly strengthen, potentially close to land,” he also warns. “And that’s why people need to be careful and have their hurricane plans ready. Because any system with these kinds of conditions can explode very quickly. That’s what we’re concerned about.”
1. What is the function of Paragraph 1?| A．To give advice. | B．To explain the season. |
| C．To introduce the topic. | D．To inform a weather report. |
| A．The hurricane season has entered its peak. |
| B．A repeating climate has changed weather in summer. |
| C．The sea surface temperatures are the highest of all time. |
| D．El Niño makes Atlantic hurricanes more likely to form. |
| A．A time delay. | B．A time in a zone. |
| C．A time waste. | D．A time in advance. |
| A．It can be exactly predicted ahead of time. |
| B．People needn’t worry about hurricane season. |
| C．It may be eventually controlled by weathermen. |
| D．People can’t be more careful about hurricane season. |
4 . 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. |
5 . Handwriting is an essential skill for both children and adults. The following reasons demonstrate why it is very important to have good handwriting throughout life.
When in childhood, handwriting activates the brain more than keyboarding.
Cursive writing (草书) helps students, both young and old, with dyslexia (读写困难).
As children get older, many standardized assessments are based on written work, particularly in time-limited written examinations.
People are judged by their handwriting even after getting into adulthood. Good handwriting is essential long after graduation. In our modern world, in all walks of life—making a shopping list, writing a birthday card, taking down a phone message, completing a form at the bank, filling out immigration forms—handwriting is part of our daily lives.
| A．Good handwriting is essential throughout life. |
| B．Examiners need to distinguish what is written. |
| C．Good handwriting shows the writer’s good personality. |
| D．This is because it involves more complex motion and learning skills. |
| E．Consequently, it is on show to others and may be used to make judgments about us. |
| F．Children can have a very hard time with writing in print because many letters look similar. |
| G．Without fast and clear handwriting, students may get low grades and fall behind. |
6 . There are many fantastic health benefits of exercise, but does exercise affect hair growth? It may seem unlikely that your workout would be able to provide protection against the seemingly unavoidable hair loss associated with aging, but there may be some link.
For one, exercise increases blood circulation and oxygen in blood cells, which benefits hair follicles (毛囊). This can allow the growth phase of hair to be longer. Exercise can also put an end to certain stress, which is one of the factors involved in hair thinning. Consistent exercise may prevent hair loss. Additionally, exercise will always have a positive effect on your overall health, thus positively affecting your hair growth as well.
It’s unrealistic to think that a single run or a couple of yoga classes will immediately reverse hair loss and cause a bunch of new hair strands to spring up.
Interestingly, not all types of exercise are equal when it comes to promoting hair growth. Strength training is not as good as any sort of aerobic (有氧的) exercise.
Hair loss can be classified into two types: permanent and temporary. Most irreversible hair loss is a product of your gene (基因), whereas hair loss caused by lifestyle choices is usually temporary and can be changed by improving your general health.
Although hair loss is not associated with marathon running or any other intense endurance training, it can be affected if you aren’t taking care of your body to support your training. In addition to exercise, following a healthy lifestyle, such as getting enough sleep, not smoking and eating a nutrient-dense diet can promote hair growth.
Finally, leaving sweat on your hair after exercise can also make a difference. Hair can become blocked and weak if sweat stays on the head for a long time. Showering after exercise will prevent this.
1. How does exercise benefit the hair according to the text?| A．It can relieve people’s stress. |
| B．It can help produce some useful chemicals. |
| C．It takes away some bad things in people’s blood. |
| D．It increases the number of people’s hair follicles positively. |
| A．Witness. | B．Speed. | C．Demonstrate. | D．Change. |
| A．Exercising habits. | B．Lifestyle choices. |
| C．Genetic weakness. | D．Living environment. |
| A．To stop sweat from harming hair growth. |
| B．To keep you smelling pleasant. |
| C．To better take care of your skin. |
| D．To make you feel relaxed. |
7 . Animal Families, Animal Friends (NorthWord Books for Young Readers) is all about how animals work and play together, and how they help one another and keep each other safe.
I got the idea for this book from an article I read in a science magazine. It talked about how scientists, who used to focus on how animals compete in nature, are now studying how they coexist peacefully and even help each other.
I decided to write a book for children on the subject. I had lots of fun doing research for this book, I went to the library first and read about all sorts of animals. Then I made my choices based on my reading and my own experience. I love the sound of loons calling at night on a Maine lake. I watched beavers build a home on a stream in the Maine woods. I watched dolphins swim and dive alongside my sailboat in California. I visited Mission Wolf, a wonderful wolf refuge in Colorado. I saw prairie dogs in the Badlands of South Dakota.
I haven’t seen some of the animals in the wild—elephants, chimpanzees, caribou, emperor penguins. But I read books and watched videos online to learn how they live together. Who can watch the film March of the Penguins and not fall in love with them?
I used the Internet to listen to the sounds these animals make. And I made a collection of stuffed animals and puppets for my school presentation of Animal Families, Animal Friends.
Now I’m having a wonderful time visiting schools, libraries, and even a zoo to talk about the animals in my book. A highlight of these visits was a few days spent in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, speaking to children whose town was hit by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. These children, their families, and their communities have given us all a fine example of how to live together and help each other.
1. What is the author’s purpose in writing Animal Families, Animal Friends?| A．To help adults know animals better. |
| B．To raise public awareness of wildlife protection. |
| C．To report some latest findings about the animal world. |
| D．To inform children how animals coexist with each other. |
| A．By visiting zoos. | B．By analyzing previous data. |
| C．By taking advantage of the Internet. | D．By consulting experts. |
| A．It is an environment-friendly place. | B．People there live together harmoniously. |
| C．People there get on well with animals. | D．It was hit by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. |
| A．Confused. | B．Anxious. | C．Content. | D．Tired. |
8 . Earlier this month, an opinion study said about 75 percent of the French public want to ban bullfighting (斗牛). But a small group of supporters say it is a tradition that should continue.
Baptiste is a 16-year-old boy training to be a bullfighter who lives in Arles, a town in southern France. He says opponents do not understand bullfighting. “Bullfighting is a tradition, an art, a dance with the bull,” Baptiste said. He is one of 12 students in Arles learning how to fight bulls.
Opponents wonder how it can be called “an art” when an innocent animal is killed in the end. During a recent protest march, one sign read: “Bullfighting is not a fight; it’s the killing of a tortured (折磨) innocent.”
Aymeric Caron is a French lawmaker who sent a bill to Parliament that would ban bullfighting. It is currently being debated. He said some parts of France permit bullfighting as long as fewer than 1,000 bulls are killed each year. Just because it is a tradition, he said, does not “morally justify a practice”.
Other lawmakers in Caron’s party are not supporting his bill, so it is unlikely to pass. But the news of the anti-bullfighting proposal started a discussion throughout France.
Frederic Pastor oversees the bullfights in the city of Nimes. He said the bull is “glorified (给予荣耀)” during the fight although it is killed. Nimes is home to 14 bullfighting shows each year. They bring in over $60 million to the city.
Tiphanie Senmartin Laurent is one of the protesters. She said most people are against bullfighting. “Torture is not a show,” she said.
Spain is considered the place where bullfighting began. People there are also questioning the practice. Bullfighting was banned in the Spanish province of Catalonia in 2010 but later brought back. A major court in Spain called the practice a “cultural asset”. That means it is considered a tradition that has value. A new proposal on animal safety in Spain does not discuss bulls.
1. What can be known about Baptiste from paragraph 2?| A．He is expert in bullfighting. |
| B．He is far from opposed to bullfighting. |
| C．He comes from a northern French town. |
| D．He doesn’t understand why bullfighting becomes a tradition. |
| A．It is sort of an art. |
| B．It means a lot of harm to the innocent animal. |
| C．It is a symbol of culture in Spain. |
| D．It makes humans know more about the bull. |
| A．Bullfighting’s being banned. |
| B．The public’s interest in the sport. |
| C．A national discussion on bullfighting. |
| D．The higher frequency of bullfighting shows in France. |
| A．Bullfighting Is Increasingly Popular in France |
| B．Challenges Faced by Bullfighting |
| C．The Rise and Fall of Bullfighting |
| D．France Considers a Ban on Bullfighting |
9 . Topher White spends so much time walking in the forest and thinking about how quickly we’re losing it. The engineer is determined to stop global deforestation. Founder of the San Francisco-based non-profit Rainforest Connection, White has developed a small but clever strategy: using old cell phones to listen for the sound of destruction.
Forests are disappearing worldwide, and fast：an area about half the size of England is lost each year. The Amazon has lost close to one-fifth of its rainforest cover in the last four decades. Forest loss not only harms wildlife, including many species that live nowhere else, but it’s also a big contributor to the greenhouse gas emission(排放)that cause climate change.
”I didn’t know any of this when I started,“ says White, who began his journey in 2011, when he traveled to Indonesian Borneo to help decreasing gibbons(长臂猿).
Between 50 and 90 percent of the logging that happens in the world’s rainforests is illegal, according to White, yet detecting chainsaws(电锯)and other sounds related to that activity can be tough, because the air is already filled with the loud unpleasant mixture of sounds from nature. So he has developed a system in which he installs a cell phone that stays charged by solar cells, attaches an extra microphone, and listens. From there, the device can detect the sounds of chainsaws nearly a mile away.
Because it’s unfeasible to have people listening to the devices all the time, he added some “old-school data analysis”, so that the cell phone’s computers can distinguish a chainsaw’s sound from others in the forest. This way, his device can automatically detect logging activity and send a text alert to authorities who can determine if it’s illegal and then stop it.
White notes that he’s not alone in the fight: Many people and organizations are working tirelessly to stop forests from disappearing. For instance, local groups are particularly active in forest conservation efforts, White says.
So far, his monitoring devices have been used in Cameroon, Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil and will soon be used in Bolivia. It’s not just about listening for logging. The same technology that can pick out the buzz of a chainsaw can pick out the sounds of specific birds, which is why Whtie sees the forest recordings as a potential science tool. He’s urging biologists and ecologists to use his monitoring system anywhere, whether it’s a remote forest or a park in London. “The more we learn about these places,” he says, “the easier it’ll be to protect them.”
1. The second paragraph is mainly about .| A．the measures to prevent forest loss |
| B．the causes and effects of forest loss |
| C．the areas that suffer great forest loss |
| D．the urgency about reducing forest loss |
| A．Impractical. | B．Unnecessary. | C．Possible. | D．Significant. |
| A．our advanced technology | B．our strong teamwork spirit |
| C．our good understanding of it | D．our environmental awareness |
| A．Efforts should be taken to preserve nature |
| B．Your old cell phone can help save the rainforest |
| C．Old cell phones can be used for helping gibbons |
| D．A creative way is being used to protect specific birds |
10 . Slowing Down Racing Thoughts
Everyone has moments when their brain suddenly goes messy. When racing thoughts take over your mind, you can’t stay focused, and you feel trapped. How can you keep racing thoughts from controlling you? Here are five tips to try.
Give yourself permission. Racing thoughts are often made worse by the anxiety over having racing thoughts.
Distract (分心) yourself. As soon as you notice yourself worrying again or thinking about things over and over, make an inside comment on yourself, like “here I go again, with my list of thoughts that never ends”.
Get mindful. Practicing mindfulness can help change your thought patterns.
Get moving.
| A．Fight for them. |
| B．Schedule worry time. |
| C．For instance, try counting your breaths. |
| D．Exercise is helpful for reducing anxiety. |
| E．To escape this, allow yourself to experience them. |
| F．Then do something else, like reading or listening to music. |
| G．People who struggle with racing thoughts are constantly worried. |
