1 . Some people today might be early risers because of DNA they take after Neanderthals tens of thousands of years ago, suggests new research.
When early humans migrated from Africa to Eurasia roughly 70,000 years ago, some of them mated with Neanderthals, who had already adapted to the colder, darker climates of the north. The ripple (涟漪) effects of that intermating still exist today: Modern humans of non-African ancestry (血统) have between 1 and 4 percent Neanderthal DNA. Some of that DNA relates to sleep more specifically, the internal body clock known as the circadian rhythm.
For the new study, researchers compared DNA from today’s humans and DNA from Neanderthal fossils (化石). In both groups, they found some of the same genetic variants involved with the circadian rhythm. And they found that modern humans who carry these variants also reported being early risers.
For Neanderthals, being “morning people” might not have been the real benefit of carrying these genes. Instead, scientists suggest, Neanderthals’ DNA gave them faster, more flexible internal body clocks, which allowed them to adjust more easily to annual changes in daylight. This connection makes sense in the context of human history. When early humans moved north out of Africa, they would have experienced variable daylight hours — shorter days in the winter and longer days in the summer-for the first time. The Neanderthals’ circadian rhythm genes likely helped early humans’ offspring (后代) adapt to this new environment.
Notably, the findings do not prove that Neanderthal genes are responsible for the sleep habits of all early risers. Lots of different factors beyond genetics can contribute, including social and environmental influences. The study also only included DNA from a database called the U.K. Biobank—so the findings may not necessarily apply to all modern humans. Next, the research team hopes to study other genetic databases to see if the same link holds true for people of other ancestries. If the findings do apply more broadly, they may one day be useful for improving sleep in the modern world, where circadian rhythms are disturbed by night shifts and glowing smartphones.
1. What does the new research focus on?| A．DNA’s dramatic changes. | B．Genes’ influence on early risers. |
| C．Neanderthals’ sleeping patterns. | D．Ancestors’ environmental adaptability. |
| A．Historical context. | B．Additional proof. |
| C．Sample analysis. | D．Studying process. |
| A．Getting up earlier. | B．Having healthier daily routines. |
| C．Being more flexible in their work. | D．Possessing a better circadian rhythm. |
| A．They get proof from other studies. | B．They are confirmed by early risers. |
| C．They suggest potential applications. | D．They reveal factors in sleeping disorders. |
2 . For eight years, Sophie created realistic-looking limbs (肢) for those who wanted to fit in. But she longed to work on more odd designs that would stand out. Then she met Pollyanna Hope, a young amputee (被截肢者).
“She wanted something a little different on her leg: pictures of a cartoon she loved, Peppa Pig,” said Sophie, who is now based in London. So she designed a unique leg covered in tattoo-like images of Peppa and other pigs riding a bicycle and eating ice cream. Working with Hope made Sophie realize there was a potential market for limbs.
Since then, Sophie founded the Alternative Limb Project (ALP) to make artistic limbs. Her work includes an arm wrapped in sculpted snakes and a leg that looks like porcelain (瓷器) covered in a painted flowery vine. She makes about six limbs per year, always including clients’ ideas so that they receive a personal piece they can celebrate rather than hide.
Of course, a fancy-looking limb won't suit everyone. For Sophie, the basis is that each limb must satisfy a combination of comfort, beauty and functionality, and pushing too hard in one direction can weaken other areas. But for amputees who appreciate novelty, Sophie has some amazing ideas.
“I’d really like to make a candy-dispenser leg with colorful candies inside it” she says. “Or a cuckoo-clock leg with a wooden bird that pops out every hour.” Her goal is to fashion a striking limb.
“It’ll transform the limbs from an elephant in the room into a conversation piece.”
1. Why did Pollyanna Hope come to Sophie?| A．She hoped to have a tailored limb. |
| B．She intended to design a cartoon figure. |
| C．She longed to expand the market for limbs. |
| D．She expected to sell Sophie some odd ideas. |
| A．boost users’ confidence | B．sharpen users’ creativity |
| C．improve Sophie’s sculpture skills | D．extend Sophie’s art business |
| A．The novelty of the pattern tops the list. | B．The balance of multi-needs comes first. |
| C．Fashion is the best policy. | D．Functionality is the key. |
| A．Sophie resolves to lead the fashion of limbs. |
| B．Sophie plans to further transform artistic limbs. |
| C．Amputees will feel at ease to talk about limbs. |
| D．Amputees will have easy access to artistic limbs. |
3 . The backpack you take can make or break your trip when you go traveling. Here are the four best travel backpacks on the market.
Amazon Basics 70L
It’s much cheaper than many travel bags on the market and does not sacrifice any of the practical uses or space that comes with more expensive bags. The bag may not be as luxury as some of the more high-end bags, but its simple style lets you focus on the main thing you need to focus on when traveling: the moment.
Eurohike Nepal 65L
The Eurohike Backpack is a great choice because of how adaptable it is. Besides having a great amount of storage, it comes with an internal security pocket. It weighs just 1.38kg as opposed to other backpacks, which can weigh up to nearly 2kg. If you’re going to go hiking when you travel, then it is perfect.
Mountain Warehouse Tor 65L
First, its brand is one of the most trusted in the industry, so quality is guaranteed. Second, the backpack’s adjustable back allows you to change how the bag fits according to your needs. Available in both blue and green, this is a great choice if you want a bag that you can depend on.
Osprey Europe Farpoint 70L
Osprey is one of the best brands for backpacks. Its frame (框架) suspension, which can be adjusted to different needs, allows you to travel more comfortably. Whether you’re visiting Switzerland in a thick, wool coat or the south of France in shorts and a T-shirt, the bag will match your look. This bag does say it is marketed for men, but, of course, it can be unisex.
1. What is the selling point of the Amazon Basics?| A．Its luxury style. | B．Its fashionable design. |
| C．Its huge space for use. | D．Its good value for money. |
| A．They are rich in color. | B．They have the same capacity. |
| C．They can be adjusted as needed. | D．They are targeted for male customers. |
| A．Amazon Basics 70L. | B．Eurohike Nepal 65L. |
| C．Mountain Warehouse Tor 65L. | D．Osprey Europe Farpoint 70L. |
4 . Short-form videos, also known as Shorts, have gained great popularity, particularly on platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels.
The phenomenon known as “TikTok Brain” arises from the app’s short and addictive videos. Similar to candy, these videos generate rapid dopamine (多巴胺) releases, stimulating the brain’s pleasure center. A study was conducted to investigate the impact of Shorts on the teenage brains.
Our brains process visual information faster than text, which explains why videos tend to outperform text-based content online. Due to their underdeveloped reading skills, children are more easily to become addicted to visual stimuli. Remarkably, social media platforms can do a lot harm to the development of reading habits among younger users.
According to Jessica Griffin, a professor of child psychology, Shorts affect the developing brains of children and teenagers. The prefrontal cortex (前额叶皮质) is responsible for attention, self-control, memory, and learning flexibility.
In conclusion, the constant exposure to fast-paced and stimulating content in Shorts can impact children’s attention. To address this issue, parents can have open conversations with their children about the potential risks.
| A．Some even do not include text at all. |
| B．TikTok’s feed is created addictive by design. |
| C．But it does not fully mature until around the age of 25. |
| D．It is helpful to use screen time management tools for Shorts. |
| E．Short-term memory and the ability to concentrate are affected. |
| F．It revealed that these videos are personalized, selected and fed to users. |
| G．They’re brief attention-grabbing videos that can be entertaining and addictive. |
5 . “Red tide” is a natural phenomenon that frequently occurs in many places around the world. The phenomenon is the result of extreme growth of tiny algae (海藻) called K. Brevis, which has a red color, giving the water surface a very noticeable red color. K. Brevis will give off chemicals that can attack the nervous systems of animals, which often leads to deadly results.
Florida citizens are no stranger to “red tide”, which occurs along the state’s Gulf Coast annually. However, the most recent outbreak of red tide has so far lasted much longer and spread across nearly 145 miles of the coastline in southwestern Florida.
The long season has caused the death of tons of fish and other animals which were washed up on the beaches all the way from Tampa to Naples. The smell of the dead animals has kept away thousands of locals and tourists that frequent the area’s long beaches. In view of that, in August, Florida declared a state of emergency for the seven places where K. Brevis has been growing quickly, providing $ 3 million to help with research, cleanup, and wildlife rescue.
Recently, the situation of red tide in Florida may be exacerbated due to an outbreak of algae Trichodesmium in the waters offshore of Manatee County. Trichodesmium floats on the water’s surface sucking nitrogen (氮) from the air while K. Brevis lives below the surface obtaining nitrogen from the water. If these two masses of algae mix, the dying Trichodesmium may end up providing nitrogen for K. Brevis, lengthening its stay in the area.
Researchers recently are exploring the idea of introducing other algal species to Florida. Among the possibilities is the Diatom. It’s a kind of algae that can grow quickly in the water. Its growth will consume a large amount of nitrogen from the water. So it competes with K. Brevis for nitrogen. Another possibility is algae known to give off chemicals that stop the growth of red tide.
The 10-month-long red tide outbreak in Florida may be the result of a combination of heavy rainfall, warmer ocean temperatures, and pollution. Now it’s time for us to do something.
1. What can we learn about K. Brevis?| A．It’s caused by red tide. | B．It can harm ocean life. |
| C．It’s facing dying out. | D．It exists mainly on land. |
| A．The researchers’ study of algae. | B．The tourism potential in Florida. |
| C．The possible ways to deal with red tide. | D．The consequences of red tide in Florida. |
| A．Worsened. | B．Studied. | C．Handled. | D．Ignored. |
| A．To change the color of K. Brevis. |
| B．To help reduce K. Brevis’ food supply. |
| C．To damage K. Brevis using some chemicals. |
| D．To increase fishes’ resistance to K. Brevis’ attack. |
6 . “Quick, quick, slow, slow,” my husband said as I was trying to focus. We frequently stepped on each other’s feet. Both of us were being rhythmically challenged, and we figured a series of lessons might help us look somewhat elegant on the floor. However, it didn’t.
It didn’t matter that the lessons didn’t pay off. Our learning something new together gave us a string of good memories, such as taking a Thai cooking class on a cold Chicago night and learning how to make classic cocktails (鸡尾酒) in a common bar. These experiences are my best memories from the past 10 years. We always have such a great time when we’re trying something new together. It seems to have strengthened our relationship, and makes me feel like we have a closer connection.
It turns out that my theory is backed by research. One study shows that learning new things with your spouse (配偶), friends, or partners, can strengthen your connection or friendship. But how exactly does this work? The key is vulnerability (弱点). “Learning new things together strengthens bonds because it is at those moments that we can show our vulnerability to one another,” says Dr. Hisla Bates. When we are learning a new task, misfortunes and failures are bound to happen. In those moments when we fail, the other party can be there in favor of us. We can work together to find a solution, and working together helps deepen the connection.
The benefits gained from learning new things with your partner can come from activities as small as hiking, trying a new recipe, going boating in the local lake or taking a fitness class together. You don’t have to go bungee jumping or skydiving to grow closer. Try selecting activities that both partners are unfamiliar with, as this will ensure you’re on the same page.
Trying to learn something new together once a month will benefit you and your spouse or friends. Overall, some of my best memories with my husband are the moments when we are learning something new together.
1. What were the author and her husband doing in Paragraph 1?| A．Playing sports. | B．Practising dancing. |
| C．Teaching lessons. | D．Taking a walk. |
| A．Practice makes perfect. |
| B．Good memories last a long time. |
| C．Processes matter more than results. |
| D．Well begun is half done. |
| A．It can encourage them to teach and praise each other. |
| B．It helps improve the understanding of each other. |
| C．It can reduce each other’s loneliness and boredom. |
| D．It helps find each other’s weaknesses and offer support. |
| A．The power of learning new things together |
| B．The advantages of taking different lessons |
| C．The challenge of acquiring new knowledge |
| D．The importance of improving people’s bonds |
7 . Debra Ferrell got the standard well wishes on Facebook on her 53rd birthday, but she got some unusual messages too. One was about a family in Minnesota who had just lost their four-year-old son to cancer. His older brother, autistic (患孤独症的) and nonverbal, was extremely sad. Could Ferrell help?
That message and the 30 or so others like it were exactly what Ferrell was looking for. To celebrate her 53rd, the longtime social service professional and well-known sweetie had put out a call on her Facebook page. She wanted to commit 53 random acts of kindness by the end of her birth month, and she needed information on people who could use one. When she got the note about the Minnesota family, she sent a wind chime (风铃) with the message “Listen to the wind and know that I am near” written on the clapper. It now hangs in the four-year-old’s bedroom, where his brother can go to listen to it whenever he wants.
This is not the first time that Ferrell decided to give gifts for her birthday. For her 47th, in 2014, she founded Love with Skin On, an organization dedicated to doing good deeds near her home in Roanoke, Virginia, and beyond. Its motto is simple: Be Love, Do Stuff.
Over the years, Ferrell has reached out and touched well over 100 strangers, some found via Facebook callouts, others with help from her grandkids. In another act of giving, she shares her favorite inexpensive and creative gift ideas on Pinterest for others to use.
Ferrell pays for everything herself: gift cards, pay-it-forward purchases at drive-throughs, and care packages, as well as the gas it takes to play fairy godmother. Her family often gives her some extra birthday cash with a serious warning not to spend it on anyone else, which she naturally ignores. “I got a couple of Amazon gift cards for my birthday this year and was like ‘YESSS!’ It’s Ferrell’s party, and she’ll give if she wants to.
1. What did Debra Ferrell receive on her birthday?| A．Messages asking for help. | B．Unusual birthday wishes. |
| C．Random gestures of kindness. | D．Gifts from Love with Skin On. |
| A．Share innovative ideas. | B．Give away care packages. |
| C．Purchase gifts for strangers. | D．Collect money for the needy. |
| A．Ferrel will hold a party. | B．Ferrel cares little about her family. |
| C．Ferrel will continue helping strangers. | D．Ferrel pays for everything for her family. |
| A．Loving and tolerant. | B．Selfless and independent. |
| C．Determined and demanding. | D．Generous and Warm-hearted. |
8 . Silent reading is far from silent in your brain. Deep within your head there is a voice reading aloud each word as your eyes scan it.
Let’s do a seemingly unrelated experiment first. Turn on your television and radio. Try to understand both the words from the television and the radio contemporaneously. You might have noticed understanding one source required ignoring the other, and you could feel your attention shifting between the two voices. Although we can listen to multiple people speaking at the same time, we can only truly understand one person speaking at a time.
There are three major areas that allow you to understand spoken words. The first is the Auditory Cortex (听觉皮层), which processes the pure characteristics of incoming sounds. Both sides of your brain contain this region. The next area is the Broca/ Wernicke (B/W) network, which makes sense of the spoken words. This network exists in only one side of your brain. This means that, although the sounds of language are initially processed in both sides of the brain, spoken words must eventually be funneled (流经漏斗) into this single network. This quickly leads to a bottleneck, which is controlled by the third area: the left Inferior Frontal Gyrus (IFG, 额下回). When you try to understand two people speaking at the same time, this region effectively blocks one voice while it allows the other to pass through the B/W bottleneck. Any information that does not immediately make it through the B/W network disappears completely—there is no wait list.
Now, let’s bring all the pieces together to see why it’s related to your silent reading. When you read, the first region to demonstrate activation is the Visual Cortex, which processes the pure visual characteristics of incoming sights. Immediately after the visual cortex activates, the speech areas of the brain fire up because your brain processes your silent reading in a manner almost identical to the way in which it processes an actual, out-loud speaking voice. For this reason, attempting to read while listening to someone speak is the same as trying to understand two people speaking at the same time—it can’t be done!
1. What does the underlined word “contemporaneously” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．At the same time. | B．One at a time. | C．On the whole. | D．Through comparison. |
Note: 
disappear; 
wait
A． | B． |
C． | D． |
| A．Students practice listening skills while reading novels. |
| B．Students solve math problem when following a lecture. |
| C．Teachers keep silent when students are reading attentively. |
| D．Professors give a speech with a text-heavy PowerPoint slide. |
| A．The art of conversation lies in listening. |
| B．Reading is nothing but a silent conversation. |
| C．We hear and understand only what we already know half. |
| D．Once an idea gets into your head, it’s probably going to stay there. |
9 . Half of all people will have significant amounts of grey hair by the age of 50．If greying occurs before the age of 30, it is known as premature greying. Possible reasons for this happening:
·genetics
·long-term dieting
·lack of protein and nutrients
·extreme mental and emotional stress
·lack of iron, copper, zinc, and Vitamin B12
“If you color your hair too often with strong chemicals and put them on scalps (头皮) that are still growing, the cells in your hair might get damaged. This can change how melanocytes (生黑色素细胞) work. Because of this, they may stop making color earlier than normal,” says Trichologist and Director of Hari and Scalp Clinic, HairMantra, Dr Padmaja Redekar. She recommends yearly scalp check-ups should be as routine as annual medicals.
“At HairMantra, you will receive expert advice with solutions for your whole lifestyle, products and supplements for your hair problems, and a hair care routine to use at home. Call us today and balance your hair health from the inside out,” Padmaja adds.
1. What is considered a possible reason for grey hair showing up early?| A．Occasional dieting. |
| B．Genetic problems. |
| C．Extreme physical stress. |
| D．Insufficient protein and nutrient. |
| A．Coloring your hair as you wish. | B．Changing how melanocytes work. |
| C．Protecting the cells in your hair earlier. | D．Getting your scalp checked every year. |
| A．An encyclopedia. | B．A healthcare report. |
| C．An advertisement. | D．A medical brochure. |
10 . During the last week of Fu Bao’s public viewing earlier this month, visitors endured waiting for 5—6 hours just to give a glance at the panda for only five minutes, as Everland Panda World restricted viewing time to manage the flood of visitors.
Born to parents Ai Bao and Le Bao in July 2020, Fu Bao is South Korea’s first naturally-born panda. In the days following her birth, Everland’s social media channels offered fans a steady diet of Fu Bao videos, pulling in more than 1.2 million subscribers and, as of February, over 500 million accumulated views. The most recent videos are now filled with warm and sincere messages from viewers.
Thanks to Fu Bao’s widespread popularity, her zookeeper has also found himself in the spotlight, becoming a bit of a social media star himself. Often referred to as her grandpa, Kang Chul-won offered hi own farewell message to Fu Bao, noting that the South Koreans’ special love for her all began with social media videos shared during the pandemic when the zoo was closed. She brought help and happiness to a society in many ways that was having a difficult time due to the virus. He said people visited the social media sites every day so it felt like he was raising her together with them. They cared so much for her and shared the same emotions of raising a baby panda together during such difficult times.
Fu Bao will be transferred to China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Sichuan Province. Everland says that she will be kept alone at Everland Panda World for a month to prepare her to adjust to her new environment before her overseas transfer, which will be carried out in accordance with international rules.
1. What can we learn about Fu Bao from the first two paragraphs?| A．She has a balanced diet. | B．She is five years old. |
| C．She is very popular in South Korea. | D．She came from Sichuan, China. |
| A．She is a live symbol of luck and fortune. |
| B．She is an animal who can resist any virus. |
| C．She is an inspiration to overcome difficulties. |
| D．She is their common possession and business. |
| A．She will go on show in Everland. | B．She will be separated for adjustment. |
| C．She will leave Everland Panda World. | D．She will be moved to a research center. |
| A．On behalf of. | B．In terms of. |
| C．In company with. | D．In agreement with. |
