1 . Scientists have confirmed the presence of a gray whale off New England in North America recently. The large sea animal disappeared from the Atlantic Ocean two centuries ago. Researchers with the New England Aquarium (水族馆) in Boston found the gray whale on March 1. The whale, which can weigh over 27,000 kilograms, was likely the same animal observed off the coast of Florida last year. Though the gray whale disappeared from the Atlantic Ocean by the 18th century, there have been five observations of the animal in the last 15 years.
They can be identified by the lack of a part of a body often seen on other whales: a back fin. Also, they can be identified by the look which is different from the humpback (座头鲸) and other whales. Gray whales can also be identified by the unusual sounds they make. The researchers said they were not sure at first. But after circling the area for 45 minutes, they were able to take photographs that confirmed it was a gray whale.
Scientists said they were thrilled to see the animal, but its presence probably has to do with the warming of the planet. The Northwest Passage, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Arctic Ocean in Canada, has lacked ice in the summer in recent years. That means gray whales can travel through the passage in the summer when normally they would have been blocked. So the animal’s arrival off New England exemplifies the effect of climate change.
Gray whales were almost completely killed off by hunting during the years of commercial whaling. Today, the whales have recovered to the point where they are considered a species of “least concern” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. However, the western whales that live off the coast of Asia still belong to the endangered species.
1. How can researchers identify the gray whale?| A．By tracking its travelling route. | B．By studying the collected data. |
| C．By the typical appearance and sounds. | D．By comparing its photos with the previous ones. |
| A．Congratulates. | B．Reflects. | C．Threatens. | D．Targets. |
| A．They still need to be preserved. | B．Their population has been recovered greatly. |
| C．They were extinct due to commercial hunting. | D．They have been removed from the endangered list. |
| A．Scientists Were Worried to Find a Gray Whale |
| B．A Gray Whale Was Found off North America |
| C．Gray Whales Disappeared From the Atlantic Ocean |
| D．The Climate Warming Changes Gray Whale’s Habitats |
2 . A couple of days ago, I was walking in a park when a gentleman, named Sam, sitting on a bench called me, “Sir, can you help me with this report?” I stopped and looked at it and it was his health report. I told him I am not a doctor but I can explain the contents of the report.
I told him the report showed he was diabetic (患糖尿病的). He said: “Sir, my doctor has given me some medicine and I have been taking it for a month and half. But why am I still diabetic?” I answered: “Please follow the diet given by your doctor and exercise regularly. Be positive and stay patient. You will see better results over the next couple of months.”
As I was about to leave, a friend of his sitting next to him stopped me and said, “Sir, he did not tell you one more thing. He used to be an alcoholic (酒鬼) for a long time. But now, since he knew the disease, he has reduced it to once a week from daily drinking.”
I smiled and gently told Sam: “It is great you have reduced your drinking to once a week. Can you now reduce it to once a month and then once in 3 months please? I will meet you right here in 3 months.” He smiled and agreed to do as I told him and meet me with a better health report. It seemed that he got the courage to quit drinking alcohol.
I felt maybe I could prepare a gift for the next meeting.
1. Why did Sam stop the author?| A．To have a chat with the author. | B．To read a report to the author. |
| C．To ask the author to give a hand. | D．To seek some advice from the author. |
| A．Puzzled. | B．Relieved. | C．Satisfied. | D．Excited. |
| A．He was sick for a month. | B．He worked out once a week. |
| C．He needed encouragement. | D．He was addicted to alcohol. |
| A．See a doctor. | B．Quit smoking. |
| C．Prepare a gift. | D．Follow the author’s advice. |
3 . On some late November dawn, I find myself drawn to the leisurely pursuit of baking a loaf of bread. Not by hand, but by following the bread machine’s step-by-step instructions.
But on this morning, three hours later, all I’ve got is a problem. I’d forgotten to insert the mixing blade into the bottom of the bread barrel. The result: a pile of unmixed dough that neither looks nor tastes like bread. Complaining, I dump the dough and prepare to start a new one.
I reach for the flour, only this time — I fall far short of the necessary four cups. I’ve got one cup at most, along with a freshly emptied flour bag. No matter, I think. I’ll simply drive to my parents’ house to borrow a bit of theirs. Upon my arrival, I decide not to wake them. Instead, I cat burgle my way through their front door, silently search through their cabinets, and discover their own bit of flour supply. I steal all of it and return home so that I might begin again the leisurely pursuit of baking bread.
I follow the instructions, and then, I consider the whole experience before breakfast. How I managed to turn a one-second oversight into an hour-long adventure that cost me more time and money than any loaf of bread could ever be worth. Somewhere, an apron reads, “Baking is my therapy.” I want the one that reads, “Baking sends me to therapy.”
As my bread machine bread begins to rise, I’m struck by an inconvenient truth: had I done nothing that morning, I’d have managed a more favorable outcome.
Meanwhile, I notice something new: the mixing blade works intermittently rather than continually, meaning that for the bread to rise to its full potential, it requires both motion and rest. Work has its place, but so must leisure. The recipe calls for both.
1. Why did the writer fail the first time in the baking?| A．He left out a key step. | B．The flour has run out. |
| C．The bread machine broke down. | D．The dough doesn’t taste like bread. |
| A．He went out to buy some. |
| B．He borrowed some from a friend. |
| C．He got some from his parents by himself. |
| D．He found another bag of flour in his own house. |
| A．How to bake bread |
| B．An unforgettable experience |
| C．Work has its place, but so must leisure |
| D．Breaking bread: A morning adventure in baking |
| A．Practice makes perfect. | B．Well begun is half done. |
| C．Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. | D．All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. |
4 . Before children can learn to read, they need to have a good understanding of basic words and what they mean.
If you are looking for a great place to start building your preschooler’s vocabulary and early reading skills, look no further than your local library. Research shows a strong correlation between library use and literacy-building skills in young children.
When it comes to increasıng your child’s vocabulary, more is better. The more words that your child hears, the more he or she will learn. For example, when describing a fabric pattern, try using words such as unusual, relaxing, or creative. These words may be beyond a kid’s understanding right now.
If you want your preschoolers to learn more words, then make it easy.
Besides being a wonderful way to spend quality time with your preschooler, reading aloud is a great way to expose your preschooler to new words. Choose books that are of interest to your preschooler but that use words that are slightly above their understanding. Together you can work through what they mean, by using context—the other words on the page and any pictures that might be on the page as well.
| A．Reading aloud together |
| B．Spending time together |
| C．While that may sound a bit difficult |
| D．In addition to saying them often, show them too |
| E．If you aren’t sure what to do when you get there |
| F．But by using them in the proper context, you’ll make them understandable |
| G．The more parents help children overcome challenges, the better they’ll be for kindergarten |
5 . It is hard to imagine humans spending their lives in virtual reality (VR) when the experience amounts to waving your arms about in the middle of the waiting room with a device fastened to your face. But this is where humanity is heading.
Chalmers, an Australian professor of philosophy and neural science at New York University, makes the case to embrace VR in his new book, Reality +. Well-known for explaining “the hard problem” of consciousness, Chalmers sees technology reaching the point where virtual and physical are the same in the sense and people live good lives in VR. In the decades ahead, Chalmers suspects we will replace the clumsy (笨拙的) headsets with brain-computer interfaces that allow us to experience virtual worlds with our full set of senses.
“A common way of thinking about VR is that it is somehow fake ability. I think that’s wrong,” Chalmers explained. “The virtual worlds we’re interacting with can be as real as our ordinary physical world.”
“But there are plenty of risks to be cautious of,” he notes. As fulfilling as virtual worlds may become, people will need real food, drink and exercise, and perhaps even the glimpse of daylight, to keep their bodies from fading away. These are not the only health problems. Some people have raised serious concerns about the risk of psychological damage: If we are better looking and have better clothes and a nicer home in the meta verse (元宇宙), how will we feel when we leave?
“The lure (诱惑) of VR might also cause neglect on a global scale,” Chalmers reveals. Would climate change and other crises facing the physical world lose their urgency? That would be a disaster. He says,“Physical reality is really important. We must maintain a connection to it and care for it responsibly.”
1. Why does the author mention “a device fastened to your face” in paragraph 1?| A．To offer a suggestion on improving virtual reality. |
| B．To introduce the latest advance in virtual technology. |
| C．To emphasize a physical barrier to enjoying virtual reality. |
| D．To demonstrate the necessity of wearing a virtual device. |
| A．He considers that virtual reality has various definitions. |
| B．He argues that virtual reality is genuine reality. |
| C．He believes that virtual reality is fake reality. |
| D．He suggests that virtual reality is temporary. |
| A．It might speed up global warming. |
| B．It might offer an alternative solution. |
| C．It might encourage people to solve it. |
| D．It might make people neglect the issue. |
| A．The future of VR. | B．The worries about VR. |
| C．The professor’s insights into VR. | D．The public’s views on VR. |
6 . In a world filled with things that take our attention away, and ego-driven (自尊心驱使的) ambition, it’s easy to lose sight of what’s truly important. Among the chaos of modern life, humility(谦逊) emerges as a powerful force that, if embraced, can help us navigate challenges, understand ourselves and those around us, and change our true values and purpose.
Drawing from personal experiences and reflections, Peter Ash talks about the transformative power of embracing humility as a tool to navigate the challenge, build true confidence, and lead life as our authentic selves.
In Humble: Reflections On The Power Of Humility And Its Place In An Ego-Obsessed World, the author Peter Ash puts forward a different perspective on a happy life, by addressing what he considers to be the definition of what humility is, and what it is not. Using his experiences to set a backdrop, Ash’s guidance is designed to intentionally flow between autobiography and reader guidance.
The book has ten chapters, covering topics such as making the case for humility, personal ego, and the importance of humility in the digital age and in the workplace. The guidance provided is less around direct bullet points and key takeaways, but more asking the reader to draw general reflections and conclusions. This is done by comparıng and contrasting themselves to the author’s experiences as they progress through the book.
The book comes in at just over one hundred pages in length. Ash has a clear and well put together writing style to take readers on that journey to highlight his argument for living a more modest existence.
The book is suitable for anyone who wishes to reflect and gain inspiration on how to live a more meaningful life. When terms such as “be kind” and “be humble” are bounced around the Internet with no clear definition, this book could be seen as an interesting story to the chaos of modern life.
1. What do we know about humility?| A．It leads us to a deeper understanding of self and others. |
| B．It is the key to achieving our ego-driven ambition. |
| C．It is the most powerful tool for us to overcome difficulties. |
| D．It definitely contributes to success in all aspects of life. |
| A．It provides numerous direct suggestions. |
| B．Its writing style is formal and academic. |
| C．It is based on the author’s childhood experiences. |
| D．Its contents are enlightening and inspiring. |
| A．Skeptical. | B．Approving. | C．Dismissive. | D．Ambiguous. |
| A．A news report. | B．A book review. |
| C．A novel. | D．An autobiography. |
7 . Set 40 kilometers northeast of the city of Ambatondrazaka, Madagascar, the Zahamena National Park has overall land coverage of 643 square kilometers, but only about 420 square kilometers is open to the public. It receives an average rainfall level of around 6 feet every year and experiences frequent rain showers even during the dry season between April and October. And elevations (海拔) inside the park range from 250 to 1,560 meters, which has resulted in a diversity (多样性) of climates.
One really interesting thing about the Zahamena National Park is its unique highland landform (高地地貌). The development of several ecosystems that all together exist within its area greatly depends on it. And this is also the reason why the types of wildlife living in one area of its wide range are different in another, which makes it quite exciting to explore.
This protected region’s main area is divided into two parts: the eastern and western areas, with a separate piece of ground in the middle where many small villages are located. Zahamena means “red trees”, which suggests a tree species scientifically called Diatum unifoliatum. It lives only in Zahamena and is characterized by its typically deep reddish-orange color.
Established as a strict natural highland habitat for nature conservation (保护) in 1927, the Zahamena National Park was officially awarded the honorary title of national park in 1997 and was finally opened to the public. Due to its amazing landform and unique local biodiversity, this national park was later listed as a key part of the Rainforests of the Atsinanana in 2007.
Unluckily, there are no hotels or restaurants around the national park. So Zahamena is not an easy rainforest—this national park needs people with a high level of fitness and people with low requirements concerning accommodations. Everyone who is not discouraged by this will be able to expect an amazing rainforest experience in a location which has a small number of tourists.
1. What do we know about the Zahamena National Park?| A．It is hard to reach due to conservation rules. |
| B．It has changeable weather all year round. |
| C．It has a great difference in elevations. |
| D．It is famous for its traditional villages. |
| A．The complete food chain of wildlife there. |
| B．The wet weather condition there. |
| C．The conservation efforts there. |
| D．The special landform there. |
| A．A cultural belief. | B．A local tree species. |
| C．The unique geography. | D．The local village group. |
| A．The tough condition of Zahamena. | B．People’s high level of fitness. |
| C．Its geographical location. | D．The diversity of climates. |
8 . At 102 years old, Jack Hemmings, a former Royal Air Forces pilot, is believed to be the oldest pilot to fly a Spitfire, a World War II plane. His 20-minute flight, from an airfield in southern England, was to raise money for a charity he co-founded nearly 80 years ago.
The flight on Monday was the first time he flew a Spitfire. Speaking at the Biggin Hill airfield before his flight, Mr Hemmings said when offered a flight he seized it with both hands and could hardly wait to try it.
Following the flight, Jack Hemmings remarked that it was absolutely delightful being back behind the controls, though the ride was very shaky. “To be honest, I felt a bit out of practice. Not surprising I am not as sharp as before.” he said.
Hemmings was raising funds for Mission Aviation Fellowship, a humanitarian air service he helped launch after WWII alongside D-Day veteran (老兵) Stuart King. The organization has since grown into a Christian organization that uses planes to deliver relief, medicine and emergency supplies to countries in need. The flight marked 80 years since the D-Day landings and honored King, who died in 2020.
Hemmings previously performed aerobatic (特技飞行) on his 100th birthday and raised more than $50,000 for the charity.
Barry Hughes, a pilot who accompanied Hemmings in the aircraft, said the veteran had a natural touch. “He didn’t need any instruction really. He just took control, flew us around, and made some turnings and basic actions,” Hughes said. “I think he really enjoyed every single moment of the flight.”
1. What did Jack Hemmings accomplish at the age of 102?| A．He set a new record for the longest flight in a Spitfire. |
| B．He became the oldest person to pilot a World War II aircraft. |
| C．He completed a successful solo flight across southern England. |
| D．He raised a large amount of money for charity through his flight. |
| A．Delivering humanitarian aid to countries in need. |
| B．Offering military service and support in war zones. |
| C．Providing aviation assistance for scientific investigations. |
| D．Facilitating international travel for humanitarian workers. |
| A．His lack of skills behind the controls. |
| B．His clumsy operations during the flight. |
| C．His mastery of the aircraft during the flight. |
| D．His cautious approach to flying the Spitfire. |
| A．Committed and cautious. | B．Passionate and modest. |
| C．Determined and innovative. | D．Selfless and adventurous. |
9 . Why Be Kind?
We all know that being kind is something that’s good to do for others, right?
Scientists have learned that when a person does something nice for others, it can make the helper feel happier. It can also boost their well-being, which includes their sense of purpose and how satisfied they feel in their life. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a small act of kindness, such as sharing a snack, or a larger one, such as helping with a project.
While all acts of kindness are good, we feel the benefits most deeply when we help others in person and connect with them, human to human. We feel joy and satisfaction when we work hard and use our talents to help others, especially when we can sense their appreciation. And when we work with others to do kind things, we feel a sense of belonging and take pride in the work we did together.
We have many ways to be kind.
| A．In both cases, the giver gains benefits. |
| B．It also helps when we ourselves make the choice to act kindly. |
| C．For example, volunteering at a care center is an excellent way. |
| D．In short, we can feel that our life becomes richer when we help others. |
| E．Therefore, it is crucial to involve young people in community service early on. |
| F．And scientists have found that being kind can even improve our physical health. |
| G．But do you know that being kind brings many benefits to the giver and to the receiver? |
10 . Thanks to artificial intelligence, education is more accessible and efficient than ever. To give you an overview of the industry, we round up some AI technology applied in education.
Duolingo
Duolingo provides listening, reading and speaking exercises in dozens of global languages, all the while providing aspects of gamification to keep users coming back. By applying AI, Duolingo’s lessons are paced and leveled specifically for each student according to their performance. It also uses data and machine learning to make course improvements, taking into consideration the differences of various languages.
Amira Learning
Amira Learning is a virtual learning application created to accelerate young students’ reading comprehension. Using AI technology, Amira has students read stories aloud and can assess oral reading fluency as well as identify areas for improvement. For teachers and parents, Amira also provides services such as student progress reports and dyslexia (阅读障碍) risk screening.
Blippar
Blippar’s products combine computer vision intelligence technology and augmented reality to enhance the way students learn in the classroom. The interactive materials bring subjects like geography, biology and physics to a visual space. For example, instead of reading about a volcanic eruption, the system shows students a virtual 3D model of the eruption process.
Nuance
Nuance makes speech-to-text software used by students and faculty to transcribe (转成) up to 160 words per minute. The technology is especially helpful for students who struggle with writing or have limited mobility. It also enhances spelling ability and word identification. Instructors use the software to dictate lectures for later use or quicken repetitive tasks like document and email creation.
1. Which platform uses gamification to engage users in language learning?| A．Amira Learning. | B．Blippar. |
| C．Nuance. | D．Duolingo. |
| A．Speech-to-text software. |
| B．Reading comprehension. |
| C．Computer vision intelligence technology. |
| D．Personalized language learning with gamification. |
| A．They focus on language learning. |
| B．They specialize in science subjects. |
| C．They use technology to aid learning. |
| D．They offer computer programming courses. |
