1 . Nature has so much to offer us, from its strikingly attractive beauty and peaceful settings to its healing(治愈) power and positive energy.     1    

Hiking is one of the most popular ways to explore nature. You can find a hiking trail near you or plan an adventure to a far-off destination. Hiking allows you to experience the beauty of nature and appreciate the outdoors in a way that is not possible from the comfort of your home.     2     Additionally, hiking can be a great way to connect with friends and family as you explore the trails together. All in all, no matter where you go, you’ll be able to take in the beauty of nature and make some great memories.

    3     All you really need is just a good pair of shoes and some basics such as water, snacks, and a map. If you’re new to hiking, you may want to start out on an easier trail and build up your skills and endurance as you go. You will become more and more experienced.     4    

Before hitting the trails, make sure you are familiar with the area and the trails you plan to take.     5     It’s also important to make sure you have the right equipment for the type of hike you’re planning. A good pair of hiking boots, a hat, and sunscreen are all essential for a safe and enjoyable hike.

A．Hiking often brings you new friends.

B．Hiking is beneficial to your body and mind.

C．It also provides a way to stay active and build strength.

D．Check the weather and potential dangers such as wildlife.

E．Then you can challenge yourself with more difficult hikes.

F．The good news is that hiking is an option to connect with nature.

G．One of the best things about hiking is that it’s relatively easy to get started.

2 . Seasonality is a big part of business. For some industries, seasonal patterns are a defining feature. Agriculture is one obvious example; tourism another. Western toymakers notch up a huge proportion of their annual sales during Christmas. Construction is harder during cold weather, when that industry employs fewer people.

Firms less obviously tied to the seasons can still be deeply affected by them, as a recent review by Ian Hohm of the University of British Columbia makes clear. An analysis of social-media posts on the Internet found that dieting-related posts peak in the spring, as the season of body dysmorphia(变形) approaches.

Even when overall demand doesn’t vary greatly between the seasons, preterences change. Beef-eaters buy roasts in the slow-cooking winter season and plump for steaks during the summer months. Starbucks is among those firms that make seasonality a marketing event. The pumpkin-spiced latte is a reliable sign that autumn is on its way, along with falling leaves.

Seasonality also leaves a less obvious imprint(印记) inside organisations. This week, with so many bosses stuck on a mountain for the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, productive employees can get on with some work and lazy ones can relax. School holidays offer an obvious form of seasonality, when employees without children are upset that they are covering for colleagues on holiday, and colleagues on holiday are upset that they have children.

Pay decisions are seasonal events, too. The time when employees find out their salary rises and bonuses sets off disappointment and happiness in all workplaces. In some, they are more like tsunamis. The actual date on which bonuses are paid matters too—once the money is safely put in the bank, people are more likely to move jobs.

There are other forms of corporate seasonality. While there isn’t much research on the impact of seasonality within firms, it’s certain that they have their own annual rhythms.

1. Why do people focus on dieting in spring posts according to the analysis?

A．They want to take time to get refreshed in spring.

B．They fear the summer heat will ruin their health.

C．They fear summer will reveal their body shapes.

D．They suffer a lack of proper food during winter.

2. What does the underlined part “plump for” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Throw away.

B．Decide on.

C．Rule out.

D．Turn up.

3. What troubles childless employees during school holidays?

A．Being unable to relax in the absence of the boss.

B．Staying in step with the change of the seasons.

C．Accompanying the children of their colleagues.

D．Sharing the work of the employees with children.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Companies Have Their Own Seasonal Rhythms

B．School Holidays Have an Effect on Companies

C．Corporate Seasonality Has Vast Social Effect

D．Employees Must Watch Beyond the Seasons

3 . My mother was born on a farm in Wisconsin in 1897. She attended college in Milwaukee.

One of my earliest memories, when I was about 3, was on a bitter cold day in 1932, the middle of the Great Depression. A man knocked on our back door and asked my mother for something to eat, as he hadn’t eaten for three days. Mom gave him a plate of stew (炖菜) plus two slices of bread. When he took the plate and fork, tears streamed down his cheeks.

At age 21, in 1918, my mother began employment with a local charity in northern Georgia. She was assigned alone to create valuable programs for a small community. She often told us the stories about those old days after she retired. In her later years, my mother established Georgia’s Garden Club, the Professional Women’s Club, the town’s first lending library and other “firsts”.

There were quite a lot of people at her funeral in 1990, when she passed away at 93. My sister and I moved among her many friends, exchanging memories about her. At one point, we saw a stranger with tears on his face. We approached him and my sister asked, “Did you know my mother well?” He replied, “I owe my life to her!” He told us that when he was a young child, in 1918, his family of seven all came down with the flu. The “new lady from the charity” heard about their illness and came to help. He said, “We’d never have made it without her loving care.”

Amazingly, the night before I had read a brief account of that very incident in one of my mother’s diaries. I’m certain I have a responsibility to inform the world of what my mother’s life in northern Georgia was like.

1. Why does the author mention the story that happened in 1932?

A．To complain about the Great Depression.

B．To explain there were many poor people.

C．To prove his family was so wealthy then.

D．To show his mother was very sympathetic.

2. What can best describe the author’s mother in her later years?

A．Ambitious and active.	B．Traditional but brave.
C．Determined and humorous.	D．Demanding but straightforward.

3. How might the author and his sister feel after hearing what the stranger said?

A．Puzzled.

B．Grateful.

C．Proud.

D．Sad.

4. What is the author likely to talk about next regarding his mother?

A．Her education experiences.	B．Her childhood memories.
C．The challenges in her career.	D．The stories in her programs.

4 . Must-Reads of This Year and Beyond

Memphis, Tara M. Stringfellow

It’s Stringfellow’s first novel, a story about three generations of Black women in the American South and their challenges, failures, joys, sorrows, and achievements. I had heard about this novel months before its release and looked forward to reading it, but I was excited with the extent of Stringfellow’s storytelling talent. The author shows great insight about Black women in America.

Very Cold People, Sarah Manguso

It follows a girl’s coming-of-age in the 1980s and 1990s. Set in a fictional town in Massachusetts, which is proud of its old history and rigid class structures, this is an unforgettable book about the loneliness of growing up in a place where you are deeply aware you don’t belong , but pretend that you do in order to survive.

The Star that Always Stays, Anna Rose Johnson

It is set in the early 1900s. Johnson’s writing is gentle, unhurried and reflective—with touches of humor and heartbreak. She showcases Norvia, a courageous young hero fighting against universal daily-life challenges. This new release could be paired well with The Birchbark House series by Louise Erdrich.

Tell Me I’m an Artist, Chelsea Martin

Joey, a college student from a lower-class family, feels out of her depth at art school, where wealth seems necessary for self-realization. To finish an experimental-film assignment, she has decided to remake the movie Rushmore without ever having seen it. The book perfectly deals with the problems of financial insecurity and artistic self-doubt.

1. Who does “I” refer to in the first part?

A．The book’s author.	B．The book’s reviewer.
C．The book’s publisher.	D．The book’s character.

2. Which book tells about a young girl’s growing pains?

A．Memphis.	B．Very Cold People.
C．Tell Me I’m an Artist.	D．The Star that Always Stays.

3. What can be learned about Joey?

A．She wants a breakthrough in art.	B．She was born into a rich family.
C．She wrote the play Rushmore.	D．She’s directed many films in college.

5 . Creativity is always about finding inspiration. If you think your well of ideas has dried up, you need to look at the little things in life.     1    .

Write down every moment. The best moments pass by so fast that many people fail to notice and appreciate them. This is not the case for creative types. There is inspiration in every encounter and conversation. For example, you could look at a man at a cafe reading a newspaper and come up with an interesting background story about him.     2    , so bring a camera or notebook with you and be ready to document the littlest details.

Take time to meditate (冥思). Look for a quiet and secluded (僻静的) place. Take a seat, close your eyes and focus on your breathing.     3    . Give yourself five to ten minutes. By the time you open your eyes, you will gain greater clarity and your ideas will become more vivid.

Search the web. Apart from focusing on your inner self, you should also look for external inspiration.     4    . Sites like Pinterest and Journey s of Life can provide you with reference materials that will help improve the ideas you currently have.

    5    . You won’t be able to find inspiration if you are always stressed out. You may have too many problems to address, but other people may feel more stressful than you. This is not to down play your struggles, but sometimes, you simply need to know how to respond to the potential stress if things don’t result in your favor.

A．Find more inspiration

B．Learn to deal with stress

C．Every moment is worth recording

D．Try to empty your mind of any distracting thoughts

E．Here is how you can source creative inspiration each day

F．Creative types turn out to be appealing to those people around you

G．You can find tons of ideas that will stimulate your creativity online

6 . AP at a Glance

Get an Overview of the AP Program

The Advanced Placement ® Program (AP) enables willing and academically-prepared students to pursue college-level studies while they are still in high school. The program develops college-level courses that high schools can choose to offer and corresponding AP exams that are administered once a year.

Fast Facts

·AP courses are available in seven subject categories.

·Each AP course is modeled on a comparable introductory college course in the subject.

·Each course comes to an end in a standardized college-level assessment or an AP exam.

·AP exams are given in May each year at testing locations all over the world.

·Schools must be authorized by the AP Course Audit to offer approved AP courses and use the “AP” designation (名称).

Advantages

Taking AP courses and exams can help students:

·Stand out on college applications. AP courses on a student’s transcript (学生成绩报告单) show that they’ve challenged themselves with the strictest courses available to them. And success on an AP exam shows that they’re ready for college-level coursework.

·Earn college credits and skip introductory courses in college. Most four-year colleges and universities in the United States, as well as many institutions in more than 100 other countries, grant students’ credit, placement, or both for qualifying AP exam scores.

1. Who are suitable to apply for the program?

A．Middle school teachers.

B．High school students.

C．Program designers.

D．Company administrators.

2. What should the students do to finish a course?

A．Study seven reports.

B．Earn enough credits.

C．Take a relevant exam.

D．Use the “AP” designation.

3. What benefit can the qualified students get from the program?

A．Getting a high school transcript sooner.

B．More foreign universities to be chosen from.

C．Studying more introductory courses in college.

D．Higher possibility of being admitted to a university.

7 . A New Jersey high schooler, Selina Zhang is no stranger to the spotted lanternfly (斑衣蜡蝉). The now 18-year-old first noticed it when visiting a market near her hometown of Annandale in primary school. It jumped from a plant to a plant to feed on their sap (汁液), affecting over 70 species. In its wake, the plants became stressed, which increased their chances of falling ill and being attacked.

“As I got older, I wanted to take concrete action,” says Zhang. “So I’ve built ArTreeficial, a solar -powered, self-cleaning and artificial -intelligence-driven tree that attracts the spotted lanternfly and removes it using an electric shock.”

On top of conducting an extensive literature review of existing researches, Zhang carefully observed the spotted lanternflies in the wild for weeks, tracking how they grew over time and how they travelled over unfamiliar structures. She took over 500 photos of them, which she logged in a personal database.

Zhang wanted to create a tree-like structure that copied the tree of heaven, a known host plant of the spotted lanternfly, as the primary lure (诱饵) for her trap. So, she uprooted the umbrella from her family’s yard and got to work. First, she used ultrasound to give off a smell made from the essence of the tree of heaven from ArTreeficial’s trunk to attract them. Second, she designed a double-layered electric net for the tree, which would use machine learning to shock spotted lanternflies once they landed on the tree. Then, Zhang used her database of photos to inform and program her AI model.

Zhang’s net s are divided into multiple squares going up and down the structure. When a spotted lanternfly steps on the inner net, the Al model operates. Electricity courses through that particular section, while the rest remain inactive, and the insect is attacked.

Julie Urban, a spotted lanternfly expert at Pennsylvania State University, says that Zhang’s AI approach is incredibly innovative and could be useful in multiple environments.

1. Why does the spotted lanternfly jump onto the plants?

A．To avoid falling ill.	B．To satisfy its hunger.
C．To attract other species.	D．To play with them.

2. What did Selina Zhang do for her invention?

A．She conducted field observation.	B．She copied online photos.
C．She referred to others’ database.	D．She consulted researchers.

3. What is probably the key to attracting the spotted lanternfly?

A．The electricity.

B．The net.

C．The smell.

D．The umbrella.

4. What is Julie Urban’s attitude towards Selina Zhang’s invention?

A．Critical.

B．Unclear.

C．Unconcerned.

D．Approving.

8 . Whenever he can, 15-year-old Elliot Morgan practices basketball in his backyard. He says it’s a good stress-reliever. But it wasn’t that long ago that he didn’t have time for this new hobby. “There were times in the summer when I would spend four or five hours a day on my phone,” he says. When school started in the fall, Morgan found himself scrolling (划屏) as soon as he woke up. “I realize I start to avoid workouts because I’m on my phone,” he says. “It’s affecting my focus.”

It has become clear that social media is a key player in many drivers of unhealthy habits. Social media apps are designed to encourage overuse, and teenagers are more likely to be influenced because their brains are at an important period of development that makes it harder to be free from temptation (诱惑). All of this makes limiting use more challenging — even for families who set rules.

“It’s a really big problem,” says Elliot’s mom, Alyssa. She was shocked when she discovered Elliot had bypassed parental controls and was spending five hours a day on social media. “I asked him, ‘Can you just take a look and see? Just tell me what you think. Does this feel good to you?’” she says.

Elliot hadn’t realized how many hours he was on social media. And he was at a loss. With his mother’s help, he tried to start cutting back. After several months, he decided to delete (删除) social media apps altogether. “After that, I actually sleep enough and feel better,” he says. He’s now closer with his friends because they spend more time talking instead of scrolling. And joining school clubs has also helped him reduce time on his phone.

1. What can we learn about Elliot from the first paragraph?

A．He is always late for class.	B．He used to work out early.
C．He likes football at school.	D．He lost himself in his phone.

2. How does social media affect teenagers according to the text?

A．They tend to develop bad habits.	B．They will take up more challenges.
C．They can improve reading skills.	D．They find it hard to make friends.

3. What is probably Alyssa’s attitude to limiting social media use?

A．Uncaring.

B．Positive.

C．Doubtful.

D．Unclear.

4. How does Elliot probably find his life now?

A．Lonely.

B．Simple.

C．Enjoyable.

D．Difficult.

9 . Leading museums in the United States are covering up or closing displays featuring Native American cultural objects owing to new federal rules. The new regulations require museums to obtain “free, prior and informed permission” from tribal leaders before displaying ancestral heritage items.

The American Museum of Natural History in New York City, the largest natural history museum in the world, announced on Jan 26 that it would close two halls spanning 10,000 square feet with Native American exhibits, as the exhibits are “severely outdated”. “The halls we are closing contain artifacts(历史文物) of an era when museums such as ours did not respect the values, perspectives and indeed shared humanity of Native Americans,” museum President Sean Decatur said in a letter to the staff, The New York Times reported. “The number of cultural objects on display in these halls is significant, and because these exhibits are also severely outdated, we have decided that rather than just covering or removing specific items, we will close the halls,” Decatur said. The move comes because of the implementation(执行) in early January of update d regulations under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA).

Over the next five years, museums, universities, art institutions and similar places are required to undertake essential updates to prepare all human remains and related funerary(葬礼的) objects for repatriation(遣送),making sure that tribes have more power and increased authority throughout the process. “The ultimate goal of the law is not to cover up exhibitions. It’s not to prevent appropriate education about diverse native cultures. It’s about repairing and repatriating items that have been stolen over the last couple of centuries and returning them to the rightful people,” Shannon O’Loughlin, the CEO of the Association on American Indian Affairs said.

Chicago’s Field Museum earlier this month also closed several displays featuring Native American cultural items. The Field Museum has one of the biggest collections of Native American remains in the country and opened a new permanent exhibition in the spring of 2022 that displaced the museum’s longstanding Native American exhibition since the 1950s.

Harvard University, which has more than 5,000 Native American human remains, has said it will remove all Native American funerary items from its exhibits. “Exhibitions have always been discussed during tribal discussions and cultural items have been removed from display at the tribal request. With the new NAGPRA regulations, the museum is in the process of removing all the funerary belongings and likely funerary belongings off display,” Harvard University’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, said in a statement.

1. Which has the same meaning as the underlined word “perspectives” in Paragraph 2?

A．Occupations.

B．Faults.

C．Challenges.

D．Viewpoints.

2. What did Chicago’s Field Museum do in the spring of 2022?

A．It opened a new permanent exhibition.

B．It collected some Native American belongings.

C．It handed funerary objects to American Indians.

D．It set about displaying Native American cultural objects.

3. How is Harvard University dealing with all the funerary belongings?

A．By selling them to other people.	B．By putting them in some labs.
C．By taking them away from its exhibits.	D．By covering them with pieces of cloth.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．US New NAGPRA regulations scheduled to be in effect

B．US museums stop displaying Native American exhibits

C．US museums feature Native American cultural items

D．US museums prefer ancestral heritage items

10 . In ancient Maya civilization, cacao — which chocolate is made from — wasn’t just for the elites (精英). Traces of the sacred plant show up in antiques from all types of neighborhoods and in and around a former Maya city, researchers report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The finding suggests that, contrary to previous thinking, cacao was consumed at every social level of Maya society.

“Now we know that the ceremonies with cacao were likely played out by everyone,” says AnabelFord, an archaeologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Cacao was sacred to the ancient Maya, consumed in ceremonies and used as a currency. The cacao tree itself was linked to Hun Hunahpu, a Mayan god. Previous research found cacao in burials (墓地), suggesting that its use was restricted to those at the top.

To explore the extent to which cacao was used in broader Maya society, Ford and colleagues examined 54 antiques dating from A. D. 600 to 900. The antiques come from jars, mixing bowls, serving plates and vases thought to be drinking vessels. All the pieces were found in residential and ceremonial civic areas of varying size and status from city centers, foothills, upland areas and the valley around the former Maya city of El Pilar, on the present-day border of Guatemala and Belize.

To identify cacao, the researchers searched for theophylline, a compound found in trace amounts in the plant. The team found the compound on more than half of the samples, on all types of antiques and distributed throughout social contexts.

Future research will move beyond who consumed cacao and explore the role of farmers in managing the critical resource. “A better question is to understand who grew it,” Ford says, because those people probably had greater access to the valuable commodity.

1. What do traces of cacao found in Mayan antiques indicate?

A．Cacao was once unique to Maya society.

B．Cacao was only available to wealthy Mayan people.

C．Cacao was accessible to Mayan ordinary people.

D．Cacao left more traces in the Mayan city center.

2. What can we learn from the first two paragraphs?

A．There is no need to do further research on cacao.

B．Mayan people liked eating chocolate very much.

C．Mayan festivals were the same as those of the modern times.

D．There were some limitations in previous research about cacao.

3. Why did Ford and his colleagues examine 54 antiques?

A．To make copies of Mayan antiques.

B．To learn about the Mayan eating habits.

C．To find out cacao’s relationship with the religion.

D．To know about Mayan social groups of cacao use.

4. Which of the following will be the focus of the research about cacao?

A．The varieties of cacao.	B．Ways cacao was spread out.
C．Cacao tree growers.	D．The cacao’s value.