1 . Getting the best deal
Bargaining is a difficult process. The buyer wants to purchase a product at its minimum price while the seller wants to maximize the potential for profit.
First, buyers should assume that the price tag represents the starting point of negotiations, not the final word on the matter. Buyers should begin by asking the salesperson whether any sales or discounts will soon be advertised.
Second, buyers need to find out whether the seller has lowered prices in the past and, if SO, by how much.
Finally, buyers must be patient
| A．Even if customers really want the item |
| B．If customers do not request a special deal |
| C．Looking for bargains takes time and energy |
| D．It can be worthwhile to wait under these circumstances |
| E．The desires of the buyer and the seller oppose each other |
| F．Buyers must be prepared to walk away from an item when bargaining |
| G．If the buyer learns that the seller has offered discounts to other customers |
2 . J. K. Rowling frequently shows there is magic every day. Her Harry Potter series has helped people through times of stress and depression and she is always there to deliver wise words of encouragement.
She is one celebrity who is very active on Twitter. So when a single dad named Matt Burke sent her a message thanking her for the series, she noticed. Her series had helped strengthen his relationship with his 9yearold daughter Bailey.
He included a link to his article titled Being a Broke Parent. He explained how he hadn’t found a level of financial stability that allowed him to pay bills on time and take his daughter on more activities and events. The family also doesn’t have the Internet or TV, which means there’s no “digital babysitter” and he has to rely on his own creative ways to bond with his daughter. Since he received the series, the main thing that has occupied them these days is reading books together.
Burke admits that he thought he was “too cool” for the books when they first came out and he was in his twenties, but he’s loving reading them now. “We switch off chapter by chapter reading them out loud，“Burke explains.” This not only allows her to get more used to reading aloud in front of someone, but it gets me directly involved in something she loves, and it gives me the chance to be very dramatic when I read my chapters and bring myself into the characters in the book, which has proven to be a ton of fun.”
After hearing Burke’s story, Rowling said how honored she was when Harry Potter was a part of his family’s life and offered Burke more books. Besides, people are also offering to send Burke more books as gifts. For Burke, this experience, far more than gifts, will be what he treasures.
1. Why did Burke thank J. K. Rowling according to the text?| A．She guided him how to write a good story. |
| B．She encouraged him when he was in trouble. |
| C．Her books helped him through times of confusion. |
| D．Her books helped him improve his bond with his daughter. |
| A．He has found it interesting to read the series. | B．He was too old to understand the series better. |
| C．He has chosen a better way of reading the series. | D．He hopes to play a role in the drama in the future. |
| A．Useless. | B．Normal. | C．Valuable. | D．Boring. |
| A．J. K. Rowling chooses to help improve kids’ health. |
| B．J. K. Rowling gives a magical gift to a single father. |
| C．J. K. Rowling has a deep influence on others’ growth. |
| D．Burke comes to know J. K. Rowling through her series. |
3 . American Unique Buildings
The country’s full of awe—inspiring natural wonders, but those made by man (and woman) are equally impressive. The architect behind a design or the creation’s history or purpose are all elements that may prove particularly attractive. These following buildings are all well worth visiting.
Bradbury Building
Los Angeles
Glancing at the Bradbury Building, built in 1893, the oldest commercial building in L.A., you may say: “OK, it’s a 19th-century relic.” Step inside and you will be surprised by the light-filled Victorian court, a wonder of open—cage elevators, marble stairs, and splendid iron barriers. Its architectural history is debatable — Sumner Hunt’s designs seem to have been completed by George H. Wyman, who monitored the construction.
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
Miami
Built in 1916, the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, formerly Villa Vizcaya, is the one-time winter home of businessman James Deering. On Biscayne Bay in the Coconut Grove neighborhood, the early 20th-century property features Italian Renaissance (文艺复兴) gardens, native woodlands, and a complex of historic outbuildings. The property designed by Paul Chalfin is today operated by Miami-Dade County.
Rogers Building
Orlando
The 132-year-old, Queen Anne-style structure, now housing an art gallery but a one-time home to cocktail-and-gaming clubs, was donated to the City of Orlando in 2018 earlier by Ford Kiene. The restriction that it must remain an arts and culture center for at least 20 years ensures public access for the near future.
Griffith Observatory
Los Angeles
It’s possible to see the stars at this destination that includes sweeping views of the city and the Hollywood sign, and has a planetarium (天文馆) to boot. It’s been a draw for its construction style sign its 1935 opening, with a $93 million expansion completed in 2006.
1. Which of the following places has the shortest history?| A．Bradbury Building. | B．Griffith Observatory. |
| C．Rogers Building. | D．Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. |
| A．It used to be an art gallery. | B．It was expanded in 1892. |
| C．It was once privately owned. | D．It has been a culture center for 20 years. |
| A．Business. | B．Travel. | C．Science. | D．Education. |
4 . A large flood caused by heavy rains and melting mountain snow recently hit America’s Yellowstone National Park. It caused widespread damage and resulted in many changes.
It changed the path of a river popular for fishing and also devastated hundreds of homes, bridges and roadways in nearby communities. It drove more than 10, 000 visitors out of the park. Luckily, no one was reported hurt. However, the park could remain closed for up to one week. The water also washed away camp structures, flooded small towns and cut power to parts of southern Montana and northern Wyoming.
The Yellowstone River was running at a historically high level of 4. 9 meters as it flowed past Billings, Montana’s largest city. The city got its water from the river and was forced to close its treatment plant (工厂) because it couldn’t operate effectively with water levels that high. Billings officials said the city only had a 24-hour supply of water. They were asking people to save water until the river could drop and the plant could restart operations.
Yellowstone officials said, “The northern half of the park is likely to remain closed over the summer. This will greatly affect local economies that depend on summer tourists. But we have faith in the park repairs and economic recovery.”
1. What does the underlined word “devastated” mean in Paragraph 2?| A．Ruined. | B．Promoted. | C．Challenged. | D．Demanded. |
| A．The flood lasted quite long. | B．The flood left bad effects. |
| C．The flood was caused for some reasons. | D．The flood killed 10, 000 visitors. |
| A．It needed new equipment to supply water. | B．It cut down the city’s water supply for 24 hours. |
| C．It was forced to operate in 24 hours. | D．It stopped working. |
| A．Positive. | B．Doubtful. | C．Uncertain. | D．Curious. |
5 . As the largest part of the United Kingdom, England is home to many great places to visit. The following destinations are some of the best.
London
Of course, most visitors to England will arrive in London. It’s home to a long list of famous sights as well as beautiful green spaces. It also houses some of the best museums on the planet, many of which are free. See the city from above by riding the London Eye or run into famous people at Madame Tussauds (杜莎夫人蜡像馆) .
Liverpool
Liverpool is well known as the place that started the Beatles, though you’ll find a lot more to do there than visit the Beatles Museum. Spend time in the pubs chatting with the locals, go shopping at Liverpool One and enjoy the beaches.
Bath
Some people say Bath is England’s most beautiful small city, named for its natural hot springs that served as ancient Roman baths (浴缸) 2, 000 years ago. And, today, it’s the only place in the United Kingdom where you can bathe in naturally hot, mineral-rich waters just as the Romans did long ago.
Dover
Dover, located in White Cliffs Country, offers a rich history as well as peaceful countryside and a breathtaking coastline. This area has some unique places in history. You could easily spend weeks experiencing this area’s castles, like Dover Castle as well as the Secret War Time Tunnels, which once was an underground hospital.
1. What can visitors do in London?| A．Experience ancient castles. | B．Enjoy the Beatles’ concerts. |
| C．Visit Madame Tussauds. | D．Take a walk on the beaches. |
| A．London. | B．Bath. | C．Liverpool. | D．Dover. |
| A．It is in Liverpool. | B．It has a history of 2, 000 years. |
| C．It used to be an underground hospital. | D．It looks like Dover Castle. |
6 . Roughly 2,000 years ago, Mount Vesuvius erupted, destroying the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. In 1752, workers digging in Herculaneum uncovered a home that had belonged to a rich person. Inside, workers discovered over 600 scrolls (卷轴) , most of which were made from papyrus — a paper-like material.
The heat from the volcano had burned the scrolls so much that they looked like chunks of charcoal (木炭块) . These scrolls were so fragile that just touching them could make them fall apart. So scientists have been looking for ways to read the scrolls without opening them. Brent Seales, a computer scientist at Kentucky University, has been working on this for over 20 years.
Dr. Seales has developed a method of using a CT scanner to take 3D X-ray images of a papyrus scroll. Then he uses a computer program to "unroll" the scroll, and gets pictures of what it looks like on the inside. In 2016, his team used this method to read a burned scroll found near the Dead Sea. But the ink in the scrolls from Herculaneum was made from charcoal and water and didn't show up well in CT scans. So he decided to train an AI program, hoping to find the writing on the scrolls by looking for places where the papyrus was rougher.
Though Dr. Seales was making progress, it was slow going. Then he encountered two businessmen, who had the idea of creating a contest for decoding (破译) the scrolls. The contest, called the Vesuvius Challenge, was announced in March. About 1,500 people have participated in the contest and they're sharing information as they make progress. In August, Casey Handmer found a pattern that revealed where the ink had been on the scrolls.
Following Mr. Handmer's lead, Luke Farritor, a 21-year-old student at Nebraska University, created an AI program that found a whole word: “
”, or “porphyras” which means “purple”. This was the first word ever read from these ancient scrolls. For his efforts, Mr. Handmer won $10,000.
“Now it is time to explore these words,” Dr. Seales says.
1. What is paragraph 1 intended to show about the scrolls?| A．Their features. | B．Their creation process. |
| C．Their source. | D．Their historic value. |
| A．The CT scanner couldn't work well for all scrolls. |
| B．The materials of the Herculaneum scrolls were rare. |
| C．An AI program is the most useful in decoding the scrolls. |
| D．Seales went to the Dead Sea to search for decoding methods. |
| A．To share scroll-reading technologies. | B．To develop ways to write on the scrolls. |
| C．To push researchers to study AI. | D．To attract people to explore the scrolls. |
| A．Reading Burned Ancient Scrolls Without Opening Them |
| B．Organizing an International Contest to Write Scrolls |
| C．Developing Technology to Help Appreciate Scrolls |
| D．Unearthing Many Ancient Scrolls in Herculaneum |
7 . Before my first hike to the Rocky Mountains, I was a homebody. I had friends to hang out with, several hobbies, and I felt comfortable spending weeks or even months in my hometown without going anywhere. I thought there was no difference between seeing something on TV and seeing something with one’s own eyes.
The situation changed one day when Adam, my best friend, came to my room. He succeeded in persuading me to join him on his trip to the Rocky Mountains.
This was my first time in the mountains, so I was turning my head in all directions. Unluckily, the weather was foggy most of the time, and the higher we climbed the mountains, the less we could see. But I still enjoyed the hike. I walked fast, and because of that I ran out of energy long before we got to the top. Adam knew how to save energy.
When we finally got to the top, nothing had really changed. The same fog was covering everything. I felt disappointed, as I expected to see the view from above and take some photos. We spent a couple of hours on the top, and decided to turn back. Then the wind suddenly cleared the clouds and the sun came out. It wasn’t until then that I knew how beautiful the mountains looked. And for some moments I couldn’t believe my eyes.
This experience inspired me to break through my limitations and accept new challenges. I realized that I wouldn’t be able to live a life without visiting the mountains at least twice a year.
1. What a person did the author use to be before his first hike to the Rocky Mountains?| A．One enjoyed hiking in the mountains. | B．One felt comfortable in his hometown. |
| C．One liked persuading others. | D．One was good at talking with others. |
| A．Feeling tired during the hike. | B．Not taking a camera with him. |
| C．Having to climb for a long time. | D．The heavy fog covering everything. |
| A．Disappointed. | B．Comfortable. | C．Encouraged. | D．Confused. |
| A．The scenery of the Rocky Mountains. |
| B．The author’s best friend Adam. |
| C．The change of the author’s attitude towards traveling. |
| D．The author’s habit of hiking in the mountains. |
8 . Compared with Americans, people in Okinawa, 1, 000 miles south of Tokyo, are three times more likely to become centenarians (百岁老人) , according to professor Dan Buettner’s research. The centenarians garden, sing, laugh and play. For most of the city dwellers (居民) who are busy working, it’s not possible to live like that.
For those who don’t like the gym, you may be inspired by the way the centenarians bring movement into their everyday routines.
They reduce meat for a plant-forward approach.
The typical diet in America includes 220 pounds of meat per year. per person.
They give loneliness the boot and become joiners.
Buettner describes a woman named Panchita who was well over 100 years old. She didn’t feel lonely at all because, her 85-year-old son biked to her house to help feed the chickens each day. In return, she cooked him some beans and some rice. They both found happiness in doing so. “There’s this beautiful symbiosis (共生) .
| A．They depend on each other. |
| B．They eat as little as they can. |
| C．They build movement into their days. |
| D．They plant a garden in their backyard. |
| E．But we can learn from their simple habits. |
| F．Those centenarians only consume 20 pounds a year. |
| G．Much of their intake is from whole plant-based foods. |
9 . The “Got Talent” crew is one of the pioneers in finding and publicizing music talents and has been giving the world some of its most favorite artists for almost two decades. This year “Britain’s Got Talent” (BGT) uncovered a musical genius named Malakai Bayoh who amazed the audience with perfect high-note singing. The London-based 13-year-old boy appeared for the show’s audition (试镜) in April, 2023 and was accompanied by his mom and sister. “My big dream is to be a singer. I started singing at 7,” said Bayoh to the BGT team and added jokingly, “My mom made me join the choir (合唱团) because she’s very bossy.” The teenager mentioned she’s his biggest fan.
Bayoh’s mom was shocked as he was about to perform and said, “It scares me because, on his first show, somebody heckled (对……起哄) him. It was bad to think that someone would boo (喝倒彩) a child on stage because it could’ve knocked his confidence completely.” Contrary to his mom’s fear, Bayoh set the stage on fire singing the song “Pie Jesu” and the entire crowd were struck by his beautiful voice. As he ended his song, the audience and the judges gave him a standing applause. Simon Cowell, a judge, had just one word to say and it was “Golden Buzzer”, sending him straight to the semi-finals of the show.
Cowell and the other judges called Bayoh’s performance “flawless” and “heavenly”. His angelic voice made the audience tear up and the judges thanked the teen for coming on the show. Bayoh went on to become one of the finalists of the show.
Bayoh’s audition at the BGT became popular on social media. People loved the boy’s impeccable singing and some musicians even commented on how perfectly he hit the high notes. “I’m a trained singer and a music teacher by profession, and sang this song as a young performer myself. I can say with absolute certainty that this song is most beautifully sung this time. With proper technique and breathing, this boy sang really well,” posted @mayacorinne878.
1. What can be learned about Bayoh from paragraph 2?| A．He comes from a single-parent family. | B．He is humorous in speech. |
| C．His dream was inspired by his fans. | D．His mom used to be a singer. |
| A．Bayoh’s difficulty in singing. | B．The judges’ attitudes to his son. |
| C．Bayoh’s performance on stage. | D．Some audiences’ initial responses. |
| A．Touched. | B．Annoyed. | C．Relieved. | D．Amused. |
| A．To uncover more musical geniuses. | B．To show musicians’ ability to sing well. |
| C．To stress Bayoh’s excellent singing. | D．To contradict some audiences’ comments. |
10 . As our human population and resource need grow, we are leaving less and less room for wildlife. But the good news is that each of us can play a role in helping wild animals by making the world a better place for them.
Take a walk and enjoy the wildlife all around you- the birds, butterflies, elephants and the like. Spend more time outside appreciating, enjoying and learning about wildlife.
Speak up for wildlife.
Become a voice for wildlife on social media. Speak up and speak out against wildlife illegal hunting, wild animal experiment, the illegal pet trade, wild animals used for entertainment, and much more. Learn about the lives and problems many animals are facing today.
Pick up rubbish around you.
Never buy products from threatened or endangered species.
When traveling to a foreign country, shopping overseas, or shopping in your local area, never buy gifts or products that support the illegal wildlife trade, or are from animals in danger.
| A．Contact the local government. |
| B．Then spread them on social media. |
| C．Go outside and connect with wildlife. |
| D．Your choice could make a big difference. |
| E．Take a free online class on wildlife protection. |
| F．Collecting rubbish can save the life of an animal. |
| G．We can help by putting the following ideas into practice. |
