1 . Plastic is everywhere, from the Arctic ice to vital organs in the human body. In fact, previous estimates suggest that the average person swallows a credit card-worth of microscopic plastic particles(颗粒) every week. But new research shows that this could actually be an understatement.

Microplastics are plastics smaller than 5 millimeters, found in industrial waste, beauty products, and formed during the degradation of larger plastic pieces. Over time, they break down into even smaller nanoplastics. These tiny particles can pass through our intestines and lungs into our bloodstreams, reaching vital organs like the heart and brain.

While the idea of eating plastic is unsettling in itself, the major concern here is that these plastic particles contain chemicals that can interrupt our body’s natural release of hormones, potentially increasing our risk of reproductive disorders and certain cancers. They can also carry toxins(毒素) on their surface like heavy metals.

In the past, researchers have shown bottled water can contain tens of thousands of identifiable plastic fragments in a single container. However, until recently, only the larger microplastics were detectable with available measuring tools, leaving the area of nanoplastics largely a mystery.

Using Raman microscopy (显微镜学), capable of detecting particles down to the size of a flu virus, the team measured an average of 240, 000 particles of plastic per liter of bottled water, 90 percent of which were nanoplastics, a revelation 10 to 100 times larger than previous estimates.

These plastics likely originate from the bottle material, filters used to “purify” the water, and the source water itself. “It is not totally unexpected to find so much of this stuff, ” the study’s lead author, Columbia graduate student Naixin Qian, said in a statement. His team hopes to expand their research into tap water and other water sources to better inform our exposure to these potentially dangerous particles. “The idea is that the smaller things get, the more of them I reveal, ” he added.

1. What is the primary focus of the new research?

A．The presence of plastic particles.	B．The use of plastic in everyday products.
C．The detection methods for microplastics.	D．The potential risks of nanoplastics to human.

2. What is the advantage of Raman microscopy?

A．Finding the source of plastic particles.	B．Helping to cure the deadly flu virus.
C．Detecting the smaller plastic particles.	D．Improving the quality of bottled water.

3. Why will the team expand their research into tap water?

A．To focus on areas with higher plastic pollution.

B．To be aware of the dangerous particles in daily life.

C．To further measure the types of particles in tap water.

D．To detect the smaller plastic particles in industrial areas.

4. What is Qian’s attitude towards his research?

A．Skeptical.

B．Objective.

C．Conservative.

D．Positive.

2 . When 62-year-old fisherman Kpana Charlie finished the day’s catch, he liked to settle into a wooden chair, thinking about his childhood. Back then, his life on Sierra Leone’s Nyangai Island seemed excellent. He spent endless hours playing with his friends on the island’s white beaches. Whenever he wanted to avoid having to do his housework, he could simply disappear into the forest that covered much of the island. He remembers as recently as ten years ago, it still measured some 2, 300 feet from end to end.

Today, Nyangai is disappearing before his very eyes, covered by the endless sea. The forests are gone. And the land on which Charlie’s family home once stood, has long since disappeared beneath the waves.

In fact, the local government has responded to the sharp increase of sea level by building a concrete (混凝土制的) seawall along the length of the town. But in the many smaller coastal towns and villages in the area, there simply aren’t the resources. Then, the government made a project to protect some of the settlements by planting trees, but this has had limited success. With the population relying on woods for building and smoking-fish, few trees lived longer than the project, which ended in 2021.

Sierra Leone has been identified as one of the world’s most weak countries to the effects of climate change, despite having little influence on global CO₂ emissions (排放). “Weak countries should be getting some support from wealthy nations to strengthen their climate defenses (防御),” says Gabriel Kpaka, the head of the country’s Meteorological Agency. “But we’re not really seeing that.”

With global sea level expected to rise by anywhere between 1 and 3 feet by the end of the century, along with an increase in extreme weather events, the experience of this West African island offers an understanding of the possible future of countless other low-lying areas around the world.

1. Why does the author tell Charlie’s story in paragraph 1?

A．To describe his wonderful life at present.	B．To offer-readers-background information
C．To call on local people to protect the seen	D．To attract more visitors to Nyangai Island.

2. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．The reasons for the changes on the island.	B．The rich natural species in coastal areas.
C．The measures taken to deal with rising sea level.	D．The way to build a concrete seawall on the island.

3. What can be done to help Nyangai Island according to Kpaka?

A．Local government should build a stronger seawall.

B．Local people on the island limit their CO2 emissions.

C．Countries in low-lying areas work together for their rights.

D．Rich countries should offer support about climate defenses.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards the future of other low-lying areas?

A．Concerned.

B．Doubtful.

C．Uncertain.

D．Positive.

3 . Not all birds sing, but those that do—some several thousand species—do it a lot.

Iris Adam, a scientist at the University of Southern Denmark says, birds have “a drive to sing”. This means hours every day for some species, and that takes a lot of energy. However, singing can be dangerous. “As soon as you sing, you show yourself, for example, where you are and that you even exist—all of that immediately is out in the open for predators (捕食性动物) , for everybody,” she says.

In a new study published in the journal Nature Communications, Adam and her colleagues offer a new explanation for why birds take that risk and whether the muscles (肌肉) that produce birdsong require daily exercise. Adam designed an experiment on zebra finches—little Australian songbirds. Her experiment included keeping male birds in the dark to sever the connection between their brains and-their singing muscles, which prevented them from singing.

After a week, the birds’ singing muscles lost half of their strength. Three weeks later, they were back to the same level when they were juveniles (幼鸟) and never had sung before. When Adam played one of the male’s songs for: a group of female birds, six out of nine preferred the song that came from a male who had been using his singing muscles daily.

Adam’s conclusion (结论) is that songbirds need to exercise their singing muscles to produce top-performance song. If they don’t sing, they lose performance, and their songs get less attractive to females, which is bad.

“What they stress is that you need a lot of practice to improve what you’re doing,” says Ana Amador, a scientist at the University of Buenos Aires. It’s a good rule to live by, whether you’re a bird or a human—practice makes perfect, at least when it comes to singing one’s heart out.

1. Why can singing be dangerous for birds?

A．They can drive predators to sing.	B．They never protect their areas.
C．Their singing can attract predators.	D．Singing does damage to their muscles.

2. What does the underlined word “sever” probably mean in paragraph 3?

A．Remember.

B．End.

C．Risk.

D．Keep.

3. What do we know about Adam’s experiment?

A．It mainly focused on male birds and juveniles.

B．It aimed to protect zebra finches from possible risks.

C．It strengthened birds’ singing muscles in four weeks.

D．It proved exercising singing muscles matters to birds.

4. Which is the most suitable title for the text?

A．Iris Adam’s work is a big success	B．Singing can be dangerous for birds
C．Birds sing to keep muscles in shape	D．Birds and human beings need practice

4 . Pat Patterson, a pilot for 25 years, had never met anyone like the handsome young man in the wheelchair who faced him at the Medford, Oregon, airport on July 28, 1976. Mike Henderson, a quadriplegic (四肢瘫痪者), wanted flying lessons.

As a 22­-year-­old Coast Guardsman eight years before, Henderson had fallen off a dock and landed on a floating log, breaking two of his bones. Doctors said that he would probably never walk again, let alone fly. “Here was this doctor telling me how it was going to be,” he says, “but no one was going to limit my freedom to try.”

Henderson parked his wheelchair next to the airplane and began to climb up onto the wing. He injured his elbow on the way, and after a great struggle, finally managed to pull himself into the airplane’s pilot’s seat. In the flight office, Pat Patterson watched in disbelief. “He crawled his way up that wing!” he says. “It took him 45 minutes. When I went out, he was sitting in the pilot’s seat, bleeding from his injured elbow all over the place. When I saw him go through that much pain, I knew nothing could stop him.”

Now everything was up to the instructor and the student, and together they set about solving each problem as it arose. A small piece of carpet gave Henderson traction (摩擦力) to climb the slippery wing. A headset freed his hands from the radio microphone, and the two men developed a moving bar that enabled Henderson to operate the airplane more easily.

Three weeks and eight flying hours after the first lesson, Henderson and Patterson happily phoned Dr. Stoddard — Henderson’s physician. At the airport, as the physician looked on, Henderson quickly wheeled himself around the airplane, doing a thorough, professional ground check. With Patterson and Dr. Stoddard on board, he went through his preflight instrument check. Minutes later, engine starting, the plane rolled down the runway and took off into the gray sky.

1. When did Mike Henderson become disabled?

A．At the age of 25.	B．In 1968.
C．At the age of 30.	D．In 1976.

2. What did Pat Patterson think of Mike Henderson when they met first?

A．Depressed.	B．Experienced.
C．Determined.	D．Delighted.

3. What is Paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．How Patterson and Henderson overcame the difficulties together.

B．How Patterson helped Henderson overcome the difficulties.

C．How Patterson taught Henderson to fly with difficulty.

D．The difficulties Henderson faced before flying.

4. What do we know from the text?

A．Patterson didn’t want to teach Henderson at first.

B．Henderson finally succeeded in flying alone.

C．Patterson was very strict with Henderson.

D．Henderson went through a lot of difficulties.

5 . Benefits Of Cold Weather

There’s no doubt about it—cold weather can be pretty unpleasant.     1     So if you’re feeling down about the cold temperatures outside, read on for a few reasons to be happy about them!

It boosts your brain. Cold temperatures can excite your brain, allowing improved focus and greater clarity of thought. The cold climate increases oxygen flow to the brain.     2    

It increases brown fat content. Cold weather has the unique ability to increase the number of brown fat cells.     3     . Not only do they help us stay comfortably warm in cold temperatures, but they may also even promote weight loss over time.

    4     In cold weather, an even body temperature can be beneficial for a good night’s rest. As our bodies try to keep warm when it’s cold out, blood vessels get narrower and help control your sleep temperature for a more relaxed and restful sleep. People sleeping in colder environments generally wake up feeling more refreshed than those sleeping in warmer temperatures.

It improves skin health.     5     Low temperatures force us to dress warmly against the cold, leading to protection against environmental aspects that would otherwise remove water from our skin.

All in all, there are many benefits to spending time outside in cold weather! Next time you want to stay inside and avoid the cold, keep these benefits in mind and consider getting outside for a few minutes!

A．It helps you sleep.

B．It raises health awareness.

C．Thus, the central nervous system can perform at increased levels.

D．Cold weather exposure is a helpful contribution to our well-being.

E．They are important for controlling body temperature by producing heat.

F．Cold weather can be good for keeping our skin looking and feeling healthy.

G．While it makes us want to stay indoors, cold weather has some major benefits.

6 . Paris, the capital of France, has some attractive bridges. These are four of the most beautiful bridges in Paris: some in iconic (标志性的) places you’ve seen in the movies, and others in quiet places that you’ll delight in discovering.

Pont des Arts

Connecting the Louvre Museum to the Institut de France, the Pont des Arts, first built by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1804 and reconstructed in the 1970s, is a bridge only for people walking that is beloved by tourists and locals alike. In the spring and summer months, Parisians and visitors come here for lazy picnics overlooking the Seine.

Pont Marle

This lovely but little-known bridge is a gateway between the Marais district on the right bank and a natural island on the Seine River. The current stone structure dates to around 1670, following a fire on its wooden structure that destroyed much of the original bridge and the houses that once stood on it. It has remained much the same since the 18th century, making it one of Paris’ oldest bridges.

Pont Alexandre Ⅲ

The Pont Alexandre Ⅲ is probably the most attractive of Paris’ many bridges. Built between 1896 and 1900, it connects the des Invalides with the gardens of the Petit Palais. It’s after dark that you can best appreciate its delicate statues and other decorative elements.

Pont Neuf

First built in 1578 by King Henry Ⅲ, Pont Neuf has seen numerous reconstructions and changes over the centuries. But it conserves its Roman-inspired arch (拱形) structures. This is a lovely bridge that offers easy and picturesque access to the left and right bank. Have some ice cream, explore the lovely riverside paths and enjoy views of Notre Dame Cathedral.

1. What is special about the Pont des Arts?

A．It has been rebuilt many times.	B．It is one of Paris’ oldest bridges.
C．It is a bridge only for people walking.	D．It is the most attractive bridge in Paris.

2. Which is the oldest among the four bridges?

A．Pont des Arts.	B．Pont Marie.
C． Pont Alexandre Ⅲ	D．Pont Neuf.

3. Where is the text probably from?

A．A guidebook.	B．A health magazine.
C．A news report.	D．A book review.

7 . We all know how emotionally taxing being a college student can be with difficult assignments, hundreds of pages of reading and challenging tests.     1     Here are some strategies helpful for you.

●Recognize sad feeling moments as a must. Maybe you just find out that you get a bad grade in a test, or that you have a stressful presentation you need to start.     2     When you’re really upset about something, you’re not in the right mindset to do homework. You’d better calm down before attempting anything else.

●See stress as part of the college experience and relax yourself properly. When feeling stressed out, you can try giving yourself a 15-minute break between assignments to do what you like-watching videos, going for a walk, etc. If you have multiple classes that day, you can try taking the scenic route to class and enjoy the fresh air.     3    

●Remind yourself that you’re just a human. This is hard but necessary. If you’re mentally incapable of attending that class, let the professor know that you can’t go. If you’re struggling but you have lots of assignments, see if you can get extensions or attend office hours to get help so you can feel less stressed.     4     So don’t push your sanity (理智) beyond its limits.

●    5     We have multiple places on campus for you to reach out. Don’t feel embarrassed about it. College life can be full of many things, and it’s completely normal to find yourself completely overwhelmed. But you have resources. There are lots of trusted people very willing to help you!

A．Look for good places.

B．Remember to ask for help.

C．As a person, you can take only so much.

D．It helps to keep you healthy and energetic.

E．It’s hard to balance college life and emotional well-being.

F．Regardless of your reasons, it’s okay to give yourself a break.

G．Doing something you enjoy between work intervals can really help.

8 . Reshaping the world for a fossil fuel-free future means working quickly. Climate scientists say carbon emissions must stop by 2025 to minimize environmental damage. And by designing computational materials together with makers who can build and test them quickly, scientists can rapidly develop technologies like more powerful solar cells and car batteries.

Michael is the name of a supercomputer devoted to just one task―discovering the ultimate battery system. Researchers at University College London will use Michael to digitally build and test prototypes (原型) in every new material and type of cell possible to improve battery life, performance and price.

Finding a resilient (弹性的) design for solid-state batteries would be a huge breakthrough for electric vehicles and energy storage. Lighter, longer-lasting and cheaper solid-state technology could vastly improve vehicle range and charging time. And the energy from solar and wind power could be more efficiently stored until ready for use.

Scientists working in the US and the UK led the way in the 1970s in developing the lithium-ion (锂离子) battery used in today’s electric cars, laptops and cameras, But commercial units were only developed once the Japanese electronics giant pushed the technology forward for mass production. Partnerships between companies and universities could ultimately crack solid-state battery design. Oxford University and some companies are looking to win the international race to create a durable product. But they are only one among many.

Replacing liquid used in lithium-ion batteries with a solid conductor may take large digital processing. Electric vehicle makers are working with a computer giant to find successful designs that may include cheap and plentiful materials found in seawater. An electric vehicle maker is partnering with NASA to open a solid-state battery plant that uses no rare or expensive metals. The plan is to create a large database of materials that can be mixed and matched for the best combinations.

But computational materials may be needed in virtually every industry. And by rapidly classifying millions of substances on their ability to conduct electricity, their toughness, or the way they reflect light, AI and supercomputers can speed up the process of creating materials for just about anything.

1. What message does paragraph 1 convey?

A．It’s too fast to design computational materials.

B．It’s too late to reshape the fossil fuel-free world.

C．Developing green energy can reduce carbon emissions.

D．Developing technology can speed up carbon emissions.

2. What are solid-state batteries expected to be like?

A．Heavy and solid.	B．Light but breakable.
C．Less-costly and workable.	D．Expensive but efficient.

3. Why does the author mention Oxford University in paragraph 4?

A．To show the weakness of mass production.

B．To show the good trend of the cooperation.

C．To show the difficulty of the battery design.

D．To show the development of British technology.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．Michael Is Devoted to Storing Solar Energy

B．Companies and NASA Will Push Technology Forward

C．Electric Vehicle Makers Are Struggling to Solve Air Pollution

D．Supercomputers and AI Can Create Future Low-carbon Industries

9 . How to Read a Poem

You’ve selected the poem you want to read — congratulations! Now it’s time for the business of reading it.

Examine the title and the shape

    1     — how does it make you feel? How does the title fit the shape of the poem? If the title is sad, let the shape of the poem inform the small difference of the emotion — if it’s short and sparse (稀疏的), maybe it’s coming from a place of desolation or desperation.     2    .

Read the poem as you normally read anything

Reading poetry doesn’t require a clever approach; you can read as you’d read anything else. On the first pass through, absorb whatever it is that arises upon first impression.     3    , maybe your stomach churns (恶心) at a particular phrase, or you hold your breath at a certain line. Explore the feelings that come up as you read.

    4    

Next, try reading the poem out loud or search for readings of the poem online. This is where the music of a poem emerges, and you can feel the shape of each word and line as you move through it.

Add context to paint a full picture

Finally, return to the poem context.     5    ; look at the publication date and consider the world around the poem when it was first released. Consider where the poem lives: Was it released as part of the author’s poetry book, or was it published in a literary magazine? From these details and materials you will get a deeper understanding of the poem.

A．Re-read for sound

B．Re-read for meaning

C．Dig into the author’s history

D．Notice where in the poem you react

E．Look for where the poem offers a moment of surprise

F．Before you start a poem, you should first read the title

G．Long messy forms might mean it’s coming from a place of confusion or anger

10 . Advantages and Disadvantages of the Sleeping Position

We spend about a third of our lives sleeping. Everyone sleeps differently and there are lots of positions (姿势) in bed to sleep in.     1    . Go on to learn the advantages and disadvantages of the three sleeping positions.

●Sleep on your back

    2    ? Then you’re lucky, because this is the most healthy position to sleep in! Sleeping on your back is good for your spine (脊柱). This position causes little pressure on the muscles in your back and neck. Moreover, this position is the best for your skin. The only disadvantage is that it worsens snoring.

●    3    

Do you sleep on your side? You’re not the only one, because this is the most common sleeping position. If you’re constantly lying on one side,     4    . Sleeping on your right side is also disadvantageous for your digestion. An advantage: it is good for your circulation.

●Sleep on your stomach

We have bad news for people who sleep on their stomachs.     5    . You’ll develop neck complaints and back problems. Also, try sleeping on a full stomach, which won’t be pleasant. However, it does lessen snoring.

A．Sleep on your side

B．Sleep on your face

C．Do you sleep on your back

D．This position is the most unhealthy

E．This position is also good for women

F．you can develop pain in your arms and legs

G．But all the positions can be divided into three types