1 . Grace Choi, whose nickname is Sunny, is a gymnast in America. “I remember her doing cartwheels (翻跟头) when she was a kid,” her brother Jin says.

One night at college, Choi saw members of a breaking (霹雳舞) club dancing by accident. She was immediately attracted to the dance and came to a class. Choi’s gymnastics skills gave her an advantage. After graduating from business school, she began working in the cosmetics (化妆品) industry. But on the side, she kept breaking.

Breaking was added to the Paris Olympics program in 2020. In late 2021, Choi attended a camp. It was for the top U. S. breakers. A coach there asked those who wanted to become Olympians to raise their hands. Everyone’s hand went up except Choi’s. Working full-time while training to make the Olympic team seemed impossible.

But after finishing second at the World Games in July 2022, Choi left the cosmetics industry. In 2023, she was chosen for the 2024 Paris Olympics by winning the Pan American Games.“I’m so much happier,” she says. “I feel lighter. I have more energy for the things I want to do.”

Thirty-two breakers will go to Paris. “Choi has power moves,” says Mary Fogarty, a professor of dance at York University, in Toronto, Canada. “Choi is someone who has enough material to go all the way through.” Choi struggles with self-doubt. She’ll work on her mindset. She’ll lift weights with a strength coach. And she’ll eat a healthy diet.

Choi is confident about one thing: If you give breaking a chance, you won’t be disappointed. “You feel the energy,” she says. “You feel the excitement. You feel the happiness or the anger or whatever emotion that the dancer is expressing in that moment. What’s so cool about breaking is that you get to be really you.”

1. What introduced Choi to break dancing?

A．An accidental chance.	B．Her gymnastics skills.
C．Her brother’s encouragement.	D．The camp for the top breakers.

2. What did Choi give up in order to attend the Olympics?

A．Her job.	B．Her health.
C．Her college education.	D．Her chance of promotion.

3. How does Fogarty feel about Choi attending the 2024 Paris Olympics?

A．Anxious.

B．Confident.

C．Uncertain.

D．Unexpected.

4. What can we learn from Choi’s story?

A．A youth is to be regarded with respect.	B．The young thirst for being famous.
C．Where there’s interest, there’s success.	D．Curious minds never feel contented.

2 . Do you know the following fun holidays?

Yellow Pig Day

The unofficial holiday that falls on July 17 was created in the early 1960s by Princeton mathematics students, David Kelly and Michael Spivak, while they were working on the special properties (属性) of the number 17, which is a prime number (质数) that has significance in mathematics.

Mole Day

It’s celebrated every year with a theme by scientists and chemistry students throughout the United States and around the world between 6:02 am and 6:02 pm (18:02) on October 23 because when written in the month-date format (格式), the date and time 6.02, 10/23 include the digits (数字) in Avogadro’s number (602×1023) in honor of the mole, a measuring unit in chemistry.

Tau Day

This has much to do with Pi Day (圆周率日). It has been held every year since 2010 on June 28. The day began as a way to recognize tau. Tau is equal to 2π or 6.283. In recent years, some mathematicians and physicists have argued for the replacement of pi(π) by tau, but it is not yet widely accepted within the scientific community.

Palindrome Day

Palindrome (回文) is a word or phrase that reads the same backwards as forwards, for example madam. Palindrome Day happens when the day’s date can be read the same way backward and forward. Because date formats vary from country to country, not all dates that are palindromic in one kind of date format are Palindrome Days in another. For instance, April 21, 2024 or 4-21-24 is a palindromic date in the m-dd-yy format, but it isn’t if you write the date as dd-m-yy yy (21-4-2024) or dd-mm-yyyy (21-04-2024).

1. What is special about Mole Day?

A．It has a different theme every year.	B．It was created by a scientist.
C．It’s the oldest of the four holidays.	D．It’s celebrated only in America.

2. Which is closely related to Pi Day?

A．Palindrome Day.

B．Mole Day.

C．Yellow Pig Day.

D．Tau Day.

3. What do the holidays have in common?

A．They’re celebrated several times a year.	B．They each represent a scientific idea.
C．They are enjoyed mainly by students.	D．They are accepted by governments.

3 . In June 1938, writer Jerry Siegel and illustrator Joe Shuster introduced Superman to readers. Since then, the Superman has become a cultural symbol, appearing in films, novels, TV series and more.

On April 4, 2024, a copy of that original 1938 Superman comic (漫画) book — called Action Comics No. 1 — sold for $6 million during a Heritage Auctions sale. It’s now the most valuable comic book in the world.

“Thursday was a historic day for a historic comic book, and we expected no less,” says Barry Sandoval, vice president at Heritage Auctions.

The comic has been given a “very fine” grade of 8.5 out of 10 by CGC, a third-party grading service for pop culture collectibles. It’s one of just 78 copies CGC has graded, though the company thinks around 100 still exist. Just 200,000 copies of Action Comics No. I were published in 1938. The price beats out the previous record-holder, a 1939 issue of Superman No. I that sold privately for $5.3 million in 2022. Until then, the record had belonged to a copy of Amazing Fantasy No. 15 — which introduced readers to Spider-Man in 1962 — that sold for $3.6 million in 2021.

Action Comics No. 1 tells the story of a baby boy who was born on a dying faraway planet. His father places him in a space capsule (太空舱) and sends him away just before his home planet gets destroyed. Finally, the capsule lands on Earth, where a passing driver discovers the sleeping baby and saves him. The child — Clark Kent — grows up and realizes he has superhuman strengths and abilities.

Superman’s popularity skyrocketed in the following decades, and Action Comics continues to this day. “Without Superman and Action Comics No. 1, who knows whether there ever would have been a Golden Age of comics — or if the medium would have become what it is today?” says Sandoval.

1. What do we know about Action Comics No.1?

A．It is based on the writer’s true story.	B．It contains the character of Spider-Man.
C．It has a history of more than 80 years.	D．It is the world’s most expensive novel.

2. Why does the author mention Superman No. 1 and Amazing Fantasy No.15?

A．To present a topic.	B．To explain a phenomenon.
C．To raise a question.	D．To make a comparison.

3. Which is right about Clark Kent?

A．He destroys his home planet.	B．He inspires Siege l to write.
C．He is the Superman.	D．He is the passing driver.

4. What is the author’s purpose of writing the text?

A．To remember a writer.	B．To introduce a book.
C．To promote values of comics.	D．To encourage studies on culture.

4 . On the surface, Western Australia’s Great Sandy Desert might appear calm. But deep underground, blind moles (鼹鼠), also called kakarratul, covered in silky yellow fur are “swimming” through the sand. These creatures that are considered elusive spend so much of their lives below the surface that they remain largely unknown to wildlife biologists.

Now, Aboriginal rangers (护林员) have made a sight of one of the kakarratuls by the Martu, the local people of central Western Australia. This marks the second kakarratul sight in just six months. Historically, people only see the species five to ten times every decade.

Kakarratuls are very small and can’t see very clearly. Their bodies are covered in soft fur, and they primarily eat worms (蠕虫). They’re also perfectly adapted for life in the tough Australian land. Rather than living in the hot sun, they live almost entirely underground — digging holes as far as 8.2 feet below the surface — where they move through the sand in a unique way. The kakarratul is an amazing creature that “swims” through the sand of Australia’s western deserts. They carve a path and fill it in as they go forward through the sand.

“The creatures can survive by just breathing the air that moves between sand,” wrote Joe Benshemesh, a biologist with the National Malleefowl Recovery Group, for Australian Geographic. “They save energy and resources by allowing their body temperature to reflect that of the surrounding sand,” he added.

The moles periodically come to the surface, especially during periods of cool, rainy weather. But they don’t appear often, so wildlife scientists don’t know their population size. They are regarded as a species of “least concern”. “Local rangers try their best to take good care of kakarratuls, but they aren’t easy to find,” said Lynette Wildridge, a senior Nyangumarta ranger.

1. What does the underlined word “elusive” in paragraph I mean?

A．Dangerous to approach.	B．Difficult to find.
C．Expensive to buy.	D．Easy to feed.

2. Which word best describes the second kakarratul sight in six months?

A．Attractive.

B．Frightening.

C．Unforgettable.

D．Unusual.

3. What can we learn about the moles?

A．They may appear in rainy days.

B．They are well taken care of by the rangers.

C．They can find food more easily underground.

D．They dig holes to get away from the extreme weather.

4. What’s the best title for the text?

A．Kakarratuls: Swimmers Through Desert Sand	B．Kakarratuls: Unique Animals to Australia
C．Local Rangers Look After Kakarratuls Well	D．Australia Is Trying Hard to Save Kakarratuls

5 . The saying goes that a dog is man’s best friend, but this companionship isn’t unique to dogs. Even though rabbits are smaller and quieter than dogs, they are also intelligent, outgoing, active, and social and they make great pets. Here are five reasons for adopting (养) a rabbit.

Rabbits are budget-friendly.

Rabbit care is much less expensive than the budget (预算) required for taking care of a dog or cat.     1     And they also require less pet doctor checkups than larger animals.

It’s easy to fit a rabbit into the schedule.

Rabbits are awake in the early morning and early evening, and spend most daytime and nighttime sleeping.     2     The rabbit is ready for playtime in the morning before work and after getting home from work, and the owner doesn’t need to feel guilty (内疚的) about leaving the rabbit home during the daytime, because it spends those hours sleeping.     3     There’s no need to take it for daily walks, so it’s a great choice for a busy pet-lover.

Rabbits are clean, quiet, and contained.

Rabbits are clean animals that generally don’t make large messages. Rabbits don’t require as large living spaces as a dog or cat does, so they are apartment-friendly.     4     So they won’t bother the owner or the neighbors.

Rabbits are intelligent and lovely.

    5     They are also friendly. Rabbits quickly come to recognize their owners. They will follow them around the house and show them all sorts of love. They love to be petted and are eager for attention although they don’t like being picked up.

A．Rabbits don’t make loud noises.

B．And a rabbit requires less care time.

C．They can always be a good part of the community.

D．It costs about $50 monthly to feed and care for a rabbit.

E．This works well for someone with a typical day job schedule.

F．Rabbits, like dogs, are smart enough to be trained to do all sorts of tricks.

G．People should make sure they are ready for the responsibility before adopting.

6 . With the increasing development of technology, we now have the ability to get much information from foreign media sources (媒体资源). Because we can learn much about events happening in other countries from the media, such as magazines and newspapers, many people may think that reading magazines and newspapers is the best way to learn about a foreign country. However, I believe that only reading magazines and newspapers as a way of learning about a foreign country has several limitations.

We cannot deny that magazines and newspapers actually present some valuable information about foreign countries. However, the information that they present is often one­-sided, so that readers can only learn about one opinion on an event happening in a foreign country. Also, the words and pictures in magazines and newspapers may not be true. If a government wants to hide some facts, it may force the media to tell lies to its readers, and thus the information that readers receive may not be true.

I think that the best way to learn about a foreign country is to travel or live there for a while. By traveling or living in a country, you can see things that do not appear in magazines and newspapers, and learn about the local political situation, state of the economy, and the culture. You can get more information about a country by talking directly with local people about the overall situation, and can truly understand the local culture by living with them for a while. But if you are at home reading a newspaper or magazine, you simply get information provided by others passively (被动地) instead of collecting information directly.

So, I believe that the best way to learn about a foreign country is not by reading magazines and newspapers but by placing yourself in that foreign country.

1. What does the text mainly discuss?

A．How people get information in no time.

B．Where people can get information they need.

C．Why it’s important to learn about a foreign country.

D．What the best way to learn about a foreign country is.

2. What does the underlined word “deny” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．Disagree.

B．Promise.

C．Realize.

D．Accept.

3. Which can best describe the information from magazines and newspapers?

A．True but not enough.	B．Correct but not fresh.
C．Limited and not always true.	D．Not enough and not valuable.

4. What is the advantage of traveling to a foreign country according to Paragraph 3?

A．You’ll have a quicker mind by learning more.

B．You’ll have a chance to read local newspapers.

C．You’ll meet people who are different from you.

D．You’ll learn truths that the media don’t provide.

7 . Sunday sadness is real, for tomorrow is the start of working days.     1    

●Exercise

An excellent choice is exercise. Breaking a sweat has been shown to reduce anxiety and depression, boost mood and improve sleep, all good ways to fight Sunday stress. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, just five minutes of aerobic exercise can reduce anxiety.

●Take a nature pill

Actually, any form of exercise or movement can increase your fitness level while decreasing your stress.     2     One study published in April found a simple 10-minute walk in an urban park three times a week reduced levels of the stress in study participants. A 2013 study in the UK found simply walking in green spaces helped move the brain into a state of meditation.

●    3    

Some folks turn to drinking alcohol, even crazily, to cope with the Sunday night blues. That’s a poor choice: Alcohol rattles your normal sleep patterns, trapping you in lighter stages of sleep and dramatically reducing the quality of your rest at night.

“It continues to pull you out of rapid eye movement and the deeper stages of sleep, causing you to wake up not feeling restored,” said Rebecca Robbins, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Population Health at NYU Langone Health, in a previous CNN interview.

●Wind down

This is going to sound impossible, but try to avoid your cell phone and work email on Sunday. Being constantly connected keeps us excited even on our days off, discouraging relaxation.

Does the idea make you even more nervous?     4     The National Sleep Foundation suggests “at least 30 minutes of phone-free transition time before going to bed.”

●Journal your worries

Unconsciously worrying about all the things you have to do Monday brings you restless sleep, even insomnia(失眠), so write down a list of all the things you have to do Monday – or even the entire week. You can go so far as prioritizing them if you like. Not only will putting the tasks on paper jump-start your Monday morning, you’ll feel like you’ve purged your worries.     5    

A．Then try to check in as early in the evening on Sunday as you can.

B．Avoid overdrinking

C．Here’s how to battle the pre-workweek blues.

D．Here are some following ways to help you relax at weekends.

E．Why not increase that effect by enjoying nature?

F．Then relax and keep texting till your bedtime.

G．In fact, writing in a journal has been scientifically shown to improve overall health.

8 . When I was nine years old, my dad worked in a heating and air conditioning company. It allowed him to work mainly in the spring and fall. With summers free, my parents took me and my two brothers to the lake every day. I supposed my parents must realize that if they didn’t find us any things to do, we would finally start fighting, as we were too bored.

On the way to the lake, my mother drove the car and my father recited (朗诵) poems so my brothers and I wouldn’t get bored. I still didn’t know how my dad had learnt so many poems by heart. But I had a great discovery that every time my father recited them, those verses (诗句) could keep us three quiet for the next twenty--minute drive. Such moments could never be achieved by what else my parents usually did such as singing, telling stories, and so on.

One of the poems that completely attracted me was a bit silly. It begins—Ladles and jellyspoons/I come before you/To stand behind you/And tell you something I know nothing about. There were still many similar ones. I found I was deeply caught. I recited these lines in my head over and over, week after week until they burned new electrical pathways in my brain. I even couldn’t help copying those poems neatly in my favorite notebooks.

It’s a love story that continues to this day, thirty years and 10 books of my own later. So the value of the story is this: Read to your kids. Sing to your kids. Recite poems for your kids. Be silly with your kids! It may make all the difference. It works for me. Thanks, Dad.

1. According to the author, why were his brothers and he taken to the lake daily in summer?

A．To reduce their study pressure.	B．To escape the heat of summers.
C．To teach them some new life skills.	D．To draw their attention to other things.

2. What did the author find on the way to the lake?

A．Poems were easy to learn by heart.

B．His parents were good at creating poems.

C．His father tried hard to get along well with them.

D．Poems could make the three brothers calm down.

3. What can we know about the author from Paragraph 3?

A．He began to write poems himself.	B．He gradually fell in love with poems.
C．He made changes to some silly poems.	D．He grew to be a kid with excellent grades.

4. Which of the following may the author agree with?

A．Children should be grateful to their parents.

B．Parents should avoid being too strict with kids.

C．Good family atmosphere is very important for kids.

D．Children should be encouraged to follow their dreams.

9 . You’ve sized up the benefits of volunteering, looked over your schedule, and decided you have both the time and desire to give back to your community.     1     Here are some tips to find and get suitable volunteer opportunities in your area — or farther afield.

Identify your values.

    2     Make a list of the values that drive you, or the issues you care about, and then look for organizations with complementary (互补的) missions and opportunities. For instance, if your primary motivation is to strengthen social connections with peers, you might look to organizations such as school groups that require interaction with other parents, or neighbors.

If you’re motivated to serve the less fortunate, you might target organizations that work with housing-insecure populations, people with disabilities or members of historically disadvantaged groups. Motivations for volunteering are as diverse as the volunteers harboring them.     3    

Try to involve the whole family.

Many parents who volunteer turn giving back into a family affair. Community service is a great way to teach kids the value of selflessness.     4     Look for volunteer engagements that welcome people of all ages and abilities, and schedule time for the whole family to participate —whether that means spending an afternoon picking up trash on the side of the highway, or a week in a faraway flood zone.

    5    

Once you find a well-run organization that aligns with (符合) your availability, values, talents, and objectives, work with your contact there to set a volunteer schedule that fits your life. If you’re exploring a frequent engagement — say, a weekly or biweekly commitment —think carefully about how much time you can afford to donate. It’s better to commit to shorter or less frequent volunteer hours than to take on an unmanageable workload.

A．What motivates you to give back?

B．Don’t bite off more than you can chew.

C．Are you ready to build a list of ideal places to volunteer?

D．It’s also an opportunity to spend more time with your family.

E．Don’t overthink the process of finding opportunities to volunteer.

F．Whatever your motivations are, there’s an organization out there that needs your help.

G．Now comes the most difficult part: finding volunteer opportunities that are right for you.

10 . April 23 marks World Book and Copyright Day. Here are four widely praised books which received agreeably high scores on Douban in China.

The Death of a Princess

The Death of a Princess is a work of legal history. The author describes in detail the classic case of Princess Lanling of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), who was beaten by her husband and suffered the loss of her baby, leading to her death, exploring important and profound legal and married moral issues such as domestic violence and the low status (地位) of women.

Delivering Packages in Beijing

Author Hu Anyan has worked as a delivery man, a night shift stock picker, a convenience store clerk and a security guard. He transforms the bits and pieces of everyday life and the joys and sorrows of work into a sincere narrative. He finally realizes that a life filled with anger is not worth living.

The Annoyance of the Gods

Author Ma Boyong, who has written The Longest Day in Chang’an, uses the classic Journey to the West as a backdrop to describe a series of workplace issues, such as how to write a work report during a project and how to respond to emergencies.

Bright Night

Written by Choi Eun-young, the book is a female version of Yu Hua’s To Live. It tells the story of the friendship and struggle of four generations of women. The women in the book are no longer characters to be pitied against one another, nor do they play supporting roles in the lives of men.

1. Which of the following explores the low status of women in society?

A．Bright Night.	B．Delivering Packages in Beijing.
C．The Annoyance of the Gods.	D．The Death of a Princess.

2. In the Book of Delivering Packages in Beijing, the author mainly________.

A．describes his delivery job

B．shares his own stories

C．narrates his transformation

D．explores people’s life in Beijing

3. Who are the intended readers of Bright Night?

A．Children.

B．Men.

C．Women.

D．Seniors.