1 . 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.

2 . Social media scam is a form of phishing in which cybercriminals connect with their victims through social media platforms.     1     After the victim accepts it, they soon form a conversation. They can also publish a link that sounds attractive (“put your data and win a car”). Below, see how to protect yourself from scammers on social media;

Accept friend requests with caution.

    2     You should pay attention to when the account is registered and who accepts their friend request. Also remember to check the kind of information the person publishes.

Avoid links that request personal data.

No social media platform will ask its users to click an outside link to update their personal information. Check with the official customer support if you are unsure. Internet users should apply the principle better safe than sorry.

    3    

Do not use the same password across all your online accounts. If one account gets hacked, all of them will. It is always better to have distinct login details for each platform as well.

Make sure not to reveal personal information.

Do not publish your address, phone number, or place of work on your social media account for your safety.     4     Always be cautious if someone shows too much interest in your personal affairs. Even your friends might have been backed, so be careful.

Check whether the account is verified when approached with offers.

When you get a strange message, or an offer to buy or sell something on social media, first check if the account is verified.     5    

Social media scams can be financially damaging and emotionally distressing. We hope that these tips will come in handy for you. Remember, safety first in the online world just as it is in the real world.

A．Do not send money to anyone before that.

B．It usually starts by sending a friend request.

C．Always use a strong password to improve security.

D．Create a unique login and password for each platform.

E．Also, do not give away this information to strangers in conversations.

F．Be careful of friend requests from unknown individuals, as they may have ill intent.

G．Before making friends with someone that you do not know, carefully examine the account.

3 . In America, the “Big Dig”, a highway project that resulted in a mess of traffic in the centre of Boston for years, came in five times over its initial budget. Even the Germans get huge projects wrong. Conception to operation of Berlin Brandenburg Airport has taken 30 years, with seven missed opening dates. The airport ended up costing $8.2 billion. However, the original estimate was about $2.7 billion.

Huge projects like Berlin Brandenburg Airport are the subject of an amusing new book called How Big Things Get Done by Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardner. Mr. Flyvbjerg sets up a database of over 16, 000 projects and data analysis reveals that only 8.5% of the projects meet their initial estimates on cost and time, and 0.5% of them achieve what they set out to do on cost, time and benefits.

Over-optimistic time and cost estimates originate from both psychological and political perceptions: the reliance on intuition (直觉) rather than data, and a problem that Mr. Flyvbjerg calls “strategic misrepresentation”. This is when budgets are intentionally reduced in order to get things going. And once the projects are under way, they will not be stopped, because money spent on them will thus be wasted.

Mr. Flyvbjerg speaks highly of Pixar’s methodical approach to developing and testing films in great detail before they go into production. He also tells the story of how Frank Gehry’s well-developed architectural models helped ensure the success of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. Narrowing down the producing window of a project before it is actually carried out reduces the probability of unexpected events.

Big customized projects are particularly likely to run into trouble. However, the more a project can be divided into standardized processes, the better its prospects are. Projects run into problems for specific reasons as well as general ones: Britain’s trouble is not something that China has to worry about, for instance. But the iron law is that if you plan strictly and standardize where possible, you are less likely to dig yourself into a hole.

1. How does the author introduce the topic of the passage?

A．By making a contrast.	B．By giving an explanation.
C．By presenting examples.	D．By showing an experience.

2. What message does Bent Flyvbjerg’s data analysis convey?

A．Projects’ success rates can be estimated.

B．Projects’ desired outcome can’t be achieved.

C．Most projects suffer overspending and delays.

D．Most projects lack comprehensive data analysis.

3. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．Failures in decision-making.	B．Methods of reducing massive costs.
C．Strategies for getting work done.	D．Reasons behind inaccurate estimates.

4. What is the key to preventing projects getting into trouble?

A．Planning thoroughly in advance.

B．Analyzing specific and general reasons.

C．Focusing on efficiency of projects.

D．Drawing lessons from former experiences.

4 . How to have an attractive personality

Demonstrating an attractive personality is key to making friends and having lasting relationships. These traits (特性) give you the ability to inspire and fascinate others, making others more drawn to you as a result.

Listen to others.     1     Instead of responding to a text, opening an email, or thinking about your next meal, pay attention to what the other person is saying. Show them you’re listening and interested by commenting on the story or asking questions.

Speak sincerely. No one likes to be cheated.     2     If you can’t commit to something, it’s better to be honest about it than to have to tell them at the last minute that you can’t make it. When people ask for your opinion, you should be honest.

    3     You should always say what you believe in, be willing to take risks, and have the ability to admit your mistake without being worried about what other people will think. Doing this shows that you have self-confidence. This helps create an attractive personality.

Know “how” vs “what”. How you say things is arguably more important than what you say. If you try to give someone a genuine compliment, but he or she thinks you say it with a sarcastic undertone, your compliment won’t mean a thing.     4     If you notice that people often take things you say the wrong way, there’s a good chance you can change how you speak. Ask your friends to make you aware of the way you’re coming across.

Show enthusiasm for everything. Even if something makes you slightly uncomfortable, handle it with a smile on your face, an open mind, and a sense of humor. Not every day is going to be perfect, but being enthusiastic can help you accomplish anything.     5    

A．Tell people the truth.

B．You may make things bad.

C．Be aware of the way you speak.

D．Have confidence in how you speak and act.

E．When you act this way, people will love being around you.

F．Asking questions is important when it comes to confidence.

G．Listening is a trait that is often forgotten in today’s society.

5 . In May 2019, a friend who had previously been involved in the Restless Development Sierra Leone Business Brains project encouraged me to apply for the “Saving Lives II” project. Seeing this as an opportunity to move closer to my ambition of working in the medical field in the near future, I eagerly seized the chance. Fortunately, my performance during the interview led to me being awarded the role.

Following the basic training, I was sent to volunteer in Kurubonla, a remote community located in the northern region of Sierra Leone. This assignment presented challenges such as limited road access and communication networks. At first, I felt concerned about being sent there, but with a determined mindset, I set out on the journey, driven by a passion to contribute to my country’s development and to push my personal boundaries.

As I got to know the community, I quickly realized that the challenges extended beyond language barriers and cultural differences; there was also a sense of isolation from my peers. However, I refused to allow these challenges to stop me. I threw myself in my duties, working together with local leaders and community members to identify the most pressing needs. Together, we carried out the projects aimed at improving healthcare, education, and infrastructure (基础设施). Additionally, I organized workshops and training courses to share my knowledge and skills with the locals.

Over time, I witnessed the positive impact of our collective efforts. Healthcare facilities improved, the number of students in schools increased, and the overall quality of life in the community showed signs of improvement. These achievements were not solely mine; they were a testament to the cooperative spirit and commitment of the entire community.

1. What do we learn about the author from the first two paragraphs?

A．He was unwilling to volunteer in Sierra Leonne.

B．He felt excited about the assignment in Kurubonla.

C．He applied for the “Saving Lives Ⅱ” project for his future promise.

D．He was immediately sent to Kurubonla after he was awarded the role.

2. What can we infer from paragraph 3?

A．He assisted in the projects led by the locals.

B．He met with only language and cultural barriers.

C．He overcame challenges to serve the community.

D．He attended the training courses organized by the local leaders.

3. Which of the following best describes the author’s personality?

A．Devoted but stubborn.	B．Determined and passionate.
C．Confident and cautious.	D．Motivated but moody.

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．The author’s growth through volunteering.

B．Language and culture in voluntary work.

C．Collective efforts in community development.

D．Volunteers’ challenges in remote communities.

6 . Any schoolchild knows that a whale breathes through its blowhole. Fewer know that a blowhole is a nostril (鼻孔) slightly changed by evolution into a form more useful for a mammal that spends its life at sea. And only a dedicated expert would know that while toothed whales, such as sperm whales, have one hole, baleen (鲸须) whales, such as humpback and Rice whales, have two.

Even among the baleen whales, the placing of those nostrils differs. In some species they are close together. In others, they are much further apart. In a paper published in Biology Letters Conor Ryan, a marine biologist at the Scottish Association for Marine Science, suggests why that might be. Having two nostrils, he argues, helps whales smell in stereo (立体空间).

Many types of baleen whales eat tiny animals known as zooplankton (浮游动物), which they catch by filtering (过滤) them from seawater using the sheets of fibrous baleen that have replaced teeth in their mouths. But to eat something you first have to find it. Toothed whales do not hunt by scent. In fact, the olfactory bulb—the part of the brain that processes smell—is absent in such creatures. But baleen whales still have olfactory bulbs, which suggests smell remains important. And scent can indeed give zooplankton away. Zooplankton like to eat other tiny creatures called phytoplankton (浮游植物). When these are under attack, they release a special gas called dimethyl sulphide, which in turn attracts baleen whales.

Most animals have stereoscopic senses. Having two eyes, for instance, allows an animal to compare the images from each in order to perceive depth. Having two ears lets them locate the direction from which a sound is coming. Dr Ryan theorized that paired blowholes might bring baleen whales the same sorts of benefits.

The farther apart the sensory organs are, the more information can be extracted by the animal that bears them. The researchers used drones to photograph the nostrils of 143 whales belonging to 14 different species. Sure enough, baleen whales that often eat zooplankton, such as the North Atlantic right whale, have nostrils that are farther apart than do those, such as humpback whales, that eat zooplankton occasionally. Besides allowing them to breathe, it seems that some whales use their blowholes to determine in which direction dinner lies.

1. What do we know about whales’ nostrils according to the first two paragraphs?

A．They are adapted ones.	B．They are developed merely for smell.
C．They are not easy to detect.	D．They are fixed universally in numbers.

2. What plays a role when baleen whales hunt zooplankton?

A．The teeth that baleen whales have.

B．The smell that phytoplankton send.

C．The sound waves that zooplankton create.

D．The chemical signals that zooplankton give off.

3. How is the concept of stereoscopic senses explained in paragraph 4?

A．By quoting a theory.	B．By using examples.
C．By making contrast.	D．By making inferences.

4. What is the position of nostrils related to according to the last paragraph?

A．The sense of smell.	B．The possibility to attract food.
C．The ability to locate food.	D．The ability to communicate.

7 . The Biggest Events in the States

Mardi Gras

Mobile, Alabama

Attendance: One million

Believe it or not, the Mardi Gras celebration in Mobile is even older than the one in New Orleans since this Gulf Coast city has much of the same French and Cajun culture as the latter. The celebration dates back to 1703 and includes nearly a month of parades, running from mid-January up through Late February.

Mount Marathon Race

Seward, Alaska

Attendance: 40, 000

This 103-year old tradition is the 10th-oldest foot race in America, but it’s by far the most scenic. The short-but-dangerous competition is held every July 4, racing up the side of Seward’s Mount Marathon through cliffs, waterfalls, and breathtaking views of southeast Alaska. Once at the top, racers look back down to the finish line with top finishers completing the three-mile roundtrip in just over 40 minutes.

Little Rock Riverfest

Little Rock, Arkansas

Attendance: 100, 000—200, 000

This annual music festival held along the Arkansas River has been running for over 40 years, bringing some of the biggest names in rock music. The festival runs every Memorial Day weekend, and this year featured Peter Frampton, Young the Giant, and Highly Suspect.

St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Norwich, Connecticut

Attendance: 300,000

In just five short years, little Norwich, Connecticut, has developed one of the biggest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the country, with an estimated 300, 000 people coming to this town of 40, 000 for bagpipes, beer, and plenty of Irish food. The mile-long parade is held on March 4, the early date giving people with other St. Patrick’s plans the chance to have two holidays, which might be a big reason for its popularity.

1. What do Mobile and New Orleans have in common?

A．They are coastal cities.

B．They have large populations.

C．They are related to French culture.

D．They enjoy a history of about 300 years.

2. What’s special about the event held in Seward?

A．It has the most participants of all.

B．Racers see striking scenery along the way.

C．Racers run great risks on the mountaintop.

D．It is the oldest marathon event in America.

3. Which event will be most attractive to food lovers?

A．Mardi Gras.	B．Little Rock Riverfest.
C．Mount Marathon Race.	D．St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

8 . With the rising cost of living, a growing number of adult children are moving back in with their parents. While lots of parents will enjoy the chance to spend more time with their grown-up children, having them move back in can also cause some problems.     1     ?

Sit down and talk

While the situation is clearly hard for the parents, Counselling Directory member Octavia Landy advises them to take a step back. “     2     ,” says Landy. “Talk with your kids. Parents need to find out: How are they? What would they like to happen in their life?”

    3    

When things get heated, it can be easy to just storm off and not really hear each other out. But every effort needs to be made, on both sides, to properly listen. “As parents, you need a cool head,” suggests Landy. “Bring the conversation back to the matter at hand, and listen to your kids.”

Set clear boundaries (界限)

“Boundaries and communication lie at the heart of this difficult situation,” says Landy. “At the moment, it feels as if no boundaries will lead to a sense of anger on your part. Consider what your boundaries look like.     4     . It’s important to check in with your kids on how things are going.”

Ask yourself what you need to feel happy in your home

Landy suggests parents ask themselves what they need to feel happy and safe in their home—and the answer might be a difficult one to come to terms with. “It might mean that you need to ask your kids to leave,” she says. “    5    .”

A．So, what can parents do

B．Put everything in good order

C．Be prepared to listen patiently

D．Are they cheered by the news from home

E．You’d better set a proper time for a family meeting

F．Work together to set basic rules and a timeline to be reviewed

G．If you fear your kids get homeless, then address these fears directly

9 . Finding a California condor in the wild would be the most unusual treat. perhaps even more unusual than finding a wolf in Yellowstone National Park. In fact, the wolf was what opened my eyes to the fact that humans could bring an animal back to the place where it had disappeared.

In 1987, there were only 27 California condors left, none of which were in the wild, only in captive breeding programs, It was those breeding programs that contributed to their population rise, enough that by 1991 some of them could be freed into the wild.

Still, the hope of seeing a California condor, which remains an endangered species, is very low, let alone getting a photo of one. California condor population dropped mostly due to human factors, such as poaching and living areas destruction-these are challenges California condors still face today.

Although this is just a bird’s-eye view of the challenges California condors face and there are many others, it is part of why the opportunity to work with the US Fish and Wildlife Service team and their partners helping their recovery is so special to me as a photographer. I am not only able to photograph the birds in their wild living areas, but also understand and record how difficult the work is of those people on the front lines of the protection.

I am grateful for the work of the team, and my hope is that California condor population will continue to rise allowing future generations an opportunity I never had when I first got here-to look to the sky and see one flying around.

1. What helped the increase of the California condor population in 1987?

A．Rules for hunters.	B．Captive breeding programs.
C．The improved natural environment.	D．The enlargement of wild living areas.

2. What does the author say about taking photos of a California condor in the wild?

A．It is difficult.

B．It is easy.

C．It is boring.

D．It is dangerous.

3. What did the author do when working with the US Fish and Wildlife Service team?

A．He guided ways for them.	B．He made records by photos.
C．He helped the birds to recover.	D．He rebuilt the birds’ living areas.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．New Way, New Hope	B．Wolves and California Condors
C．A Photo of a California Condor	D．The California Condor’s Coming Back

10 . English history is vast, from its rule under the Romans to the rise, heights and decline of the British Empire. When choosing a book to recommend on my country’s history, I wanted something that could summarize this sweeping history but didn’t get stuck in the details of things that hold me back from thoroughly engaging with this truly rich history. Then, I found Dominic Haynes’ A Brief History of England. It had just what I was looking for and was a real joy to read.

The book is a whistle-stop tour through the whole of English history, from its earliest people to the movement of settlers from Europe. It looks at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, Elizabeth I’s reign (统治) and the lasting impact of Shakespeare. Then it touches on the English Civil Wars and the shift of rule from kings and queens to the parliament (议会) running the country and the establishment of the political parties of the Whigs (辉格党) and Tories (托利党) still functioning today in some form as the currently ruling Conservative Party (保守党). It also covers the Napoleonic Wars and the world wars and even contemplates (思考) England’s post-Brexit (脱欧后的) present and future.

This really is quite the sweeping tome. However, it’s very short. This means it’s easy to navigate and get a hold of a huge amount of history, but it also means it’s very light on the details. At times, this can be frustrating, as there are parts where it feels like just another paragraph or page would really elevate this book. But for an introduction to English history or perhaps a reminder or refresher, it’s great and particularly useful as it is likely to fill in some gaps in your knowledge.

Furthermore, because of the pace of the book, there’s not a dull moment. It’s a real page-turner, covering the succession (交替) of kings and queens, wars, famines (饥荒) and changes in the social order of the country at home and the country’s influence across the world.

One reviewer on Amazon described the book as “a small masterpiece”, and said, “This is a great book for anyone who wants to get a crash course in English history or for those who want a quick reference to that subject.”

So, jump in, dear readers, and get a hold of what made England what it was, what it went on to be, and where it may stand in our global future.

1. What is the main focus of Dominic Haynes’ A Brief History of England?

A．Detailed exploration of England’s political parties.

B．An introduction to the British Empire’s rise and fall.

C．A brief overview of England’s historical shifts and events.

D．In-depth analysis of England’s post-Brexit policies.

2. What is a weakness mentioned by the reviewer regarding the book?

A．Its pace is slow and frustrating.

B．There’s a shortage of information on wars.

C．It dives too deeply into political complexities.

D．It lacks detailed information due to its shortness.

3. What does the underlined word “page-turner” in paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．A book that is exciting to read.	B．A book that has lots of pages to turn.
C．A book that is easy to understand.	D．A book that is complicated.

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

A．Jump into the UK’s past.	B．The ebb and flow of the UK.
C．The significance of studying the UK’s history.	D．The UK, you always live in people’s hearts.