1 . After a particularly strong storm named Klaus hit southwestern France in 2009, researchers made a curious observation about the damage: nearly all the trees beaten up by winds blowing at speeds of 94 miles per hour, regardless of their species, height or diameter, however, most trees hit by strong winds below that were in good condition. Was this wind-speed threshold(分界线) really the arbiter(仲裁者) of destruction?
Physicist Christophe Clanet and his colleagues at France’s École Polytechnique and ESPCI Paris Tech set to find out by breaking beechwood rods(格木棒) of different lengths and diameters under controlled conditions. To do so, they inserted one end of a given rod into a hole of the same diameter in a block of steel and slowly added force to the other end, causing the rod to bend. Then they measured the critical figures to determine a corresponding wind speed. What they found matched the real-world situation of 2009: the calculated wind speed to break the rods—no matter the size was about 94 mph.
However, several outside experts have concerns about this. For example, Lee Frelich, director of the University of Minnesota Center for Forest Ecology, says that modeling trees as branchless cylinders(无分支气缸) ignores the streamlining (直线型化) of branches in the wind, which in turn changes the relation between force on the trunk and wind speed. In other words, the method did not reflect the complex interactions of real-life biology, weather and physics. Regardless, Clanet and his colleagues do think the results have utility and plan to study whether strong winds can change the breaking point.
1. How did Clanet conduct the study?| A．By setting plans and giving examples. |
| B．By collecting figures and using information. |
| C．By doing experiment and measuring figures |
| D．By analyzing data and drawing a conclusion. |
| A．Optimistic. | B．Indifferent | C．Objective. | D．Worried. |
| A．Effect. | B．Usefulness. | C．Future. | D．Significance. |
| A．How the wind cuts wood |
| B．Why the wind destroys wood |
| C．Wind speed: the changer of winds |
| D．Whether strong winds can change the breaking point |
2 . When landing at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta , Indonesia, tourists are often surprised to see many billboards advertising Chinese companies such as smartphone maker Oppo.
Walking into high-end shopping malls in Jakarta, consumers also notice that Chinese brands are spotlighted. In Plaza Indonesia, which houses international luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton and Chanel.
Oppo also has a well-designed store. Such a noticeable presence showcases the popularity of Oppo in Indonesia —an example of how Chinese companies are cager to explore the biggest economy in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
According to statistics from the Indonesia n government. Chinese companies’ direct investment in the country reached $8.23 billion in 2022, a year-on-year jump of 160 percent, reaching a record high and ranking as the second-largest source of foreign investment in Indonesia US investment bank Goldman Sachs also forecasted in a report that Indonesia will become the world’s fourth-largest economy by 2050 To turn such rosy prospects into reality. Chinese companies are scrambling to better localize their products, management teams and marketing strategies.
Oppo for instance, is now booming in on the high-end smartphone market after the company beat Samsung as the top smartphone brand in Indonesia in the second quarter with a market share of 20 percent The success is attributed in part to Oppo’s strategy of opening well-designed stores with competitive products in high-end shopping malls.
1. What surprises tourists when they arrive at Sockarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta?| A．The large population of Indonesia |
| B．The popularity of Oppo smartphones. |
| C．The number of luxury brands in the shopping malls. |
| D．The Chinese companies advertised on bllboards. |
| A．Because it reduces costs and increase profits. |
| B．Because it establishes a dominant market position. |
| C．Because it shows the spotlight and popularity of Oppo. |
| D．Because it meets the expectation of the Indonesian consumers. |
| A．To obey Indonesian regulations and policies. |
| B．To better understand the local culture and customs. |
| C．To compete with other foreign companies operated in Indonesia. |
| D．To increase their market share and appeal to Indonesian consumers. |
| A．Opening well-designed stores with competitive products resulted in Oppo’ success. |
| B．Oppo in Indonesia is beaten by Samsung as the top smartphone brand. |
| C．Oppo plans to invest high-end shopping malls in Indonesia. |
| D．Oppo is becoming more and more popular because of its cheap price. |
3 . How a middled age woman find her lifetime career
I did not come from a wealthy background. My mother(a single mother who raised 6 children with love and courage) wanted me to have a secure future, so she spent a lot of money to send me to the UK, where I learned to be a professional secretary. Then, I backed to Hong Kong and worked as a secretary.
But I had a problem: I could not concentrate on paperwork. It was a serious issue and I sought medical help. The doctor diagnosed me with ADHD (Attention Disorder: means a person may have difficulty staying on task, sustaining focus). I felt like my world was falling apart. How could I make a living with this condition? How could I meet my family’s expectations?
When I was fired from three different offices, I lost all my self-respect. With nothing left to lose, I decided to use my savings and open a small restaurant. As kitchen is the only place to gain back my self-esteem.
I love cooking, however, I was not trained as a chef. But I was very lucky. Many famous chefs were kind enough to share their cooking secrets with me whole heartedly. They saw something in me: a fearless middle-aged woman. My cooking skills improved a lot with their help and then my business started to pick up. I became kind of famous as CNN named Choy Choy Kitchen as one of the Best Private Kitchen in Hong Kong.
Business was good and I gained back my focus and self-respect in my kitchen in Hong Kong. I tried to find a professional partner who could fully utilize my brand and my creativity.
I moved to Tokyo and opened a restaurant with my partner. However, the covid pandemic hit, restaurant business suffered. And we ended the partnership. I bought a small house in Aobadai, Meguro and began to run my own restaurant. The restaurant was really small and could serve only 4 guests. I served only real Chinese Cuisine with high-end food ingredients. The price of my cuisine seems high. However, the cost of high-end ingredients in Japan was high too and the profit margin was unexpectedly low.
Although the profit was not as expected, I feel a profound joy that fills my entire being whenever guests appreciate real Chinese Cuisine. Whenever I got a compliment about real Chinese cuisine, I feel like destiny chose me to spread the gospel(福音) of real Chinese Cuisine in Japan. Introducing the real Chinese Cuisine to Japanese is a challenging mission. As most of the Chinese Cuisine in Japan is adapted to the local preferences and tastes and therefore most Japanese have never experienced the true flavors of China’s diverse regions and dishes. Although mission sounds difficult, I will try my best.
1. What was the woman’s initial career choice after returning to Hong Kong?| A．Secretary. | B．Professional chef. |
| C．Restaurant owner. | D．Businesswoman. |
| A．Because the cost of high-end ingredients was unexpectedly low. |
| B．Because the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the restaurant business. |
| C．Because the author wanted to focus on running their own restaurant in Aobadai, Meguro. |
| D．Because the profit margin from serving real Chinese cuisine was not as expected. |
| A．The support she receives from famous chefs. |
| B．The desire to make a profit from her restaurant. |
| C．The opportunity to perfect her cooking skill. |
| D．The joy to spread the true flavors of China’s diverse cuisine. |
| A．Determined and generous. | B．Dependent and ambitious. |
| C．Optimistic and courageous. | D．Sensitive and adventurous. |
4 . Must see in Guangxi
A Broad Spectrum of Scenery
What you will find here is beyond towering mountains, dense forests, and picturesque scenery. This alpine (高山的) scenic spot spreads across 17,008 hectares, with over one-third being primeval (原始的) forest. Its natural landscape can be magnificent but quiet, special but elegant. The high humidity makes the sea of clouds a common scene here thanks to the mountain climate. And the scenery varies with the season. Here, you can appreciate splendid blossoms in spring, avoid summer heat in the cool canyon, step on red leaves scattered on the ground in autumn, and get stunned by the rime ice in winter.
A Hotel in Nature
Chaoranpai International Hotel is only 2 kilometers away from the Lijiang River Source Grand Canyon. By taking both the ecological design and standards of 5-star hotels into account, this hotel has integrated modern services and nature, especially bamboo. The hotel also offers entertainments such as go-carting, cosplay of counter strike, and Chinese-style tea houses. Besides, the mountain itself is like a natural oxygen bar.
A Heaven of Fauna and Flora
Mao’er mountain is abundant in rare animals and plants. Inhabited by 2,484 species of plants and 345species of vertebrates, this place can serve as a natural gene bank. And surprisingly, a rare alpine wetland featuring
evergreen broad-leave d trees has found a way of surviving in the dwarf forest at a high altitude.
Two ways to get there
1. Take a train and get off at Xing’an Bei station, and take the shuttle bus that goes directly to the Mao’er mountain.
2. Take the Guilin-Xing’an bus from Guilin bus station, get off at Baizhupu station (Zibai Road Intersection), and take the shuttle from Baizhupu to Gaozhai, which is at the foot of the Mao’er mountain.
Travel Tips
Entrance ticket:160 yuan for adults (half price for children under 12)
Opening hours: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Recommended duration of visit:2-4 hours
Location: northwest of Xing’an county, Guilin
1. What is the characteristic of natural landscape in Guangxi?| A．Crowded but elegant | B．Magnificent but quiet |
| C．Special and desolate(荒凉的) | D．Common and lifeless |
| A．The alpine scenic spot | B．Xing’an Bei station |
| C．Mao’er mountain | D．Chaoranpai International Hotel |
| A．240 yuan. | B．320 yuan. |
| C．400 yuan. | D．480 yuan. |
5 . Why It’s Hard to Lose Weight
What makes people gain weight? This seems like a simple enough question to answer. If we eat a lot and don’t do enough exercise, we will become fat.
As we know, what we eat greatly affects our weight. It is widely accepted that people have 100% control over what they eat and how much they eat. This, however, is partly true.
Our bodies themselves can decide whether we are more likely to gain weight or lose weight. Scientists have found that the more delicious the food, the more excited our brains get.
Also, our bodies use a variety of hormones (激素) to tell our brains whether they are hungry or full. Ghrelin(胃饥饿素), for example, tells the brain that the body wants food. Leptin(瘦蛋白), meanwhile, tells the brain that it’s time to stop eating. Ghrelin and leptin help us to maintain a healthy weight.
| A．But sometimes, they may work improperly. |
| B．People form habits around food at a young age. |
| C．If we often have delicious food, over time, our brain will change. |
| D．Now you know why fat people often have a tough time losing weight. |
| E．There is also evidence to show industrial chemicals may increase body fat. |
| F．However, the science behind weight problems is more complicated than we think. |
| G．People with low levels of body satisfaction are more likely to gain weight over time. |
6 . Dispose of Your Credit Card Without Burying It
Disposing of unwanted items in our lives often means simply throwing them into the garbage or recycling bin — or, if they’re still useful, giving them away. It’s different with old credit cards, which should be destroyed so nobody can use them fraudulently (欺诈地).
First, contact the issuer
If closing the account is your goal, you’ll have to call the number on the back of your card and ask to do so. If your card is a rewards card, remember to first redeem points or cash back. Change any automatic payments to a different card, and be sure to pay the final card bill.
Cut up plastic cards
Sharp scissors and smart trimming will do the job here. “We recommend that consumers cut through the EMV chip, then further cut the card a few times along the short side, and dispose of the sections in more than one trash bag,” says Sarah Grano, a spokeswoman for the American Bankers Association.
Send back metal cards
Check back on your account
Don’t obsess about identity theft of an old credit card. You generally won’t be responsible for fraudulent charges anyway.
Closing an account can hurt you
Closing a credit card account can lower your credit rating. That’s because credit scores consider your “credit utilization ratio’”, or how much of your available credit you’re using. And when you close an account, you have less available credit.
| A．It could be worth closing the account anyway. |
| B．Scores also consider the length of time you’ve had the card open. |
| C．Or feed cards into a machine designed to handle them. |
| D．Take care with debit cards and other plastic where fraud means you might be missing money. |
| E．But how to destroy a payment card properly is not obvious, especially with new metal credit cards. |
| F．Destroying a metal card by yourself is harder and potentially dangerous. |
| G．Skip this step if you’re simply replacing an expired card or one that has been compromised. |
7 . Since we are vulnerable (脆弱的) when we sleep, sleep must play a critical role, or evolution wouldn’t have selected for it. Early humans had to hunt, gather food and protect themselves. Those activities consumed much time, so unless sleep served very important purposes, those who slept less would have an advantage. Yet sleeping for long hours of the night was kept for years, but scientists had only general ideas about what happened during sleep. Recently, Dr. Chiara Chiarelli, a neuroscientist, shared what sleep neuroscience research has discovered.
Neural (神经的) networks in the brain are connected through synapses (神经突触) which allow signals to flow throughout the brain and onto cells. During waking hours, new learning can strengthen the connections. You can think of knowledge acquired over a long time as a group of well-connected neural paths. When you learn something new, new paths are connected to the old. During the waking hours, your brain processes massive amounts of new insignificant information, say remembering where you parked your car. But that memory has to be preserved at least until you reach the car. It establishes a new connection to your memory of what your car looks like, a well-established “old” memory. The brain creates so many connections daily that particular circuits can be heavily burdened.
Dr. Cirelli explained that during sleep, a great many synaptic connections are weakened so that connections are more available for new learning the next day. Continuing with the parked car example, the exact location of the parked car is not needed again, so the connections are weakened. In fact, if it were not, you might memorize hundreds of places where you have parked, leading to considerable confusion!
You don’t have to be a scientist to understand that not sleeping well affects next day functioning — this is common cultural wisdom. Dr. Cirelli’s research is an example of science showing the “why” and “how” mechanisms that underlie that wisdom.
1. What does the example of early humans show?| A．Sleep wasn’t as important as it is today. |
| B．Our ancestors had a hard time surviving. |
| C．Sleep is significant in the history of humans. |
| D．Whoever sleeps less enjoys more advantages. |
| A．Our memory can be kept over a long period of time. |
| B．Our brain can be overloaded with synaptic connections. |
| C．Our brain’s neural network is connected through synapses. |
| D．Our new learning is based on well-established old memories |
| A．Sleep relieves synaptic burden. | B．Sleep carries cultural wisdom. |
| C．Sleep broadens neural paths. | D．Sleep stimulates brain development. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Unclear. |
| C．Dismissive (鄙视的). | D．Approving. |
8 . Getting rid of old tyres has long been a problem. Most are thrown into landfills or piled up in storage. Energy recovery is another common method. This involves burning tyres to generate electricity or heat for industries, but that produces planet warming pollution; or we use them to repair roads, but chemicals from them might pollute the ground.
Some firms, therefore, have begun exploring an alternative. One such firm is Wastefront, which owns a big tyre-recycling plant in north-east England. In a couple of years, it will be able to turn 8 million old tyres into new products, including a black liquid called TDO (轮胎衍生油).
The process works by deconstructing a tyre into steel, rubber, and carbon black (炭黑). After tearing down the steel, the remaining material is exposed to high temperatures in the absence of air to make the rubber change into a mix of hydrocarbon gases, and then they’re removed. What is left behind is pure carbon black. Once the removed gases cool down, a part of them liquefies into TDO. The remaining gases are to be burned to fuel the process. This creates a closed-cycle system that prevents emissions (排放).
The carbon black can be reused to make new tyres. That is of interest to tyre-makers because it helps efforts to become carbon neutral-achieving a balance between the amounts of carbon dioxide produced and the carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere. Producing new carbon black requires burning heavy oil or coal, which lets off plenty of greenhouse gases
The recovered TDO is well-suited for making diesel (柴油). While not completely carbon-neutral, it does produce an 80-90% reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide, compared with the conventional fuel. The future market for such cleaner fuels will remain large, even though electric vehicles are on the rise. Fossil-fuelled vehicles will exist for decades, particularly the big burners of diesel-trucks, which are harder to electrify. The fuel is also needed by trains and ships. So, anything that helps clean up overall emissions is useful—especially if it also eases a mountainous waste problem.
1. What’s the purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To analyze causes. | B．To present problems |
| C．To reach solutions. | D．To make comparisons |
| A．Air boosts the burning of the old tyres. |
| B．The remaining gases are emitted into the air. |
| C．Pure carbon black is an unprocessed substance. |
| D．TDO comes from the removed hydrocarbon gases. |
| A．Diesel made from TDO. | B．Clean electric energy. |
| C．Carbon-neutral process | D．Recovered TDO from old tyres. |
| A．The Problems of Burning Old Tyres. |
| B．The Black Liquid Called TDO. |
| C．The System Preventing Emissions |
| D．The Alternative to Tyre-recycling. |
9 . Sometimes, the kids in Stephanie Williams’s kindergarten class need a little extra motivation. While some students prefer material rewards for good behavior, all Kameron Eisenberg wanted was to be the first one on the bus. That way, he’d be able to spend a little extra time with the school bus driver Charles Frierson. In the few minutes they shared together each afternoon, Mr. Charles would chat with Kameron, encourage him, and generally brighten his day.
“I always ask the kids, ‘What do you want to work for today?’ And Kameron said, ‘I want to work to see the bus,’” Stephanie said. “Just being the first one on the bus and talking to Mr. Charles does not seem like a lot, but to him it’s the world.”
At the beginning of the school year, Kameron was having some difficulties in class. His behavior got him sent to the administrator’s office almost every day. However, getting to hang out with Mr. Charles turned out to be a strong motivator for the kindergartner to follow directions. After checking in with his teacher, the bus driver would sometimes even talk to him about any problems he was having in school.
Stephanie saw a huge change in Kameron’s attitude once the boy started talking to Mr. Charles every day. So did Kameron’s mom. Eventually, she decided to write a letter to the driver. As Charles read the note on camera, he started to tear up.
“I have always believed angels come when you least expect them.” She wrote, “This holds especially true in regards to Mr. Charles. I would like him to know how much we absolutely love him for who he is and what he has done for my son.”
According to School Transportations News. Charles and Kameron often get ice cream together now that school is out for the summer. The bus driver also cheers him on at his weekend baseball games.
1. What can be inferred from the first two paragraphs?| A．Kameron was tired of Stephanie’s lessons. |
| B．Kameron liked to compete for the first place. |
| C．Kameron made friends with Mr. Charles. |
| D．All kids in the kindergarten preferred material rewards. |
| A．He behaved badly in school. |
| B．He was to be dismissed from school. |
| C．He had a poor sense of direction. |
| D．He was affected more by the administrator. |
| A．To show her gratitude to him. | B．To change Kameron’s attitude. |
| C．To express a mother’s enthusiasm. | D．To get the school bus driver moved. |
| A．Patient and cautious. | B．Caring and positive. |
| C．Honest and determined. | D．Ambitious and sensitive. |
10 . While attractions like the Shard and the London Eye offer excellent perspectives, they’re always busy and ticket prices are steep. But with a little insider knowledge, you can save your pounds and bag your skyline photos without the crowds through accessing the following viewpoints.
Parliament Hill
London is mostly flat, but if you know where to look there are a few hills that provide natural (and free) high points offering city views with a side order of fresh air.
One of the most central is Parliament Hill on Hampstead Heath — at 98m, one of London’s highest natural viewpoints. From here, on a clear day, you can sit on the park bench that featured in movies like Run Fatboy Run and Notes on a Scandal.
Entry fee: free
The Garden Museum Tower
If you exit left out of Westminster station, battle your way over the bridge and then turn right, past the view of Big Ben and walk along the south side of the Thames, you’ll come to a medieval (中 世纪的) church.
While you might be interested in British garden design, it’s the 14th-Century tower that’s the main attraction for photographers. Climb the 131 steps of the narrow spiral staircase and you’ll emerge onto one of the finest riverside viewpoints in the city — with views across to the Palace of Westminster on the right.
Entry fee: Adult f16, or Tower only 4
The IFS Cloud Cable Car
If you want to soar over London in a glass pod, the obvious place to go is the London Eye. But a cheaper and crowd-free alternative is to ride the IFS Cloud Cable Car.
The views are impressive at any time, but the Cable Car stays open late, so you can even enjoy magnificent sunsets from the west — facing side or admire the twinkling city lights after dark.
Entry fee: E6 one-way
Seabird, Southwark
London has no shortage of rooftop venues (场所) offering knockout cityscape views, so it can be hard to pick just one or two. But for location, angles and a great experience, it doesn’t get much better than Seabird, on the 14th floor of the Hoxton hotel in Southwark with nothing to block views on three sides.
Entry fee: Buy a drink: draught beer costs ₤6.50 or small glass of wine is ₤9; a portion of olives costs ₤5.
1. Where can you go if you want to photograph the 14th-Century tower?| A．The London Eye. |
| B．The south side of the Thames. |
| C．The rooftop venues. |
| D．A place near St Paul’s Cathedral. |
| A．Parliament Hill. |
| B．The Garden Museum Tower. |
| C．The IFS Cloud Cable Car. |
| D．Seabird, Southwark. |
| A．They are free. |
| B．They are well-known. |
| C．They are not crowded. |
| D．They are not cheap. |
