1 . Distance running, it turns out, is where humans are better at compared with other species, even if our two-leggedness makes us about half as fast as other mammals of similar size, on average.
So what is it about our bodies and our physiology that allows us to undertake such long and hard runs?
“Our ancestors developed adaptations for running literally from toe to head,” said Daniel Lieberman, a human evolutionary biologist at Harvard University who focuses on movement. “There’s no part of our body that running doesn’t touch.” According to Lieberman, our toes are short so they don’t break while running. And in general, our lower body has larger joints, tendons (筋腱) and muscles than our upper body that does to absorb the forces we generate at speed. Beefy muscles in our back keep our upper body from falling forward, and our swinging arms stabilize our heads. Unlike apes, we have a flexible spinal column (脊柱) that allows us to twist our hips and shoulders and separate them from our head so we can keep our gaze directed forward.
But perhaps the biggest adaptations that set humans apart deal with our ability to let heat out. Our tall, upright bodies create a lot of surface area for cooling, and the ability to breathe from both the nose and mouth helps dump heat as well. Humans are also one of the only species with the ability to sweat, and without thick fur, our sweat can easily evaporate from our skin, cooling us down.
All of these adaptations led humans to adopt what’s known as persistent hunting long before the appearance of early weapons. Hunters likely followed their quarry (猎物) for miles until the animals gave in to exhaustion. Other animals do this too, but none can persistently hunt during the day or in hot climates. Hunting gave humans access to more energy, which freed our brains to grow larger. In turn, our brains have developed our ability to run and hunt, said Missy Thompson, a neuromechanics biologist at Fort Lewis College in Colorado.
1. What can be inferred from Paragraph 3?| A．We don’t need our toes in our running. |
| B．Running can touch most parts of our bodies. |
| C．Our lower bodies play a vital role when running at speed. |
| D．When we are running, our swinging arms can twist our hips and shoulders. |
| A．Tall upright bodies. | B．The ability to breathe. |
| C．Having no thick fur. | D．Persistent hunting. |
| A．Hunting is beneficial to our brains’ growth. |
| B．Humans are the only species that can sweat. |
| C．Hunter won’t follow their targets in hot climates. |
| D．Beefy muscles keep our body from falling backward. |
| A．The ways to be good runners |
| B．Effective ways to undertake long runs. |
| C．The reasons why humans are good long distance runners. |
| D．An imporatnt sport for humans—distance running. |
2 . How to spot misinformation online
We’ve all seen a lot of misinformation that seems absolutely crazy or unbelievable online these days.
Pause and be skeptical about new information.
Whenever you come across an article or post sharing information that you haven’t seen before, take a second to consider it. Don’t just scroll by accepting it as a fact or share the information without exercising some skepticism first. It’s okay to be doubtful!
Confirm the source and date of the information.
Look up the information at the source to see if it was actually published there. Double-check the date of the article to make sure it’s current and still accurate. Usually, the date is located next to the author of the article. The date can be a really big deal.
Check to see if you can tell who the original author is.
Misinformation is often designed to make you feel angry, sad, scared, or just plain old upset. If you spot a claim, article, headline or any other information that causes you to feel a super-strong emotion, be cautious. It could be a sign that it’s fake and designed to get a reaction out of you. If you come across a headline that says, “NEW LAW TAKES AWAY PET DOGS,” it’s most likely false or at least misleading.
Misinformation isn’t just annoying, it can be dangerous. But by identifying it, you can help stop the spread of it.
| A．But there’s good news |
| B．Whenever you come across new information |
| C．Evaluate how the information fits into your own belief system |
| D．Watch out for information that causes a strong emotional response |
| E．It’s better to investigate information to make sure it’s real before spreading it around |
| F．Find out who wrote the information by looking up the article or searching for their name |
| G．For instance, an article about new corona-virus cases from 6 months ago may not be accurate right now |
3 . How to improve your memory?
It’s generally accepted that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but when it comes to the brain, scientists have discovered this old saying simply isn’t true.
Don’t skip the physical exercise. While mental exercise is important for brain health, that doesn’t mean you never need to break a sweat. Physical exercise helps your brain stay sharp.
Get enough sleep. There is a big difference between the amount of sleep you can get and the amount you need to function at your best. The truth is that over 95% of adults need 7.5 to 9 hours of sleep every night.
Make time for friends. When you think of ways to improve memory, do you think of “serious” activities such as mastering chess strategies, or is it more relaxing pastimes—hanging out with friends or enjoying a funny movie?
| A．Keep stress in check. |
| B．Give your brain a workout. |
| C．If you’re like most of us, it’s probably the former. |
| D．Even losing a few hours of sleep makes a difference! |
| E．In fact, interacting with others may provide the best kind of brain exercise. |
| F．The human brain has an astonishing ability to adapt and change, even into old age. |
| G．It increases oxygen to your brain and reduces the risk for disorders that lead to memory loss. |
4 . With the beautiful snow-coated landscapes, winter reveals a different world of national parks with significantly fewer crowds. Here are some of the best national parks in the US for a winter getaway.
Acadia National Park, MaineBetween October and March, Acadia National Park’s Cadillac Mountain, the tallest mountain on the east coast, offers hikers epic views of the first sunrise in the country. Because the roads are closed to motor vehicles during the winter, those who undertake the 3.5-mile hike from Park Loop Road are rewarded with a stunning view all to themselves. Snowmobiling in the park is another special experience for visitors.
Mount Rainier National Park, Washington StateMount Rainier National Park in Washington State is one of the oldest national parks in the US and a playground for outdoor enthusiasts in winter. Unlike other snow-crowded resorts, this park allows visitors to heartily enjoy snowmobiling, sledding and snowshoeing. Its hotel offers comfortable rooms with views of Mount Rainier, and tasty local dishes.
Denali National Park, AlaskaWith its remote location and minimal light pollution, Denali National Park is an ideal place for photographers to capture the northern lights during the aurora (极光) season, between September and April. Visitors in this crowd-free park can spot wildlife such as wolves and black bears, which remain active in the winter.
Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New MexicoIn northern New Mexico, Chaco Culture National Historical Park holds stone great houses, which were the largest buildings in North America until the mid-18th century. Accessible for most of the winter, the park can see fewer than 10 visitors a day in colder months. Photographers can capture landscapes amid the constellations (星群) by night.
1. What experience can visitors only have in Acadia National Park?| A．The longest hiking route. |
| B．The earliest sunrise in USA. |
| C．Snowshoeing and snowmobiling. |
| D．Comfortable accommodation. |
| A．Acadia National Park. |
| B．Mount Rainier National Park. |
| C．Denali National Park. |
| D．Chaco Culture National Historical Park. |
| A．Snow and ice activities. |
| B．A chance to meet wildlife. |
| C．Cultural heritage sites. |
| D．An escape from the crowds. |
5 . Creativity is advocated everywhere these days. But most of us don’t know how to set it off. Here are some ways to start the process.
Work in a blue room. As we grow up, colors take on specific associations. Red means danger, and blue relates to peace.
Why the difference?
Sleep on it. Sleep helps generate new ideas in several ways. During sleep, the brain strengthens memories. That act of strengthening actually reorganizes thoughts, much like reorganizing books on a shelf.
Live in a foreign land. People who had lived abroad performed better on creative problems and tasks. A week in Paris isn’t enough to light the creative spark, delightful though that trip may be.
| A．Watch a funny video |
| B．Such associations affect how we think |
| C．However, don’t expect this to work every time |
| D．Red makes us anxious, and anxiety causes us to focus |
| E．The new arrangement can help generate new associations |
| F．If we can let our mind wander, we are more likely to solve the problem |
| G．It has to be long enough to challenge our habitual ways of thinking and living |
6 . The Zero Energy Building in Singapore, which has been entirely powered by sunlight since it began operating in 2009, is the first of its kind in Southeast Asia. Transformed from a former workshop, the three- story building may hold the key to the island’s effort to reduce its dependence on imported fuel.
Generally, green building strategies can be categorized into passive and active solutions. Active solutions involve improving lighting and the HVAC(Heating, Ventilation (通风) and Air-conditioning)systems that consume most of the energy in buildings. Passive solutions aim to provide more energy-efficient architectural improvements (such as building envelopes and roofs) to reduce the reliance on active solutions. Research has shown that passive strategies are much less costly compared to active solutions. Therefore, passive design is recommended in many green and sustainable design guidelines.
“However, passive solutions, such as daylight and natural ventilation, are sensitive to climatic and outdoor conditions and therefore have their limitations of application,” said project officer Letchimi Palanisamy. “For example, buildings in the tropics (热带) usually have a North-South direction to avoid facing the sun directly. But the Zero Energy Building has an East-West orientation, which made the task more challenging.”
Innovations that are being tested at the Zero Energy Building include personalized ventilation and a new air-conditioning system patented by the National University of Singapore (NUS). Different plants have also been planted on the roofs and along the walls of the building to reduce heat absorption, yet allow maximum natural ventilation and daylight into the building to lower the need for air-conditioning and artificial lighting. The biggest improvement is the addition of a new roof that can turn sunlight into 500,000KWH of electricity each year.
“The Zero Energy Building is a test bed for the green building technologies in the tropics,” Letchimi Palanisamy said. “If they are successfully commercialized, they will help Singapore cut its energy consumption in the buildings by 50%.”
1. What does the second paragraph mainly focus on?| A．Methods to improve the HVAC systems. |
| B．Ways to classify green building strategies. |
| C．Major innovations adopted in green buildings. |
| D．The benefits and limitations of green technologies. |
| A．Buildings in the tropics usually face the sun directly. |
| B．Passive designs depend heavily on the natural conditions. |
| C．Active strategies are much less expensive than passive solutions. |
| D．The energy consumption in the Zero Energy Building is cut by 50%. |
| A．Natural ventilation. | B．Plants grown along the walls. |
| C．Innovations for maximum daylight. | D．NUS’s air-conditioning system. |
| A．A project profile. | B．An on-site test. | C．An advertisement. | D．A government plan. |
7 . Tourists at the Acropolis this holiday season can walk around the ancient Greek site to see how it looked like 2,500 years ago. They will even see a collection of sculptures that were removed from the site more than 200 years ago and are now on display at the British Museum in London. All they need is a smartphone and an app called Chronos.
They can just point their phones at the Parthenon, and then the sculptures housed in London will app ear back on the temple. Other less widely known features also appear: Many of the sculptures on the Acropolis are painted in striking colors. A statue of Athena in the main hall also stands over a shallow pool of water.
“The only time I’ve seen this kind of technology before was at the dentist,” Shriya Parsotam Chitnavis, a tourist from London, said after checking out the app on a hot afternoon at the hilltop Acropolis. “I’m more of a visual person, so this app has really helped me appreciate it.”
The app employs augmented reality (AR) to place the ancient impression of the site onto the screen, matching the real-world view as you walk around the temple. The app also covers three other monuments at the Acropolis, a neighboring Roman theater and parts of the Acropolis Museum built at the foot of the hill.
Greece’s Culture Ministry is enthusiastic to adopt the AR technology. Another company, Microsoft, partnered with the ministry two years ago to launch a digital tour at ancient Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games in southern Greece.
“The software will offer tourists a more immersive experience, allowing them to share photos and videos from museums and other sources as more content becomes digitized,” said Maria Engberg, co-author of the book Reality Media.
1. How is Shriya Parsotam Chitnavis’s reaction to the software?| A．Positive. | B．Dismissive. | C．Skeptical. | D．Scared. |
| A．The ancient Roman theater. | B．The birthplace of the Olympic Games. |
| C．Parts of the Acropolis Museum. | D．Three other monuments at the Acropolis. |
| A．Unnatural. | B．Adventurous. | C．Painful. | D．Vivid. |
| A．A tourist’s experience at the Acropolis. |
| B．A new way to restore ancient cultural sites. |
| C．A very helpful app to be introduced at the Acropolis. |
| D．The popularity of AR technologies at ancient attractions. |
8 . In spring 1955, Rosalynn Carter was doing what she had been avoiding since she married Jimmy Carter: keeping house and raising children in the same tiny town where they grew up.
But her husband called for help from his family’s farm one day and said that he couldn’t manage the farm on his own. So Rosalynn Carter gathered their sons and returned to the tiny town. Soon she was managing finances and handling customers. “Finally, I got used to our new life and knew more about the business than he did, and he would take my advice about things,” Rosalynn Carter told The Associated Press in 2021.
Their marriage was almost a decade old when she went to the farm, but that was perhaps the true beginning of a partnership that helped Jimmy Carter win the Georgia governor’s office in 1970 and then the White House in 1976. Six years later, they co-founded The Carter Center and committed themselves to charity work for four decades in more than 145 countries, where many children, now adults, were named Jimmy or Rosalynn or Carter. Along that path was a small-town love story that included 77 years of marriage and two decades of family friendship before that. Their shared journey ended on November 19, 2023, with Rosalynn’s death at the age of 96.
“It’s hard to think of one of them without the other,” said Jill Stuckey, a longtime friend who saw the couple often during Rosalynn Carter’s last months. “When Jimmy was president. she even attended all White House meetings and discussed what she heard with him at home. They had nightly phone calls when they traveled separately.”
“Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished.” Jimmy Carter said in a statement released upon her death. “She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.”
1. How did Rosalynn Carter probably feel when she was asked to work on the farm?| A．Interested. | B．Unconcerned. | C．Proud. | D．Unwilling. |
| A．They bought a new farm in a small town. |
| B．They ran for the Georgia governor’s office. |
| C．They started to do charity work in the world. |
| D．They traveled in different countries as tourists. |
| A．Rosalynn Carter was an ambitious woman. |
| B．The couple were very attached to each other. |
| C．Jimmy Carter was not a qualified president. |
| D．They should not share the secret information. |
| A．Young Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter’s Love Stories |
| B．The World’s Responses to Rosalynn Carter’s Death |
| C．The Close Bond Between Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter |
| D．The Lasting Relationship Between the Carters’ Families |
9 . Here are trips near Beijing for every age, taste, and budget.
Badachu
Badachu takes its name from the eight temples that make up the area’s main attraction. Its history as a religious site goes all the way back to the Tang Dynasty（618-907AD). The first of the eight temples, Chang’an Si, is actually located right outside the park. The second temple, Lingguang Si, is Badachu’s main attraction and the only one that still has monks inside. Take the nearby chairlift（RMB 30）or continue exploring the other temples on foot.
Admission: RMB 10.
Longqing Gorge
Longqing Gorge is known for the Longqing Gorge Ice Sculpture Festival in winter and peaceful mountain views in summer. Often compared to the Yangtze River’s famous Three Gorges, Longqing Gorge also ranks favorably with Guilin’s mountain and water views. Besides sightseeing, tourists can go boating, rock climbing and horseback riding here. Baihua Dong is best avoided, as the only signs of “flowers” are made with plastics.
Admission: RMB 40.
Shang Fang Shan
As a national forest park, Shang Fang Shan is known for its diversity of plants and ancient trees that are over a thousand years old. There are nine caves in the mountain. The best-known one is called Yunshui Cave, meaning “the cave of clouds and water”.
Admission: RMB 40.
Huanghuacheng
If your idea of relaxation is losing yourself in hiking along the wild Great Wall, then Huanghuacheng, which is named after the yellow flowers that blanket the site in summer, is for you. Here you can explore the Great Wall at any time for free. The exploration starts at Jintang Lake and the moon-shaped Huanghuacheng Reservoir, which breaks the Great Wall into three sections. Huanghuacheng is also known as “Water Great Wall” because part of the wall is underwater.
1. How much should you pay if you visit the temples by chairlift in Badachu?| A．RMB 10 | B．RMB 20 | C．RMB 30 | D．RMB 40 |
| A．Go for a sculpture festival in summer. | B．Visit a cave with beautiful flowers. |
| C．Enjoy pretty mountain and water views. | D．See various plants and ancient trees. |
| A．It can be visited free of charge. | B．It is best-known for its natural beauty. |
| C．It is famous for yellow flowers in spring. | D．It offers free access to many religious sites. |
10 . A humanoid robot can relay video and touch sensations to a person wearing a haptic (触觉内) feedback suit and a virtual reality (VR) headset hundreds of kilometres away, offering away for people to attend events without travelling.
The iCub 3 robot is a 52-kilogram, 125-centimetre-tall robot with 54 joints across its body. Its head contains two cameras where a human’s eyes would be, and an Internet-connected computer where the brain would go. Along with the cameras, sensors covering its body send data to the robot’s “brain”. These sensations are then reproduced on a suit and VR headset worn by a remote human operator.
When the operators react to what they see and feel, the suit’s sensors pick up the movements and the robot matches them. “The key is to translate every signal and bit of digital data that can be sent through the network.” says Stefano Dafarra, who was part of the iCub3 team. There can be a small delay of up to 100 milliseconds to capture and transmit the visual shots, but the operator can case this by moving slightly slower than normal.
The team demonstrated the robot at the Venice Biennale, where it wandered through an exhibition while its operator stood 290 kilometres away in Genoa. Dafarra hopes people will use the iCub3 to attend events remotely, reducing the need to travel. “But at present, a fall could be hugely damaging to the robot, and it’s uncertain whether it could stand up again on its own," he says.
“iCub3 is an interesting robot and offers clear advantages from the previous versions.” says Jonathan Aitken, whose laboratory owns a prior version of the robot. However, he is disappointed that the team wasn’t clear in its research about the data transmission requirements of the new version of the robot. “It would be good to know just how much data was required, and what the upper and lower bounds were.” he says.
1. What’s the principle behind the humanoid robot?| A．It conveys sensations to the wearer and acts accordingly. |
| B．It receives commands from an operator through the Internet. |
| C．The cameras take pictures and then interact with the sensors. |
| D．The computer in the robot processes the data and gives orders. |
| A．Medical consultation. | B．Sports events. |
| C．Outdoor workouts. | D．Virtual tourism. |
| A．It fails to appeal to potential investors. |
| B．Its performance hasn’t been evaluated clearly. |
| C．Its present version still requires to be updated. |
| D．Its transmission of data came across technical problems. |
| A．Humanoid robots with sense of touch catch on |
| B．iCub 3 robot combines with VR to benefit more people |
| C．Humanoid robots let people see and feel things remotely |
| D．New advances in technology enable people to travel at work |
