1 . A survey of 2,000 parents of primary and secondary school children found 34 percent were out of their depth with primary school homework and unable to help their child.
Trigonometry (三角学) provided the biggest headache, with 52 percent of parents unable to help, followed by algebra (代数), which left 46 percent confused. 39 percent of parents could not calculate Pi (π) and 35 percent did not understand the periodic table. Foreign languages stumped many, with 31 percent unable to ask for directions in French. The English language also proved a struggle, with 21 percent no longer knowing the difference between a noun, verb and adjective.
As for history, 19 percent said they did not know the beginning and end dates of the world wars. On average, parents spent four hours a week attempting to tutor (辅导) their children, according to the survey by MyTutor, a company that links families with private tutors. About 73 percent ended up arguing with their children over homework and 87 percent believed schoolwork had become more challenging than the work they completed when they were at school.
Families turned to schools for extra help, with 19 percent of parents saying they had requested this from their child’s school. Thirty-nine percent said not enough support was provided. Florence Milner, a manager at MyTutor, said, “Even though most parents devote a significant amount of time weekly to helping their children with schoolwork, it’s not surprising that many find the task challenging.” Schools can use the National Tutoring Programme to support pupils they believe are most in need, but government funding has dropped this academic year from 60 to 50 percent of the cost.
Some studies have suggested that homework has little impact on a child’s progress at primary school, but helps at secondary school. The Education Endowment Foundation, which provides evidence to help improve teaching, said homework has a positive impact, particularly at secondary level, but warned that some pupils may not have a quiet space for home learning.
1. What does the underlined word “stumped” in paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Assisted. | B．Amused. | C．Inspired. | D．Confused. |
| A．They resist too much homework. |
| B．They doubt their children’s ability. |
| C．They may have an unpleasant experience when tutoring. |
| D．They did study hard when they were young. |
| A．Primary schools should assign more homework. |
| B．Middle school students should have proper homework. |
| C．Parents should provide more tutoring for their kids at home. |
| D．Pupils should improve academic performance by doing more homework. |
| A．quoting experts | B．making comparisons |
| C．listing figures | D．analyzing reason and effect |
2 . Best Books for Children 2024
Who’s Cute? by Camilla Reid
Meet the cute woodland creatures in the forest and find out which is the cutest. Will it be the tiny, baby rabbit, the little mouse or the young, wide-eyed owl? An adorably illustrated board book for babies and toddlers with a surprise mirror ending, Who’s Cute? will be read and enjoyed time and again.
Keep Smiling by Floella Benjamin
Vina is known for her smile; her mum says that sharing it is the best gift she can give. But the day she starts her new school, Vina finds that her smile has mysteriously disappeared. As she searches for it all over the school, she learns that sometimes happiness is found in the most unexpected places. With its message of positivity, this book offers a great starting point to help young children to talk about their feelings.
The Little Mermaid by Campbell Books
Dive in the sea with this best-loved fairy tale, The Little Mermaid. This board book’s push, pull and turn mechanisms give little hands many surprises to discover as they follow the underwater adventures. Nneka Myers’ bright, bold illustrations of the little mermaid, the prince, the sea witch (巫师) and many more favorite characters will attract babies and toddlers as you read the story together.
I’m Not Scary! by Rod Campbell
A fun touch-and-feel mini-beasts story from Rod Campbell, creator of the preschool lift-the-flap classic, Dear Zoo. Join in the fun by touching a scritchy-scratchy grasshopper, a shiny beetle and even a slimy snail in I’m Not Scary!, an interactive touch-and-feel book, packed full of favorite bugs and mini-beasts. But will you be brave enough to touch all the creatures?
1. What does Keep Smiling teach readers about?| A．How to adapt to a new life. | B．Being brave to express oneself. |
| C．Being creative when making friends. | D．Where to find happiness. |
| A．They have illustrations. | B．They teach ocean diving. |
| C．They are fairy tales. | D．They involve sea creatures. |
| A．Rod Campbell’s. | B．Camilla Reid’s. |
| C．Campbell Books’. | D．Floella Benjamin’s. |
3 . It’s often said that it’s better to give than to receive. You may feel too stressed and busy to help others with their burdens in your daily life. However, altruism (利他主义) is its own reward and can actually help you relieve stress.
Altruism is good for emotional well-being. For example, one study on patients showed that those who offered other patients peer support actually experienced great benefits, including more pronounced improvement of confidence, self-awareness, self-esteem, depression and daily functioning.
The positive effects of altruism often go beyond just you and that other person, influencing your whole community.
| A．It can improve your quality of life in various ways. |
| B．It can help you gain a more positive view on your life. |
| C．Studies show acts of altruism can be a great form of stress relief. |
| D．Altruism can improve physical and mental health in a variety of ways. |
| E．When it comes to altruistic acts, what goes around generally comes around. |
| F．They generally found that their lives were dramatically changed for the better. |
| G．When you do nice things for others, they may do the same and the kindness grows. |
4 . We’ve all been there: sitting at your desk with an urgent deadline and a wandering mind. Despite your best efforts, things are not progressing. You need to focus on the task in front of you. You’re motivated to do it. But you just can’t concentrate. Here are ways to improve focus and concentration.
Get rid of distractions（分心的事）.
How do we focus better if we are always bothered with information? Make a practice blocking time in your schedule to do a specific task or activity.
Take a short break.
When you focus on something for a long time, your focus may begin to die down. You may feel more and more difficulty devoting your attention to the task.
It might feel counterintuitive （反常的） when you feel unable to concentrate, but remember that you choose where you focus. It’s tough to concentrate when your mind is always in the past and worrying about the future. While it isn’t easy, make an effort to let go of past events. Acknowledge the impact, what you felt, and what you learned from it, then let it go.
Switch tasks.
While we may want to concentrate on a particular task, sometimes we get stuck and our brain needs something fresh to focus on.
Set a daily priority.
Write down what you want to accomplish each day, ideally the night before, and identify a single priority that you commit to accomplishing.
| A．Choose to focus on the moment. |
| B．Recognize how it is affecting your life. |
| C．Decide what task you want to complete. |
| D．This will help focus your brain on what matters. |
| E．Try turning to other tasks or something you love to do. |
| F．Researchers have found that our brains tend to ignore sources of constant stimulation. |
| G．During this time, request that you be left alone or go to a place where no one disturbs you. |
5 . A woman in a cap wanders calmly along. Except for the lava (熔岩) erupting behind her, she could be walking in the park. The woman turns to watch the molten rock flow for a moment then walks calmly toward the camera. The footage(镜头) is from Werner Herzog’s book to volcanoes and volcano hunters, Into the Inferno, and the woman pictured is perhaps one of the most important volcanologists of all time, Katia Krafft.
Born in France, in 1942, Katia developed an interest in volcanoes at an early age. Later, she met Maurice Krafft. The pair bonded over their shared love of volcanoes before marrying in 1970. The Kraffts wrote about 20 books on volcanoes across the globe.
Katia and her husband made great progress in educating the general public in volcanology. Their footage had more than scientific value. For instance, when Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines began to show signs of an eruption in 1991, the Kraffts were able to present Philippine President Cory Aquino with video footage of the effects of the 1985 eruption of Nevado del Ruiz in Colombia, asking him to call for an evacuation of those in the danger zone.
In 1969, Katia was awarded the prize of the Vocation Foundation for her work on active volcanic sites.
The couple lost their lives, along with more than 40 others during the eruption of Mount Unzen in Japan on June 3.1991. when they were caught in a flow of rock, gas and ash moving at speeds of over 100 miles per hour, with temperatures of more than 800 degrees Fahrenheit. Katia was 49; Maurice, 45.
Katia’s impact on volcanology has reached far beyond her death and has encouraged many young women to study our restless planet. “Katia Krafft is definitely the reason why I’m doing this job,” says Carla Tiraboschi, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Minster, Germany. Carla first saw Katia in a documentary when she was just six or seven years old and has been crazy about volcanoes ever since.
1. What can we infer from the book Into the Inferno?| A．Its author is Katia Krafft. | B．It’s a biography of Katia Krafft. |
| C．It calls on protecting the environment. | D．It focuses on volcanoes and their explorers. |
| A．They prevented a natural disaster. |
| B．They served as a warning in Japan. |
| C．They helped spread volcano science. |
| D．They covered Mount Pinatubo’s eruption. |
| A．Substance. | B．Departure. | C．Occupation. | D．Intervention. |
| A．Katia’s death made her restless. | B．Katia helped her with her research. |
| C．Katia taught her to make a documentary. | D．Katia’s deeds inspired her career choice. |
6 . A little over five months ago, on Nov 15, Abdusamat Keram completed a 280-day hiking journey covering more than 5,000 kilometers on foot. This expedition from Kashgar, Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, to Beijing.
He used to believe that, being a child from a rural area and born into a farming family, he would not have the privilege to explore the outside world. However, through television and the internet, he observed numerous hikers and adventurers and believed as long as one has dreams and the determination to pursue them, one can definitely go out and explore.
In April 2022, he quit his job and got onto on the Taklimakan Desert trip with his brother, who is 10 years older than him. On Feb 7, 2023, Abdusamat set out on his solo journey. Well, not entirely alone — he was accompanied by his dog, Shunfeng, which means “downwind” in Chinese, and a two-wheeled cart he constructed to carry essential provisions on the road.
“The climate in Xinjiang and Gansu is very different from that in Shaanxi,” Abdusamat explained. “I can handle temperatures reaching 30 ℃ or even 40 ℃ in Xinjiang, but not in Shaanxi, where the humidity and stifling heat can easily overwhelm me.”
But these challenges also made him appreciate regional differences. Hiking from the far west of China to the east — traversing Xinjiang, Gansu, Shaanxi, Henan, Hebei, and finally Beijing — and experiencing winter, summer, and winter again, Abdusamat gained insights into the vastness, greatness, and exceptional beauty of the country. “As I covered the land of China inch by inch with my feet and was met with kindhearted people who offered me help in every place I went, it deeply impressed upon me the unity of our nation,” Abdusamat said. “I also have a firmer belief now — a belief that I can achieve anything as long as I put my mind to it.”
Returning from his journey, Abdusamat is actively promoting Xinjiang on his Douyin account, encouraging people from other parts of the country to visit his hometown, just like how he traveled to theirs.
1. What does the underline word in paragraph 1 mean?| A．prediction | B．exception | C．journey | D．expression |
| A．Shunfeng | B．his brother | C．no one | D．Taklimakan |
| A．to show the climate great changes of China in different regains |
| B．to tell the readers that global warming is terribly serious |
| C．to describe the challenges Abdusamat overcome on his way |
| D．to explain the terribly bad situation of people in Shaanxi |
| A．more people will visit his hometown | B．promoting his Douyin account |
| C．traveling to other parts of the country | D．having his own firm |
7 . Walking through his neighborhood supermarket in Australia, where packs of Chinese sauerkraut line the shelves, Huang Xiqing feels like he’s shopping in his hometown of Shenyang in Liaoning province.
Chinese sauerkraut, a pickle made of wombok, or Chinese cabbage, is a traditional specialty of the northeastern region and is now sold across the country and exported.
In the past, only a few fresh vegetables were available during the cold northeastern winters. Wombok, which was cheap and could be stored for a relatively long period of time, gained popularity with ordinary households.
In Shenyang, 70-year-old Wang Shuqing still maintains the habit of making Chinese sauerkraut every winter. After harvesting wombok from her garden, she puts the leaves into a big jar along with water and salt and two months later, it is ready to eat.
However, it is no longer the main course on her menu for Lunar New Year’s eve, which now includes braised prawn, fried beef and carp cooked with sweet-and-sour sauce. “Now that our livelihood has improved and the logistics have developed, we can find whatever we want to eat during the winter,” she says.
“Now people have more food to choose from, they don’t just want enough food to eat, but also to eat well,” says Zhang Sining, a research fellow from the Liaoning provincial academy of social sciences.
Chinese sauerkraut has become a signature northeastern dish, and restaurants there now serve sauerkraut burgers and sauerkraut pizzas to cater (满足…的需要) to the tastes of young people.
For Huang however, Chinese sauerkraut is largely about nostalgia (对往事的怀恋) and an enduring link to home.
“Now that I have tried delicacies (美味佳肴) from across the globe, Chinese sauerkraut is still one of my favorites, and reminds me of my hometown,” Huang says.
1. Where is Huang Xiqing at the moment?| A．His neighborhood supermarket in Australia. | B．Chinese sauerkraut supermarket in Liaoning. |
| C．Shenyang in Liaoning province. | D．Supermarket in his hometown. |
| A．It is a traditional specialty of the northeastern region. | B．It is fresh vegetables. |
| C．It is inexpensive and kept for a long time. | D．It is a better snow artwork. |
| A．When people have more food to choose from, they don’t want food to eat. |
| B．If people don’t want food to eat, they will eat well. |
| C．Chinese sauerkraut is no longer the main course on her menu for Lunar New Year’s eve. |
| D．People not only have enough food to eat, but want to eat healthy and good nowadays. |
| A．Nostalgia and an enduring link to home | B．Delicacies from across the globe |
| C．A signature northeastern dish | D．Sauerkraut burgers and sauerkraut pizzas |
8 . At the beginning of a year, we make plans to become a newer and better version of ourselves.
To kick off the new year, make the resolution to build healthy connections with others. Taking the time to build healthy connections with others can have a positive effect on your life. During difficult times, it can make you feel supported and loved rather than stressed and alone.
Serving others in the community
Another one to put on the top of your New Year’s resolutions list is serving others in the community. There are so many ways to put this resolution into action. Firstly, you could pick one organization with which to regularly volunteer throughout the year. Another great way to serve is to become a men tor in a local school district.
Pursuing spiritual growth
When making New Year’s resolutions, we tend to focus on our families, careers, and health.
| A．Establishing healthy relationships. |
| B．But we seldom follow through with them. |
| C．In fact, pursuing spiritual growth is of great significance. |
| D．Families, careers, and health are very important in our lives. |
| E．When you are happy, it will give you people to celebrate with. |
| F．Stress is often a factor in the development of long-term sickness. |
| G．Serving others can help develop positive relationships with people. |
9 . Adding salt to already prepared meals is linked to dying prematurely, according to a new study. Researchers found always adding salt to food knocks 2.3 years off life expectancy for men and 1.5years for women.
The study did not rule out other factors, but researchers said the evidence was compelling enough that people should consider avoiding seasoning their meals. The findings were based on research involving over 500,000 participants, who were followed for an average of 9 years. Compared with those who never added salt, those who always seasoned their food had a 28% increased risk of dying earlier. “To my knowledge, our study is the first to assess the relation between adding salt to foods and earlier death,” said Prof Lu Qi, who led the work. “Even a modest reduction in sodium (钠) intake can result in remarkable health benefits.”
Salt intake is difficult to accurately track because many processed foods contain high levels of salt. Roughly 70% of sodium intake in western populations comes from processed foods, with 8-20% from salt added at the table. However, adding salt is a very good indicator of a person’s preference for salty tasting foods, so the team focused their analysis on this measurement.
Prof Annika Rosengren, a researcher who was not involved with the research, said that there is an ideal level for salt to different people. It’s hard to figure out the best level in terms of health for any given individual. “So far, what the evidence seems to indicate is that healthy people consuming normal levels of salt need not worry too much about their salt intake,” she said. However, those at high risk of heart disease should probably cut down. “Not adding extra salt to already prepared foods is one way of achieving this.”
1. What does the underlined word “compelling” probably mean?| A．Interesting. | B．Convincing. | C．Fascinating. | D．Stimulating. |
| A．Adding salt can suggest a person’s favor. |
| B．Western populations prefer salty foods relatively. |
| C．The study centered on tracking salt intake accurately. |
| D．More than 70% of sodium intake comes from processed foods. |
| A．There is an ideal level for salt to all people. |
| B．It’s appropriate to add more salt while cooking. |
| C．Occasional addition of salt has no effect on health. |
| D．Patients with heart disease should control their salt intake. |
| A．A biology textbook. | B．An official report. | C．A health magazine. | D．A science fiction. |
10 . Beneath the blue waters of Trinidad and Tobago, plastic pollution is causing serious damage to marine ecosystems. Every year, over 88,600 tonnes of plastic waste is deposited(沉积)into the ocean around the Caribbean nation, harming marine life and impacting human health.
A new app is aiming to help young people in Trinidad and Tobago, along with other small island developing states, battle against the damage done by plastic pollution. Called Tide Turners, the app was developed by the United Nations Environment Programme with the help of young people. It challenges users to record their plastics consumption and develop an action plan to reduce their use of plastics. It also encourages young people to switch to reusable products and go plastic-free where possible: lifestyle changes that experts say can help stop the flow of plastic into the world’s oceans.
Reducing plastic pollution will take a joint effort from governments, businesses and, especially, youth. Children account for around 30 percent of the population in small island developing states in the Caribbean.
To tackle the plastic pollution challenge, the new app builds on UNEP’s Tide Turners Plastic Challenge Badge, which has so far engaged more than 500,000 young people in youth groups. Along with calling on youth to use less plastic, it encourages them to start campaigns and raise awareness about the dangers of plastic pollution.
In Trinidad and Tobago, Sarah Sobrian, who tested an early version of the app and advised on its development, is keen to get started. “The Tide Turners app is an incredible tool that educates and empowers us to change the situation we face,” she says. “I am incredibly eager to be a part of this and share this experience with those in my life. With this app, we can and will work together to create the impact that we have long wanted to see.”
1. What is the purpose of the Tide Turners app?| A．To help youths to fight against plastic pollution. |
| B．To track marine life populations in the Caribbean. |
| C．To help the young to develop the small island states. |
| D．To encourage businesses to switch to plastic-free packaging. |
| A．They have more free time than adults. |
| B．They have access to funding the new app. |
| C．They are the main contributors to plastic waste. |
| D．They make up about one-third of the population. |
| A．Suspicious. | B．Favorable. | C．Indifferent. | D．Objective. |
| A．A new app can turn the situation around. |
| B．Plastic pollution is a serious threat to marine ecosystems. |
| C．Governments make great efforts to reduce plastic pollution. |
| D．Trinidad and Tobago are suffering from serious plastic pollution. |
