1 . Have you ever received an invitation that you couldn’t accept? Do you struggle with how to decline without hurting someone’s feelings or causing conflict? Does it bother you to turn someone down? If the answer is yes to any of these questions, you’re not alone. In fact, this happens to most people at some time in their lives.
As soon as you know you will be unable to go, let the person know. Most events require planning and budgeting.
Always sincerely thank the person for inviting you and let her know that you’re honored that she’d think highly enough of you to send the invitation.
Don’t tell lies and don’t over-explain.You don’t ever have to come up with false excuses for why you’re unable to go to the event, but you also don’t have to go into detail.
If the invitation is exclusive (独有的) to you, let the person know you’re unable to make it at the time she requested,
| A．Express appreciation for the invitation. |
| B．The key is to let the person know whether or not you can accept the invitation as soon as possible and in a polite manner. |
| C．and you feel really sorry about that. |
| D．but you’d love to get together with her at another time. |
| E．Putting the invitation aside to deal with later isn’t good for you or the person who sent it. |
| F．It is impolite to refuse an invitation from others. |
| G．Let her know that you already have plans. |
2 . Aged 15 in high school, I was talkative and outgoing, often betting that nobody else would do their homework, so I needn’t either. I did not enjoy geometry (几何), although I liked the philosophical approach of our teacher, Mrs Trenholm. She told us that geometry was about humankind’s ability to work things out.
A month or so into the year we started on Euclidean geometry. We were all struggling and I was probably the most vocal (敢于直言的) in class about it. Mrs Trenholm set us homework — to prove two angles in a complex geometric shape are equal. She pulled me aside as we were leaving class and said, “Don’t talk your way out of this.”
I went home, worked on it for 20 minutes and gave up. Later I decided to try again. My handwriting was messy, and I noticed that if I made the diagram neater and bigger, I could see where I probably went wrong. At about 5 am, I got it and felt like my brain had been rewired!
I handed it in the next day. Mrs Trenholm would never embarrass students in front of everyone. So she came to me and handed me the paper with a little check mark in the corner. She looked right at me and asked, “Did you do this?” When I said yes, she nodded and went back to the front of the class, declaring, “One of you now understands Euclidean geometry. Let’s keep going so everybody will get it.”
From then on, I found that if I concentrated and worked hard, I could understand and even enjoy a subject. I went on to study maths and physics at university, took a master’s degree in applied science and became a nuclear research scientist. I became someone who no longer allowed myself the freedom to talk myself out of dealing with problems, or give up when things seemed too difficult.
1. How can we describe the author from the first two paragraphs?| A．He was not skilled at socializing. | B．He always had bets with others. |
| C．He was absorbed in philosophy. | D．He had trouble studying geometry. |
| A．To warn him not to talk too much. | B．To give him some tips on homework. |
| C．To make him take homework seriously. | D．To encourage him to try more approaches. |
| A．Excited. | B．Relieved. | C．Disapproving. | D．Disbelieving. |
| A．He would go for more freedom. | B．The maths puzzle was a life changer. |
| C．That lesson taught him to think twice. | D．His university life was pretty colorful. |
3 . When I was a graduate student, my co-workers and I were wondering how losing one night of sleep affects a person's ability to manage their emotions.
Once a week, typically on Friday evening, we would stay up all night to monitor our participants and ensure they followed the experimental plan. At about noon the next day, we would all go out of the lab, worn oat and eager to get home and rest.
Two months into the experiment, I was in my car at a traffic light when a silly love song started playing on the radio. Suddenly, I cried uncontrollably. I remember feeling surprised at my reaction. It then hit me that I was not just studying sleep deprivation (睡眠剥夺) —I had become part of the study. Weeks of missed sleep had caused harm, and I was no longer in control of my emotions.
That research project proved a strong connection between good sleep and emotional health. In healthy individuals, good-quality sleep is linked with a more positive mood ——and it takes just one night of sleep deprivation to cause anxiety and depression the following morning. Moreover, people who suffer from long-term sleep deprivation tend to experience daily events more negatively.
For decades researchers and medical professionals have considered sleep loss a by-product or symptom (症状) of depression or anxiety. In other words, first comes the anxiety, and then sleep loss. Today we know that this order can be reversed. Much evidence shows that people who suffer from insomnia (失眠症)are at least twice as likely to develop depression or anxiety later in life, compared with individuals who sleep well.
Stepping back, we can find that mental and emotional health rely on a delicate balance. A single sleepless night can therefore do damage. The science of sleep and mental health suggests that failing to address the problems that prevent people from getting enough rest will leave people easily hurt in mind.
1. What is the author’s research mainly about?| A．Factors that affect emotions. | B．The damage of sleep deprivation. |
| C．Ways to improve mental health. | D．The link between sleep and emotions. |
| A．By referring to previous research. | B．By making researchers the subjects. |
| C．By doing experiments on participants. | D．By including music in the process. |
| A．The love song was so touching. | B．The research was too stressful. |
| C．She missed her family too much. | D．She was severely lacking in sleep. |
| A．Disclosed. | B．Switched. | C．Identified. | D．Arranged. |
4 . Dear friends, it’s common that we all come across this kind of thing. How to care for a sad person will help you be there for your loved ones and friends when they are down. However, knowing how to care for a sad person is not something an individual is born with.
Generally, give a hug. We know hugging someone shows your affection and care.
Tell them some affectionate words. Now, go on and say some these words. Words like “I’m here.
Use the right tone of voice.
Listen patiently. People ask lots of questions but they end up paying little attention to getting the feedback (反馈) that they wanted. Don’t be that person. After asking the questions, listen patiently to know what the sad person would appreciate at that time.
| A．Make use of polite expressions |
| B．If you practise this to someone |
| C．Then make a choice to argue with others too |
| D．We are in this together |
| E．It will help you know how to offer the best fitting help |
| F．I remind you that words do not stand alone |
| G．This common sense is obtained through observation and communication |
5 . We are all aware of the damaging pollution that’s created by driving petrol and diesel (柴油) vehicles. Many of the world’s cities are blocked with traffic, creating fumes containing gases such as nitrogen oxides. The solution for a cleaner, greener future could be electric vehicles. But how optimistic should we be? There was much excitement last year when the UK government announced it will ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030. But is that easier said than done?
The road to global traffic being totally electric is still a long way off. Currently, battery life is an issue — a fully charged battery won’t take you as far as a full tank of petrol. There are also limited numbers of charging points to plug an EV into. Of course, technology is always improving. Some of the biggest tech companies, like Google and Tesla, are spending huge amounts of money developing electric cars. And most of the big car manufacturers are now making them too.
Colin Herron, a consultant on low-carbon vehicle technology, told the BBC: “The big leap forward will come with solid state batteries, which will appear first in mobile phones and laptops before they progress to cars.” These will charge more quickly and give cars a bigger range. Cost is another issue that may discourage people from switching to electric power. But some countries offer incentive, such as cutting prices by reducing import taxes, and not charging for road tax and parking. Some also provide exclusive lanes for electric cars to be driven on, overtaking traditional cars which might be stuck in jams.
These kinds of measures have made Norway the country with the most electric cars per capita (人均) at more than thirty electric cars per 1000 inhabitants. But Colin Herron warns that “electric motoring” doesn’t mean a zero-carbon future. “It’s emission-free motoring, but the car has to be built, the battery has to be built, and the electricity does come from somewhere.” Maybe it’s time to think about making fewer journeys or using public transport.
1. Which statement can we infer from the question at the end of Paragraph 1?| A．Electric vehicles may not solve the traffic problems. |
| B．Probably it is hard to procure a greener future by means of electric vehicles. |
| C．We should not be too optimistic about the future. |
| D．It’s not a good idea to replace petrol vehicles with electric ones. |
| A．Improvements. | B．Drawbacks. | C．Communications. | D．Bonuses. |
| A．Putting solid-state batteries in electric cars first will be a “great leap forward”. |
| B．There are four obstacles on the road to global traffic being totally electric. |
| C．Electric cars might not get stuck in traffic jams in the future. |
| D．Electric motoring will create a zero-carbon future. |
| A．Total Electric Traffic: a Long Way to Go. |
| B．Electric Power or Petrol: a Tough Decision to Make. |
| C．Petrol and Diesel Vehicles: a Main Source of Gases. |
| D．Electric Vehicles: a Road to a Modern Society. |
6 . The brain of a woodpecker (啄木鸟) experiences a seemingly catastrophic impact every time its beak (喙) meets wood. “When you see these birds with hard beaks, flexible tongues and strong neck muscles in action, hitting their head against a tree quite violently, then as humans we start wondering how these birds avoid getting headaches or brain damage,” says Van Wassenbergh, a researcher at the University of Antwerp in Belgium.
In the past, scientists have suggested the bird’s brain is protected from the impacts, perhaps by a beak that absorbs some of the force, or something in its head that acts as a cushion (缓冲物). But Van Wassenbergh wasn’t convinced. So he led a team to settle the issue using high-speed video of woodpeckers in action.The videos revealed some remarkable details. For example, “they close their eyes at the moment they impact the wood,” Van Wassenbergh says, to protect their eyes from pieces of wood.
The videos also showed that woodpeckers’ beaks often get stuck in the wood. But they break free almost instantly, thanks to a clever beak design that provides independent motion of the upper and lower beak.
What the videos did not show is any sign that the woodpecker’s brain is somehow cushioned. “The way we see the head behaving is very rigid, like a tool hitting wood,” Van Wassenbergh says. That means the organ repeatedly experiences slowdowns that would cause an injury in a human brain.
Yet the woodpecker brain is unharmed, even after thousands of impacts in a single day. That is possible because a woodpecker’s brain is protected—not by cushioning, but by its tiny size and weight, Van Wassenbergh says. “An animal that has a smaller size can stand higher slowdowns” he says. “That’s a biomechanical law.”
That idea was suggested in 2006 by Lorna Gibson, a professor at MIT. Now, it has been confirmed by Van Wassenbergh’s high-speed videos.A woodpecker’s brain is about 700 times smaller than a human brain. “That is why even the hardest hits we observed are not expected to cause any injury,” Van Wassenbergh says.
1. What does the underlined word “catastrophic” in paragraph l probably mean?| A．Disastrous. | B．Essential. | C．Unrelated. | D．Insignificant. |
| A．Its beak can absorb some force. |
| B．Its pecking rates slow down gradually. |
| C．Its eyes are closed when it is pecking. |
| D．Its upper and lower beak must work together. |
| A．Its cushioned brain. | B．Its tiny size and weight. |
| C．Its rigid head behavior. | D．Its cl ever beak design. |
| A．Angry. | B．Surprised. | C．Doubtful. | D．Appreciative. |
7 . Flip-flops (人字拖) are the most popular type of shoe in the world. They’re comfortable, they’re easy to wear and they’re inexpensive. Unfortunately, most of them are also terrible for the environment. In Kenya, this is a huge problem, and around 90 tons of flip-flops wash up on its shores annually.
In the late 1990s, when Julie Church was working as a marine (海洋的) conservationist in Nairobi, she found an entire beach “just covered in flip-flops”. Around that time, Church also noticed children making toys out of the thousands of flip-flops that had made their way to the country’s beaches. She began working with the kids’ mothers to encourage them to not just collect the shoes, but also turn them into artworks. The families could then sell this art at local markets, providing another means of income.
The idea took off, and in 1998, Church founded Ocean Sole as a nonprofit. This year alone, the organization has upcycled more than 750,000 flip-flops and collected more than 47,000 kilos of waste. Additionally, Ocean Sole directly impacts more than 1,000 Kenyans, many of whom work as flip-flop collectors or artists, and contributes 10% to 15% of overall income to career and educational programs for residents, as well as beach cleanup and conservation efforts.
Ocean Sole is continuously growing and looking to keep waste off Kenya’s beaches and out of its water. When it comes to growing the Ocean Sole organization, Church has three “mantras (真言)”: trust to trade, trade to awareness, and awareness to protection. Church would like to put together toolkits and other resources to bring this concept to other places around the world that have similar problems. Ocean Sole is also encouraging companies to use more eco-friendly materials when making flip-flops. “I think it’s time for us to start looking for an alternative shoe, or an alternative material, to fit that kind of fashion need,” Church has said. “Our products need to develop.”
1. What was the main reason for founding the nonprofit?| A．To help Kenyans get healthy. |
| B．To develop children’s hands-on skills. |
| C．To protect Kenya’s marine environment. |
| D．To provide children with artistic flip-flops. |
| A．It is growing in a controlled way. |
| B．It has a smaller impact than expected. |
| C．It is running for profit since founded. |
| D．It has achieved many things with one move. |
| A．Lead the fashion trend. | B．Advance their products. |
| C．Practice her three “mantras”. | D．Develop global cooperation. |
| A．Environmental challenges in Kenya. |
| B．Flip-flops are out of date in Kenya. |
| C．Ocean Sole turns flip-flops into art. |
| D．Ocean Sole develops a new national art. |
8 . The ebike has become an essential item, and even the King has been spotted riding one. According to the market research company Mintel, sales have almost tripled over the past five years. While ebikes have become increasingly commonplace, they are still undeniably expensive. You can pack up a perfectly adequate push bike for £ 300, but most ebikes cost nearly £ 2,000. Now, Cycling Electric, designed to help consumers choose an ebike, offers the following recommendations.
Best folding bike
Carbo Model 4
Price: ₤ 2,799 Weight: 13.3 kg
Range: up to 34 miles
This is one of the most convenient bikes, from a little-known label. The lightweight Carbo X is the perfect example of convenience thanks to its carbon frame and belt drive, instead of a metal bike chain. This makes it lighter and less likely to get messy than an electric Brompton, with its more traditional, only chain.
Most stylish
Temple Cycles Classic
Price: from £ 2,995 Weight: 19 kg
Range: up to 74 miles
This Bristol-based brand is known for its elegant pushbikes, which are hand-built in the city. This is its electric version. It’s a very sleek and functional commuter option and not too heavy. Temples have fewer proprietary(品牌专卖的) parts and so are serviceable in any bike shop. Stylish as they may be, the VanMoofs and the Cowboys can be a bit more complex to get back-up and service
The money-no-object option
Riese & Müller Nevo4 GT Vario G4
Price: £ 5,380 Weight: 28.4kg
Range: up to 93 miles
This is a prime example of the attention to detail delivering a high-quality experience in functionality, comfort and practicality — if you can afford it. It has the capacity to handle 25 kg of luggage in a pannier, powerful road lights and a beautifully smooth motor.
1. Which conclusion is Temples’ advantage over other stylish ehike brands?| A．They have easier access to service. | B．They are more comfortable. |
| C．They have more functions. | D．They are more lightweight. |
| A．Temple Cycles Classic. | B．Carbo Model 4. |
| C．The VanMoofs and the Cowboys. | D．Riese & Müller Nevo4 GT Vario G4. |
| A．a chemical paper | B．a magazine column |
| C．a market research report | D．an official document |
9 . “In the future, everybody will be famous for 15 minutes,” said US artist Andy Warhol (1928-1987). And he is quite right. Now it seems that anybody can become an instant online celebrity.
Warhol is best noted for his paintings that represent celebrity faces and US consumer goods, like Coca-Cola bottles or Campbell’s soup cans. As a great influence on the twentieth century pop art movement, Andy Warhol rose to become a cornerstone in the contemporary art world, devoted to bringing his views on materialism, polities and economics to the art. Actually, the visual world Warhol created is directly connected to his background.
In the mid-1950s, the working class gathered a great deal of fortune. They wanted to achieve a higher status in society. “The consumer goods and Hollywood faces are a working-class-coded iconography (肖像) that is often misinterpreted as generally ‘American’.” Anthony E. Grudin, author of Warhol’s Working Class commented. Reproducing these themes in his work meant that people outside of the art world could immediately connect with Warhol’s pictures. Considered “a creature of transformation”, Warhol constantly explored with different forms of media to evoke resonance among people.
For example, in addition to being a painter, Warhol was, in the words of UK writer Peter Wollen: “A filmmaker, a writer, a photographer, a TV soap opera producer.” Warhol, in short, was what we might call a ‘Renaissance (文艺复兴) man’, even though he was a leader in pop or perhaps post-modern art.
In his later years, he founded Interview Magazine and wrote several books, including The Philosophy of Andy Warhol. But UK artist Gillian Wearing said, “Warhol left his mark in many more ways than his actual work.” Warhol’s works are all about “America, money, fame and death”, UK writer Jon Savage remarked. “He summed up, defined and in many ways symbolized the world in which we now live.”
1. What’s Andy Warhol’s purpose of creating his paintings?| A．To highlight Renaissance style. | B．To combine art with materialism. |
| C．To attain fame and higher status. | D．To challenge traditional art forms. |
| A．Popular drinks. | B．Average people. |
| C．Commercial products. | D．Living scenes of working class. |
| A．Constructive and multi-talented. | B．Conservative and realistic. |
| C．Optimistic and encouraging. | D．Creative and critical. |
| A．Health. | B．Sports. | C．Science. | D．People. |
10 . For the creatively minded, snow represents a large blank canvas (空白画布) for art. But often, it’s limited to snowmen or other snow statues. Simon Beck had a different idea, and over the course of a decade he has carved a path for himself in the snow art world. He creates large land art by walking across soccer-field-sized areas covered in untouched snow. Combined with light and shadow, his artistic designs can only be fully appreciated when viewed from above.
Beck, 59, a former map maker turned into a snow artist, thanks to his decision late in life to pursue his hobby.
“It started just as a joke one day really,” Beck explained. “After skiing one day, I decided to make a drawing on snow to seek pleasure…”
“I really had no idea how good it would look when I made that first drawing, but it really went beyond my expectation, he said of his first ever creation that he looked down on from a ski lift.
To create this work, Beck stepped his way through the snow using only snowshoes and a ski pole for measurement with nothing else but the image of a design idea in his head. It was not challenging at all due to his previous work experience. But as his designs developed and became more complex, Beck said he began to start drawing them on paper first.
Beck’s paintings have become a huge hit since his work was first shared.
“Most of the time I had been doing failed careers, and people around me are asking what’s the quickest way of getting rid of this person,” Beck said. “And for the first time, I felt people actually wanted me. I felt like a more valued member of society.”
1. Where does Simon Beck create art?| A．On maps. | B．On mountains. | C．On snowfields. | D．On soccer fields. |
| A．To prove his talent. | B．To have fun. |
| C．To entertain the skiers. | D．To develop a new hobby. |
| A．His experience of making maps. | B．His passion for skiing. |
| C．His competitive nature. | D．His dream to be an artist. |
| A．Travel. | B．Sports. | C．Geography. | D．Art. |
