1 . Music is not just a set of sounds and rhythms. Its influence on the brain is much deeper than any other human experience. Keep on reading to know all those amazing powers of music.
A recent study suggests that preterm (早产的) babies appear to experience less pain and feed more when listening to music. Experts led by Dr Manoj Kumar of the University of Alberta, Canada, found that music had a beneficial effect on reducing pain for preterm babies experiencing painful medical tests. It also appeared to benefit full-term babies during operations.
Many people experiencing brain damage have speech and movement-related problems. Music can help recover from brain injuries. As a different and effective treatment, doctors often advise such patients to listen to good music to improve the parts of the brain responsible for these two functions. When people with neurological (神经的) disorders hear a musical beat, it helps them to regain a balanced walk.
Though music cannot make deafness disappear, it really can stave off the loss of hearing. There was an experiment involving 163 people where 74 were musicians. Participants were asked to pass some listening tests. Musicians heard the sounds better than non﹣musicians, and this difference gets clearer with age. This means that a 70﹣year﹣old musician hears better than a 50﹣year﹣old non﹣musician, even in a noisy environment.
Besides, music mends a broken heart. It is not about a thrown﹣away love, but about a heart attack. The matter is that music can help people recover from a heart attack or heart operation by reducing blood pressure, slowing down the heartbeat rate, and reducing anxiety. Listening to the quality music produces positive emotions, improves the movement of blood, and expands blood vessels, thus, promoting quick recovery of the whole cardiovascular (心血管的) system.
1. How does music affect preterm babies？| A．It helps reduce their pain. | B．It helps develop their potential in music. |
| C．It helps improve their hearing systems. | D．It helps repair their neurological systems. |
| A．Lead to. | B．Increase. | C．Prevent. | D．Break into. |
| A．It has a positive effect on human body systems’ work. |
| B．It can help people prevent diseases caused by anxiety. |
| C．It helps make a person feel optimistic about life. |
| D．It can help patients recover in a slow way. |
| A．Who Can Benefit from Music | B．The Best Time to Listen to Music |
| C．The Way to Choose Quality Music | D．How Music Affects Our Mind and Body |
2 . When people talk about American popular music, they don’t just mean country music or rock music. There are two other types of popular music with national and international appeal that are basically American. One is jazz. The other is a musical form associated with New York City theaters.
Jazz dates from African religious and folk music. The themes and songs of jazz music have historical origins. They come from songs sung by black Americans in church or at work. There have been different kinds of jazz music: bebop, ragtime, swing, boogie-woogie and others.
In playing jazz music, the performers combine rhythms and songs with their skills of improvisation (即兴创作). Modern jazz music has developed into a complex musical style enjoyed more by musicians and older jazz lovers than by the general public.
American theater has developed another American musical style. It is associated with a street in New York City, Broadway. Broadway musicals are dramatic productions in which the story is told partly by dialogue and partly through songs. The lyrics of these songs give background information about the story and express the feelings of the characters in the story. Many Broadway musicals have been made into movies that have been shown all over the world. Oklahoma, Sound of Music, My Fair Lady and West Side Story are some good examples.
Songs from these musicals and others have translations in various languages that are sung around the world. Many of them have become popular with people who have not even seen the musicals for which they were written.
1. What does jazz belong to?| A．Rock music. | B．Country music. |
| C．Traditional music. | D．American popular music. |
| A．Its playing method. | B．Its popularity. | C．Its origin. | D．Its historical position. |
| A．It needs special skills to perform. | B．It is not well received by ordinary people. |
| C．It is welcomed only among musicians. | D．It is popular with the general public. |
3 . Twelve-year-old Catherine has a lot of friends—632, actually, if you count up her online friends. And she spends a lot of time with them.
But is it possible that Catherine’s online friendships could be making her lonely? That’s what some experts believe. Connecting online is a great way to stay in touch, they say. However, some experts worry that many kids are so busy connecting online that they might be missing out on true friendships.
Could this be true? During your parents’ childhoods, connecting with friends usually meant spending time with them in the flesh. Kids played Scrabble around a table, not words with friends on their phones. When friends missed each other, they picked up the telephone. Friends might even write letters to each other.
Today, most communication takes place online. A typical teen sends 2,000 texts a month and spends more than 44 hours per week in front of a screen. Much of this time is spent on social media platform.
In fact, in many ways, online communication can make friendships stronger. “There’s definitely a positive influence. Kids can stay in constant contact, which means they can share more of their feelings with each other,” says Katie Davis, co-author of The App Generation.
Other experts, however, warn that too much online communication can get in the way of forming deep friendships. “If we are constantly checking in with our virtual world, we will have little time for our real-world friendships,” says Larry Rosen, a professor at California State University. Rosen also worries that today’s kids might mistake the “friends” on the social media for true friends in life. However, in tough times, you don’t need anyone to like your picture or share your blogs. You need someone who will keep your secrets and hold your hand. You would like to talk face to face.
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To tell about true friends. | B．To start a discussion. |
| C．To encourage online friendships. | D．To summarize(总结) the text. |
| A．In any case. | B．In public. | C．In person. | D．In advance. |
| A．Unconcerned. | B．Positive. | C．Worried. | D．Confused. |
| A．Teenagers need to focus on real-world friendships. | B．It’s easier to develop friendships in real life. |
| C．It’s wise to turn to friends online. | D．Social media help people stay closely connected. |
4 . There is no doubt that human activity has an effect on the planet. We see the evidence (证据) of mankind’ s endeavors all around us. Overall, it seems that human activity harms the Earth more than benefits it makes. As is vividly (生动地) betrayed (背叛) in the photo above, due to over development, there is limited land being set aside for endangered animals.
Absolutely, we should reserve some land for the world’s animals for the following reasons. First, mankind’s need for land is constantly growing. If the demand is not checked controlled in some way, humans will eventually develop all of the earth’s available land. At that time, mankind will have no more room to grow, and all the wild animals will have disappeared, as well as other valuable resources. Second, humans are able to innovate (创新) and can use the land that they already possess in more efficient ways. Animals are unable to do this. Once their land is taken away from them, they will die. Third and last, endangered animals are an important part of the biodiversity of our planet. If they disappear, we cannot predict what the effect will be. Therefore, we should treat such animals as a valuable resource to be protected.
To sum up, the world’s endangered animals are an important resource and we should protect them by setting aside some land for them. Although mankind’s need for land continues to grow, people are intelligent and inventive enough to put the land into use properly. In this way, we can have enough land for farming, housing and industry,and preserve the biodiversity of the planet at the same time.
1. What are some of the reasons to keep some land for the world’s animals?| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
| A．We don’t see evidence of human effort all around us. |
| B．Human activities harm the planet more than good. |
| C．There is no constant growth in human demand for land. |
| D．Animal species are an important part of the planet’s biodiversity. |
| A．Journal of child science. | B．Environmental Protection News. |
| C．Global Business Times. | D．Industrial news. |
5 . Adding to the achievements of a remarkable year, Taylor Swift has been named Time magazine's Person of the Year for 2023.
Already a superstar before 2023, Swift's career has reached new heights thanks to the beginning of her Eras Tour that brought her 3. 5-hour performance to 66 shows in 23 cities across North America, Argentina and Brazil. Promoted by her tour, Swift has been named the most-streamed female artist in the history of Spotify and Apple Music. According to Billboard, the tour made about$900 million (about 6. 4 billion yuan) in 2023. In addition, the tour's movie Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour became the biggest concert movie of all time, taking more than $250 million globally.
As she was declared (宣布) a billionaire by Bloomberg in November, a hidden “Taylor Swift economy” also promoted sales for business owners across the U. S. From soaps to a cruise inspired by her different “eras”, interest in Swift-related products went way up.
Apart from her financial contributions, Swift made a significant cultural impact by taking back control of her music. In 2019, her old record label, Big Machine, sold the master tapes of her first six albums (专辑) to Scooter Braun. The sale meant that she didn't have the rights to the albums. In response to this, Swift began re-recording her first six albums, tagging (加标签于) them “Taylor's Version”. This move stressed her belief that artists deserve to own their work. “It's all in how you deal with loss,” she told Time. “I respond to extreme pain by resisting.”
Heading into 2024, Swift will start the Eras Tour again in Japan and Australia. As USA Today noted, “Her current top has been a long time coming, but it may also be just beginning.”
1. What do we know about Taylor Swift?| A．She broke a new record on her tour. | B．She toured South America before 2023. |
| C．Her achievements received great recognition. | D．Her performance began with the Apple Music. |
| A．She proved herself to be an artist. | B．She learned to make some products. |
| C．She got rich and regained album rights. | D．She sold her master tapes to a company. |
| A．She will end her music career. | B．She will continue her Eras Tour. |
| C．She will reach her top in Japan. | D．She will make a record in Australia. |
| A．Admirable. | B．Uncaring. | C．Doubtful. | D．Critical. |
6 . Rivers are very important. Humans rely on them for food and water. But rivers can destroy things, too. They can flood, or rise over their banks, making the water run into the nearby land. Floods can also kill humans and wildlife. However, floods are not always bad. Some ecosystems need them every once in a while.
Flooding can not only harm animals but also destroy habitats. For example, a flood in Australia in 2022 caused massive animal habitat loss. Flood waters can pick up dirt (泥土) from riverbanks, which makes the water dirty. Too much dirt will clog rivers and streams, preventing the river from flowing. Sometimes flood waters can carry pollution to the sea and harm marine life. In addition, flood waters can carry disease, including hepatitis A (甲肝) and cholera (霍乱) .
However, not everything about floods is bad. Sometimes they bring new life to ecosystems. Flood waters carry nutrients to the nearby land. Over time, the water dries up and leaves behind particles (微粒) of dirt and mud. The particles are called sediment (沉淀物) which can be good due to its ability to improve the dirt and helps plants grow. Floods are important to some animals as well. For instance, some animals see floods as a sign that it is time to mate or migrate. Floods leave sediment on river beds where baby fish can grow and carry nutrients for small animals in the water to eat. Moreover, in dry seasons, water might dry up, but floods help refill the wetlands, keeping the ecosystem going.
Floods are a part of nature. They can destroy living things and the environment. But some ecosystems need floods to survive.
1. What's the possible meaning of the underlined word “clog” in Paragraph 2?| A．Become. | B．Pollute. | C．Block. | D．Develop. |
| A．Nutrients carried by floods can make soil richer. |
| B．Floods make all the animals migrate more easily. |
| C．Tiny fish going with floods feed some animals. |
| D．Floods can improve the dirt and help plants grow. |
| A．The way in which floods feed animals. | B．The benefits of floods to ecosystems. |
| C．An effective means of improving soil. | D．The reason for people's appreciating floods. |
| A．The Many Effects of Flooding | B．The Secret of Flooding |
| C．Floods-Everything Is So Bad | D．Floods-a Part of Nature |
7 . Modern technology has had a great influence on people's entertainment choices, making them less creative. Do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
Bearing in mind the likely effects of the modern technology on entertainments on today's users are important, because it is an issue that is discussed daily nowadays by people in both the private and public sectors (公共部门). However, does the modern technology benefits all aspects of human society? Some people may answer to the contrary. As far as I can see, current technology is undermining modern people's creative ability by providing individuals sorted ways of relaxation.
The likely effects of modern technology on entertainment for people today are important, because it is an issue that is discussed daily in both the private and public sectors. However, does modern technology benefit all aspects of human society? Some people may answer in the negative. As far as I can see, modern technology undermines people's creative ability by providing individuals pre-digested forms of relaxation.
To begin with , it has been known from the latest resources that modern people prefer to enjoy high-tech ways of recreation. More and more people from all works feel so pressuarable that they turn to modern technology which is supposed to be there providing convenient, time-saving and fresh entertainment while fewer and fewer individuals choose to play jigsaws(拼图) or make some exquisite handicrafts (精美的手工艺品) which is the very things expand their imaginary world and make them more creative in their spare time.
Further more, modern people are more likely to count on current technology whether in physiological or psychological. What is meant by this is that plenty of people fully enjoy the entertaining products such as, TV, MP3 or internet games high-tech brings to them that they spend lots of time on them without doing anything else. Couch-potato syndrome(典型表现) is one such example. The more people rely on those modern entertaining items, the more possible that people form a negative habitual opinion that these high-tech can do everything for them, and the less likely people will be initiative and creative in their life.
It goes without saying that modern technology do bring us low-cost, efficient entertaining products, and these may initiate some individuals' inspiration occasionally. But that's very limited compared to the side effects they give rise to.
In conclusion, it is very important to know that it's the creative ability that make our human society prosperous and flourish. Modern technology is just a powerful tool in the charge of human to benefit our conduction.
1. What is the synonym of “undermining”?| A．supporting | B．weakening | C．strengthening | D．building |
| A．Playing jigsaws. |
| B．Making exquisite handicrafts. |
| C．Watching TV, listening to MP3 or playing online games. |
| D．Reading books. |
| A．By providing pre-digested forms of relaxation and reducing people's imagination. |
| B．By making people overly dependent on high-tech products and making them lazy. |
| C．By making people addicted to entertainment and having no time for creative activities. |
| D．All of the above. |
| A．Modern technology makes people's entertainment choices more diverse. |
| B．Modern technology has a positive impact on people's creativity. |
| C．Modern technology weakens people's creativity in some ways. |
| D．Modern technology has both advantages and disadvantages and needs to be treated correctly. |
8 . Animals are important living creatures on our planet. They play a significant role in maintaining the balance of nature. However, due to human activities like deforestation (采伐森林), poaching, pollution, and habitat destruction, many animal species have either become extinct or are on the verge of extinction.
Animals are the natural resources wasted by human beings in history. Animals were killed for their fur and feathers, for food, for sports, just because they hindered the disappearance of thousands of animals from the earth. Today, hundreds of animals are on the danger list, which are considered to be in danger in the United States alone.
Why should people care? Because we need animals, and because once they’re gone, there won’t be any more animals. They’re not just beautiful or interesting food. They’re not just a source of food.
Every animal has its place in the balance of nature. Destroying an animal can cause a lot of problems. For example, when farmers kill a lot of eagles, farmers’ corn and grain stores are destroyed by rats.
Why? Because eagles eat rats and mice. When there are no eagles to control their numbers, rats and mice reproduce very quickly. Fortunately, some people are trying to help save animals. Some groups raise funds to let people know about this problem.They are trying to get the government to protect animals in danger through laws. Quite a number of countries have passed laws that prohibit killing any animal or plant on the dangerous list. The number of some animals in danger is increasing.
As responsible citizens, it is our duty to take necessary steps to protect animals and their habitats. One way to do this is by creating awareness about the importance of conservation. We should educate people on the significance of wildlife and the role we play in protecting it. We should also urge governments to take action in preserving animal habitats and to enforce (实施) laws to prevent poaching and illegal trade of wildlife.
Another way to protect animals is by supporting organizations that work towards animal conservation. These organizations rescue, rehabilitate, and release animals back into their natural habitat. They also conduct research and raise awareness about endangered species.
In conclusion, protecting animals is not just a responsibility, but a necessity. We should take necessary steps to conserve wildlife and their habitats to ensure a healthy and sustainable environment for all living creatures on earth.
1. The author’s attitude towards animals is _____.| A．positive | B．negative | C．neutral | D．indifferent |
| A．They play a significant role in maintaining the balance of nature. |
| B．They are a source of food. |
| C．They are beautiful and interesting. |
| D．They are not related to human beings. |
| A．Because they are interested in animals. |
| B．Because they want to make money. |
| C．Because they realize the importance of animals. |
| D．Because they are ordered to do so by the government. |
| A．to describe the importance of animals |
| B．to criticize human activities that harm animals |
| C．to call on people to protect animals |
| D．to introduce some endangered animals |
9 . Many people spend weekends doing meaningless things, which is a complete waste of our life. However, successful people make the best use of their weekends differently. Here are some things they may choose to do.
●
Successful people don't go into the weekend with no plan.
●Get up early.
Of course, it feels good to sleep in. However, it's actually quite refreshing (使人精力充沛的) to get up and move early on days when you don't have to get up early.
●Put the phone aside.
In today's busy world, most of us never truly leave work. Our phones are likely connected to our emails and Twitter accounts, meaning we may deal with a work-related task even after 5 p. m.
●Follow hobbies.
| A．Make a plan. |
| B．Prepare for the week carefully. |
| C．But successful people need time to let work go. |
| D．The weekend is the perfect time to make up for it. |
| E．They plan their day out just as they would on any other day. |
| F．Successful people start their Saturday off by hitting the gym or reading a book. |
| G．Successful people use every minute of their free time to do something they love. |
10 . Health Is Better Than Wealth
It is widely known that health is of great significance. Leading a healthy life is crucial as being ill makes it hard to be happy.
To enjoy a happy and healthy life, we should take the following steps. Firstly, we need to have breakfast every day and take in proper amounts of vitamins and minerals while reducing fat and cholesterol intake.
In conclusion, by following these steps, we can lead a healthy life and stay away from diseases.
| A．And it can also enhance our immune system. |
| B．It also helps to regulate our emotions. |
| C．What’s more, it can improve our physical fitness. |
| D．Then, we should ensure a proper diet. |
| E．Also, it is very important to have a balanced diet. |
| F．This is very important for our overall well-being. |
| G．And proper sleep can make us more energetic. |
