1 . An apology tells someone that we’re sorry for the hurt we caused — even if we didn’t do it on purpose. It’s a way of saying we’re aware of what we did and we’ll try to do better in future.

    1    . Sometimes we hurt people’s feelings without wanting to. Sometimes, we do it on purpose and feel bad later on. So we apologize.

Apologies are one of the tools that we use to get along better with other people. Saying that you’re sorry is more than just words.     2    . Apologizing shows you can understand the other person’s feelings as if they were your own. What’s more, after apologizing, you might feel a little better. The other person probably will, too.     3    , you can feel good because you are trying to make things right again.

Everyone needs to apologize when they do something wrong. For example, if someone is irritated because of something you did, you need to apologize. If you say something that hurts someone, even if you don’t mean it, then you should apologize.     4    .

When someone apologizes to you, you may welcome it and be ready to forgive.     5    . If a person keeps hurting you and apologizing without making an effort to change, you might not want to hang out with that person anymore. However, it’s always good to accept an apology.

A．When you apologize in a caring way

B．When you accept an apology in a desirable way

C．It’s difficult to mend a relationship if we don’t apologize

D．Or you might not feel like being friendly again right away

E．It isn’t always easy for us to get along well with everyone all the time

F．If you lose or break something belonging to someone else, you should say sorry

G．You’re also saying that you respect and care about the other person’s feelings

2 . BBC foreign correspondent Jeremy Bowen’s recent assignment — a three-part series on Radio 4 in which he made “a personal journey through Wales”, the country of his birth — must still have left him a little shocked. Bowen, born in Cardiff but living in England and a non-Welsh speaker, did the most dangerous thing — he attacked what he saw as the way the Weish-speaking minority in Wales dominates the cultural conversation. This argument has not gone down well in the land of his fathers.

The Welsh online media has suggested this is the view from Camberwell where Bowen lives, rather than Criccieth — a journalist’s whistle-stop tour of a country he last resided in more than 40 years ago. Fellow BBC journalist Welsh speaker Huw Edwards responded to that criticism: “We are all products of upbringing — this take is 1970s Cardiff.” Edwards was even ruder about an attack on Welsh by Jonathan Meades in The Critic. “So long as it’s a hobby language it is as harmless as a Sunday painter,” wrote Meades. “But in pockets of Snowdonia and mid-Wales it is a tool not only of communication but of identity and exclusivity, thus of self-harm.” To which Edwards responded: “Meades is a brilliant writer and I have enjoyed his work over many years. I can only assume he’s crazy. Nothing else can explain this rubbish.”

Bowen’s argument is that because bilingualism (双语) has become essential for many jobs in Welsh government and media, the English-speaking majority has been disadvantaged. Meades is more concerned with a project to create a million Welsh speakers (a third of the population) by 2050. At present, only a fifth of the population speaks Welsh regularly. Such views are, however, either outdated or exaggerated (夸张的).

Largely rural Welsh-speaking Wales was discovering new confidence, thanks to the start of the Welsh-language channel S4C in 1982 and the growth of Welsh-medium education. But Welsh-speaking Wales is not responsible for the difficulties of English-speaking Wales, and the two have to find a way to coexist. The survival of Welsh is a miracle, and every Welsh person, whether or not they speak it, should celebrate that fact.

1. Why was Bowen recently shocked?

A．He had a narrow escape in Wales.

B．He was refused entry into his fatherland.

C．He was assigned to do a series about Wales.

D．He was criticized for his Radio program about Wales.

2. What was Edwards’ attitude toward Meades’ comments?

A．Disapproving.

B．Supportive.

C．Tolerant.

D．Uncaring.

3. What put the English-speaking majority at a disadvantage?

A．They could not speak two languages.

B．They held outdated ideas about language.

C．A third of the Welsh could speak the native language.

D．The government attached less importance to English.

4. What does the author say about the survival of Welsh?

A．It establishes Welsh dominance.

B．It is unexpected and welcome.

C．It occurs at the cost of English-speaking Wales.

D．It owes to the efforts of Welsh-speaking Wales.

3 . Deserts could be the best places on Earth for harvesting solar power. They are spacious, relatively flat, and never short of sunlight. So researchers imagine it might be possible to transform the world’s largest desert, the Sahara, into a large solar farm, capable of meeting four times the world’s current energy demand.

While the black surfaces of solar panels absorb most of the sunlight that reaches them, only around 15% of that incoming energy gets turned into electricity. The rest is returned to the environment as heat, affecting the climate. If these effects were only local, they might not matter in a thinly populated desert. But the area of the installations in the Sahara would be vast, covering thousands of square miles. Heat released from an area this size will be redistributed by the flow of air in the atmosphere, having regional and even global effects on the climate.

A 2018 study used a climate model to assess the effects of building massive solar farms in the Sahara. The model revealed that when the size of the solar farm reaches 20% of the total area of the Sahara, the heat released by the darker solar panels creates a big temperature difference between the land and the surrounding oceans that ultimately lowers surface air pressure and causes wet air to rise and condense (凝结) into raindrops. With more rainfall, plants grow and the desert reflects less of the sun’s energy since vegetation absorbs light better than sand and soil. With more plants present, more water is evaporated (蒸发), creating a better environment that causes vegetation to spread.

So, a large solar farm could generate enough energy and at the same time turn one of the most abominable environments on Earth into a habitable place. Sounds perfect, right? Not quite. In a recent study, we used an advanced Earth system model to closely examine how Saharan solar farms interact with the climate. It showed there could be unintended effects in remote parts of the land and ocean.

We are only beginning to understand the potential consequences of establishing massive solar farms in deserts. Solutions like this may help society reduce the use of fossil energy, but Earth system studies like ours underscore the importance of considering the numerous coupled responses of the atmosphere, oceans, and land surface when examining their benefits and risks.

1. What can be learned about solar farms?

A．They are mainly located in deserts.

B．They can affect the local and even global climate.

C．They can make the best use of incoming energy.

D．They satisfy the world’s current energy demand.

2. What will happen if 20% of the Sahara is covered with solar panels according to the 2018 study?

A．It might become greener.

B．It might reflect more sunlight.

C．Its surface air pressure will increase.

D．Its temperature difference between day and night will decrease.

3. What does the underlined word “abominable” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Addictive.

B．Dynamic.

C．Sensitive.

D．Unpleasant.

4. What does the author think of turning the Sahara into a solar farm?

A．It is an impossible task.

B．It will do more good than harm.

C．It calls for more consideration.

D．It might be the solution to fossil fuel pollution.

4 . Brewing Up the Best Cup of Coffee

Editor’s note: In the world of coffee, there is a hierarchy (等级) based on brewing (酿制) methods and coffee bean quality. Manual brewing is superior to machine brewing. Italian-style coffee is usually preferred over the American style. At the top of this world, it is specialty coffee (精品咖啡). And becoming a specialty coffee barista (咖啡师) requires specific training. Let’s go to the story of one such barista.

To customers, specialty coffee may be just a simple drink, but for specialty coffee baristas, it is a demanding science. Fei Teng, a 35-year-old barista with 10 years of experience, considers various factors like altitude, climate and grinding (研磨) when making specialty coffee. Fei also has his own principle of developing creative coffee. The Salty Mocha, created by Fei, gained popularity among coffee enthusiasts. “The sea salt neutralizes the sweetness of the mocha, adding layers of flavor to the taste. By introducing innovative changes to classic coffee, it can bring new and wonderful experiences to the taste buds,” Fei told Teens.

Fei majored in fine arts in college but chose to become a coffee apprentice (学徒) after graduation. He began by learning the basics of coffee, including its varieties and roasting levels. Through training and participating in competitions, Fei improved his barista skills, like grinding beans and frothing milk (打奶沫). “Becoming a barista is easy to get started, but difficult to master,” said Fei. To enhance his sensitivity to the quality of coffee beans, Fei tasted a wide variety of coffee, often drinking more than 20 cups a day. That led to diarrhea (腹泻)at times.

“In addition to coffee knowledge, service skills are crucial but often overlooked by baristas,” Fei said. Baristas need to patiently address customer questions and convey the concept behind their coffee in an attractive manner. “Some baristas even create music introductions for their coffee and share them with customers,” added Fei.

“Many view being a barista as a cool job, but actually, it is quite hard and there is a lot of physical labor, like cleaning the cafe,” Fei said. However, despite the challenges, career prospects are promising. A 2023 report reveals that Chinas coffee industry reached 200.7 billion yuan in 2022.

Having dedicated a decade to the coffee industry, Fei plans to continue focusing on specialty coffee and further contribute to the growth of the Chinese coffee sector.

1. What sets the Salty Mocha invented by Fei apart?

A．Its flavor.

B．Its popularity.

C．Its aroma.

D．Its price.

2. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．Why Fei chose to be a barista.	B．What Fei learned about coffee.
C．How Fei understood his career.	D．How Fei upgraded his skills.

3. What does Fei think of baristas service skills?

A．They determine a baristas success.	B．They are more important than basic skills.
C．They require creativity and talent.	D．They are frequently ignored.

4. What does Fei want to do?

A．Promote Chinese coffee overseas.	B．Establish his own unique cafe.
C．Continue pursuing his barista career.	D．Teach people how to make coffee.

5 . How to Start Applying for Colleges

Most U. S. universities follow the same standard application process. If possible, begin the following approach several months before the submission deadline.

Get Informed.

Colleges want to know the real you. When applying, don’t try to make yourself look better by listing the accomplishments or writing the essay you think they want to see. Be honest and you’re more likely to end up at a college that’s a good fit for you. Here’s how you can prepare to apply to colleges:

● Understand the common terms you’ll see during the application process. Have a good grasp of such things as frequently used acronyms, supporting documents, and government departments.

● Review the appropriate application timeline you should follow when signing up for college. Every school has its own deadlines, but you may have certain milestones to hit during your senior or even junior year.

● Discover the individual components of a complete application. For example, schools usually ask for supplemental application materials like letters of recommendation, transcripts, and written essays.

Get Organized.

How do you apply for colleges efficiently? If you can keep track of everything you need and get organized, you’ll be ahead of the game. For each college you’re applying to:

● Create a real and a virtual folder for storing documents.

● Print a checklist to track your progress on each part of the application.

● Build a spreadsheet to stay on top of submission deadlines.

Gather the Necessary Documents.

● Your Social Security number.

● Your high school code.

● A copy of your high school transcript.

● Your score report from a college admission test.

Review Your Application Before Hitting the Submit Button.

● Make sure you’ve included all required information and that the information filled out on the forms is accurate and spelled correctly.

● Confirm that any required attachments are the correct files and have been properly uploaded.

● Double-check that you filled out all fields and followed all instructions.

● Take a deep breath. Click submit!

1. How many parts will you generally go through before applying to the college?

A．One.

B．Two.

C．Three.

D．Four.

2. Which of the following is helpful for the application?

A．Show a perfect you so that you will get more qualified.

B．Discover the individuals who also apply to the same college.

C．Get fully prepared in the second or third year of school in case of some specific deadlines.

D．Figure out every single technical term to better understand the application process.

3. At the very last minute before submitting the application, you’d better __________.

A．check whether you have filled out all the forms and followed all instructions

B．gather all the necessary documents like your high school transcript

C．create a physical and virtual folder for all the documents

D．confirm the submission deadline

6 . Have you ever paid attention to the color of the airplane seats? They’re almost always blue and there are very few exceptions to this rule. Some people think it reminds us of the sky. But the explanation isn’t that simple!

It is calming.

Color psychology plays an important role in selecting the fabric for airplane seats. “The idea is to help passengers feel at home, with relaxing colors and restful designs,” explained Shelly Zundell in a Boeing press release.     1     Blue is a calming color that suggests peace, calmness, and relaxation.

    2    

In a study reported by Popular Science, 48 percent of participants thought soda in a blue glass was more thirst-quenching (解渴的) than that served in glasses of other colors, probably because they connected blue with cold. Colors such as red and orange can make people feel warmer. Although it’s not unheard of, red is a less common color for airplane seats.     3    

It is a universally well-liked color.

    4     It’s a universal color that’s appealing to most. This is also the same reason why many brands have blue logos. People universally connect the color with positive things — such as clean water and blue skies — so they tend to like it. Across ages and across cultures, it’s the world’s favorite color.

The right shade hides stains (污渍) well.

Dark blue seats are also just practical. Imagine how many people sit in them per day.     5    

Darker shades are better at hiding stains and don’t show their wear as easily. Those dark blue seats will look fresher and newer for longer.

A．It physically feels cooler.

B．It reflects a cool professionalism.

C．But is there any other explanation?

D．And who knows what gets spilled on them?

E．People often connect certain colors with certain feelings.

F．Feeling hot when you board an airplane is good for no one.

G．It’s hard to find someone who has strong feelings against the color blue.

7 . As we know, queues (队列) have always been related to the theme park experience. Disliked by many, attractions do their best to stop them from having a bad influence on the guest experience. However, queues remain a necessity for gated attractions with popular rides.

The most obvious problem with queues is that they waste time, and for guests, wasting their limited time during their visit leads to a poor experience. For attraction operators, queues can be a letdown too. Even though long queues might be a sign that business is good, the more time guests spend tied up in long lines, the less opportunity they have to spend money on on-site retail and food offerings.

Thankfully, technology is developing to meet changing guest expectations. Many theme parks are taking guests out of physical queues and putting them into virtual queues through an app or wearable device.

Free from queues, guests are likely to spend their time and money far more freely around the attraction. Even though no one has to wait in line, attractions can still offer queue upgrades within a virtual queue system. According to a recent survey done by Attractions.io, over 84% of theme park visitors said they would rather use virtual queuing.

But queuing isn’t all bad, either. Making a queue part of the experience can also create an opportunity for better guest management. For example, Disney observes queues on many of their rides to give worried kids a space to relax. For smaller attractions, physical queues can be useful for judging how busy different rides are likely to be.

So to queue or not to queue? We say, why not both. In an ideal world, every attraction will have both virtual and physical queues. While virtual queuing can ensure that no one has to stand in line for hours, not every ride will need one. Short physical queues may still work for smaller or less popular rides, which guests can even enjoy while they wait in line virtually for another ride.

1. What does the underlined word “them” in paragraph 1 refer to?

A．Guests.	B．Queues.
C．Attractions.	D．Experiences.

2. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．The disadvantages of physical queuing.

B．The changing ways of queuing in theme parks.

C．The influence of physical queuing on attractions.

D．Guest expectations for theme park queue systems.

3. What did the Attractions.io survey find?

A．Virtual queuing actually saves people’s money.

B．Most attractions find virtual queue systems helpful.

C．A majority of theme park visitors prefer to wait online.

D．Virtual queuing allows people to make the most of their time.

4. What does the author think of virtual queuing?

A．It will replace physical queuing.

B．It isn’t good for guest management.

C．It isn’t useful for less popular rides.

D．It should coexist with physical queuing.

8 . A pickup game is a game of some kind that is not part of a regularly scheduled season of competition or a championship series.    1    . There are no repercussions (负面影响) beyond the final score in terms of standings or future commitment.

    2    . But the types of games that use the term have expanded today. It is now used to refer to casually scheduled games of softball, volleyball, tennis, and even chess.

Pickup games are spontaneous (自发的) and informal.     3    . An all-men’s pickup game may be played as “Shirts vs No Shirts”; it is an easy way to identify teammates and distinguish them from the competitors. “Inside Shirts vs Out Shirts” “White Shirts vs Colored Shirts” and “Men vs Women” are other teams created with the goal of knowing who is who.

Recently, attempts have been made to use the Internet to schedule pickup games. This is a way of helping players connect with other players in their local area and allowing them to have complete teams whenever possible.     4    .   For example, gender, game choice, age, location, and how far they are willing to travel to a game. The main draw of pickup games is that they are meant to be a fun way to practice or show off skills with friends. If a player makes a mistake, he won’t be taken out of the game and worried about losing his playing time.     5    .

A．You could play pickup football, baseball, etc.

B．He can laugh it off and continue on with the game.

C．This method makes the game much more competitive.

D．Potential players are asked to provide their information.

E．The term “pick up game” often refers to basketball games.

F．Instead, it is a game with teams often made up on the spot.

G．But people have a variety of methods to pick teams and identify them.

9 . Floating homes, luxury living and smart home technology aren’t necessarily things that tend to go hand in hand. But Ocean Builders, a Panama-based company that specializes in marine technology, is to unveil a fleet of “living pods” that manage to bring all the three together. They are currently under construction in the Linton Bay Marina of Panama.

Named SeaPod, the pod was conceptualized by Rudiger Koch, Head of Engineering at Ocean Builders, along with Chief Executive Officer Grant Romundt, as a solution to the lack of space in popular beach destinations. It provides77 m² of living space, including a bedroom, a living room, a kitchen and a bathroom. With room for two people, the unit utilizes over 47 m³ of hollow steel tubes to float 2.2 meters over the waves, and features big windows and 360-degree ocean views.

       Romundt hopes the design will challenge perceptions of homes and allow residents to live on the water without having to make sacrifices when it comes to the comforts of living on land. “Normally when you live on the water, it's on a boat, which has a living situation that is unacceptable to most people,” says Romundt. And the pods are to equipped with advanced technology, along with applications that tailor the design and function to suit those inside. Meanwhile, special “smart rings” worn by residents will enable them to unlock doors and switch their music on at the wave of a hand.
       As a long-time advocate for oceanfront living, Romundt previously lived in a floating home in Toronto, and says it's lifestyle that's hard to match. "It's very peaceful and beautiful. Most people spend all year dreaming of their two-week vacation where they go to a tropical island hanging out, relaxing, regenerating and restoring themselves." So why not just live like that all year round?

   While those who opt to live in one of these particular units will likely need to have a sense of adventure, as well as a fondness for water, Romundt says the team don’t necessarily have a specific type of customer in mind. In fact, he’s confident that the majority of those who get to experience the SeaPod for just a few minutes will jump at the chance of owning one.

1. Which of the following can best describe the SeaPod？

A．Sustainable.	B．Innovative.
C．Temporary.	D．Profitable.

2. What can replace “utilizes” underlined in paragraph 2？

A．Gets rid of.	B．Puts up with.
C．Makes use of.	D．Ends up with.

3. What can we learn about the SeaPod in paragraph 3？

A．It can be controlled widely.

B．It redefines what a perfect home is.

C．It will make residents feel they are on a boat.

D．It will give residents a land-like living experience.

4. Why does the text mention Romundt’s life in Toronto?

A．To call on people to take a long vacation

B．To promote his company’s floating homes.

C．To show that people long for a peaceful lifestyle.

D．To introduce a new understanding of the floating home.

10 . A funeral or an obituary (讣告）is traditionally how we honor those who have died. But the way we remember loved ones is changing, as thousands of families turn to one project using TikTok and a surfboard.

Since the death of his father Randy Mendioroz, Tony Mendioroz dreamed of reuniting him with the place that he loved most—the ocean. Randy’s life revolved around water. He was a specialist in building water parks, wave machines and swimming pools, and Tony once worked for him for a while. The Mendioroz family were also regulars at the coast and spent wonderful time from some of San Diego’s best beaches.

Randy passed away from liver cancer in 2013. Feeling lost, Tony began to search for ways to feel a connection with his dad again. He found comfort in the sea and surfing, but always felt it was an experience he should have shared with his father. So, when he came across a video of a man offering to grant Randy “one last wave”, he jumped at the chance.

The man behind the video was surfer Dan Fischer. He, too, had lost his father Karl Fischer to cancer and had turned to the ocean to feel closer to him. After one unforgettable trip into the waves off the coast of Newport, with his father’s name written on his surfboard, Dan realized the potential healing power this simple activity could have when dealing with loss.

“Through surfing, I took him out there because he always loved the ocean, and he and I were adventure buddies,” Dan says.

When he got back to the shore, Dan posted a TikTok video, encouraging others dealing with grief to reach out and have the names of their lost loved ones written on his surfboard.

The Mendioroz family were one of thousands of those who got in touch from around the world, sparking the beginning of the “One Last Wave Project”.

The project prompted Dan to document each of his trips to the beach as names continued to cover his board. It has been a powerful force in creating a global community and support network for those going through loss.

1. What do we know about Tony and his father?

A．They had a tough relationship.

B．They all grew up near the ocean.

C．They never went surfing together.

D．They once built a water park together.

2. Dan turned to the ocean to feel closer to his father because of ________？

A．his father’s love for the ocean.

B．his father’s interest in surfing.

C．his father’s adventurous spirit

D．his father’s working experience

3. What inspired Dan to do the “One Last Wave Project”?

A．One of his trips to Newport.

B．The Mendioroz family’s request.

C．Encouragement from his family.

D．Worldwide attention to his video.

4. Which can be a suitable title for the text?

A．A journey of overcoming loss

B．The healing power of a surfboard

C．Seeking comfort from TikTok videos

D．Remembering loved ones at the seaside