1 . Ways to Stay Healthy if You Sit at a Computer All Day, Every Day

Computer work may not be an active job, but it can definitely do harm to the body. After all, sitting at a desk for hours on end increases your risk for health problems.     1     With the following tips, you can work on a computer while staying healthy and well.

Practice a good sitting posture (姿势). When you’re engaged in work, thinking about the way you sit can feel like just another task. But being mindful of your sitting posture can help you feel your best.     2    

Adjust your monitor and screen. While you’re at it, take note of your computer setup.     3     This will keep your neck in a neutral position, preventing neck and shoulder pressure.

    4     Sitting in the same position for a long time can tighten your muscles. This can cause pain and tension, making it uncomfortable to move even when you’ve finished your work. To prevent this, try to get up every 20 to 30 minutes to avoid staying in the same posture for too long.

Drink plenty of water. Even when you’re sitting all day, drinking plenty of water is extremely important.     5     And, throughout the day, we continuously lose that water through sweating, breathing, and normal bodily functions. Drinking plenty of water will resupply these lost water and prevent dehydration, a condition marked by headaches, tiredness, and poor concentration.

A．Take regular breaks.

B．Eat lunch away from your computer.

C．Our bodies are almost 60% to 70% water.

D．Routine breaks are great for your brain, too.

E．Keep your monitor directly in your line of eyesight.

F．Poor posture can cause the muscles and joints to pain.

G．However, that doesn’t mean you need to quit your desk job.

2 . Of all the Chinese 24 solar terms, Clear and Bright (清明) is the only one whose first day is also a traditional Chinese festival, the Qingming Festival. The words “clear” and “bright” describe the weather during this period. Temperatures begin to rise and rainfall increases, making it an important time for growing crops in the spring. As is known, it is a time to worship ancestors, however, here are several things you may not know about Clear and Bright.

Spring Outings

Not only is it a period to honor the dead, but it is also time for people to go out and enjoy nature. As trees turn green, flowers blossom, and the sun shines brightly, everything returns to life. It is a fine time to appreciate the beauty of nature.

Flying Kites

Flying kites is an activity favored by many Chinese during Tomb-Sweeping Day. Kites are not only flown during the day time but also in the evening. Little lanterns are tied to the kites. And when the kites are flying in the sky, the lanterns look like twinkling stars at night. What makes flying kites during this day special is that people cut the string while the kite is in the sky to let it fly freely. It is said that this brings good luck and that diseases can be chased away by doing this.

Cuju

Cuju is an interesting game played during this period. Ju is a ball made of leather with hairs plugged in it. Legend has it that the Yellow Emperor first invented it for training warriors. Later, Cuju was used by people to build up their bodies when they were unable to eat hot food during the Cold Food Festival.

Feasting on Qingtuan

In the lower parts of the Yangtze River region, qingtuan is very popular on Tomb-Sweeping Day. Qingtuan is a kind of round green cake. In order to make the cakes, people mash (捣碎) barnyard grass (艾草) to squeeze juice from it and mix the flour and juice to a paste. Then they put fillings into the paste and steam them. Pretty and delicate, qingtuan has a special flavor.

1. What is special about flying kites during Clear and Bright?

A．Flying kites with lanterns in the evening.

B．Flying kites to bring good luck.

C．Cutting the kite string to let it fly freely.

D．Flying kites both in the daytime and at night.

2. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Clear and Bright is an important period for farming.

B．Qingtuan is traditionally eaten during the period of Clear and Bright all over China.

C．Cuju was invented by the Yellow Emperor to play in the Qingming Festival.

D．Clear and Bright is one of the 24 solar terms whose first day is also a traditional Chinese festival.

3. What is the main idea of the passage?

A．How to celebrate the Qingming Festival.

B．Flying kites in a special way.

C．Ways to have fun during Clear and Bright.

D．Some unknown customs about Clear and Bright.

3 . As Christmas Eve approached, I found myself in New York City, far from my family and friends in Taiwan. I was feeling homesick and lonely, but my Jewish friend, Rachel, who, like me, doesn’t get connected with Christmas due to any religious things, invited me to join her for a dinner in a Chinese restaurant. She explained that it was a tradition for many Jewish people to celebrate this holiday by eating Chinese food on Christmas Eve.

We went to Jing Fong, a fancy restaurant in Chinatown. The place was packed with people, and the atmosphere was lively and festive. We ordered a variety of dishes. Everything was delicious, and I felt grateful to be sharing this experience with Rachel. As we ate, we talked about our families and our cultures. We laughed and joked, and for a moment, I forgot about my homesickness.

A moment later, a group of carolers (唱圣诞歌的人) came into the restaurant, singing Christmas songs. At first, I was puzzled. Why were they singing in a Chinese restaurant? But then I realized that this was part of the magic of New York City. People from all different cultures and backgrounds could come together and celebrate the holidays in their own way. Rachel and I joined in the singing, and soon the whole restaurant was filled with music. It was a beautiful moment, and I felt blessed to be part of it.

What a night! I learned that even when you’re far from home, you can still find joy and connection with others. Rachel and I may come from different cultures, but we shared amazing food, joyful music, and most importantly heartfelt company. And that’s exactly what all the holidays are all about.

1. Why did Rachel invite the author to join her for dinner?

A．To show respect to God

B．To celebrate Christmas in the Jewish way

C．To share stories about their families

D．To forget about their homesickness

2. What was the author’s initial reaction to the carolers?

A．Fearful	B．Joyful
C．Disappointed	D．Confused

3. How did the author want people to approach Christmas?

A．By focusing on religious traditions

B．By celebrating with family and friends

C．By enjoying a variety of festive dishes

D．By embracing diverse ways of celebration

4. Where is the text most probably taken from?

A．A personal blog	B．A commercial promotion brochure
C．A travel guide of New York	D．An academic article

4 . “What should I learn to stay excellent?”     1     , but it is still worth thinking—both for the professional benefits and the complete joy of learning something new. Here is a look at some skills that will surely benefit you.

Self-management

Self-management is your ability to manage behaviors, thoughts and emotions. It is a way that better serves you and your work. Rules of self-management usually include: How to create and keep a calendar;     2     ; How to do a weekly review; How to focus deeply.

Logic and reasoning

Logical thinking can be extremely powerful for making better decisions and solving problems. However, most of us receive little training in this area in school.     3    

How to do exercise

You can just pick an activity you enjoy and do it regularly. Try different things and see what you enjoy.     4     . The best program is the one you’ll actually hold on to.

    5    

Knowing how to fix things around your house or apartment is wonderful. Instead of having to wait hours or days for others to fix it. you can do so immediately. And doing your own repairs can save you lots of money. You can buy a basic tool kit. And when you meet some kind of problem with your place, see if you can figure out how to fix it on the Internet.

A．It’s a difficult question to answer

B．How to make and use a to-do list

C．How to perform basic home repairs

D．There’s a bit more to it than that

E．So it’s worth spending some time learning how to think logically

F．And remember that there’s no such a thing as the “best” exercise program

G．But having logical thinking in your mental “toolbox” can be very useful

5 . Finding a California condor in the wild would be the most unusual treat. perhaps even more unusual than finding a wolf in Yellowstone National Park. In fact, the wolf was what opened my eyes to the fact that humans could bring an animal back to the place where it had disappeared.

In 1987, there were only 27 California condors left, none of which were in the wild, only in captive breeding programs, It was those breeding programs that contributed to their population rise, enough that by 1991 some of them could be freed into the wild.

Still, the hope of seeing a California condor, which remains an endangered species, is very low, let alone getting a photo of one. California condor population dropped mostly due to human factors, such as poaching and living areas destruction-these are challenges California condors still face today.

Although this is just a bird’s-eye view of the challenges California condors face and there are many others, it is part of why the opportunity to work with the US Fish and Wildlife Service team and their partners helping their recovery is so special to me as a photographer. I am not only able to photograph the birds in their wild living areas, but also understand and record how difficult the work is of those people on the front lines of the protection.

I am grateful for the work of the team, and my hope is that California condor population will continue to rise allowing future generations an opportunity I never had when I first got here-to look to the sky and see one flying around.

1. What helped the increase of the California condor population in 1987?

A．Rules for hunters.	B．Captive breeding programs.
C．The improved natural environment.	D．The enlargement of wild living areas.

2. What does the author say about taking photos of a California condor in the wild?

A．It is difficult.

B．It is easy.

C．It is boring.

D．It is dangerous.

3. What did the author do when working with the US Fish and Wildlife Service team?

A．He guided ways for them.	B．He made records by photos.
C．He helped the birds to recover.	D．He rebuilt the birds’ living areas.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．New Way, New Hope	B．Wolves and California Condors
C．A Photo of a California Condor	D．The California Condor’s Coming Back

6 . A lot of people find it difficult to do exercise regularly, even though they know it’s good for their physical and mental (身心上的) health. Yet keeping on a workout routine doesn’t necessarily go to the gym or run around your neighborhood. Gardening is a great example of a popular hobby that can be used as a workout.

Nashville resident Tom Adkinson, 72, is on board with the idea of gardening to stay fit. He has three gardens, which he uses primarily to grow tomatoes, sweet banana peppers and okra. Like traditional exercise, Adkinson does a lot of preparation before gardening, and then he spends hours watering and weeding (除草) all three gardens, involving bending and stretching, which he compares to performing garden yoga.

“It is wise of Adkinson to do so. Even though gardening may not appear difficult, using the body in new ways can make you hurt if you don’t warm up beforehand,” said Zeller, who teaches at the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Cape May County in New Jersey.

Working in your garden just two hours a week could improve your mood. And the communal gardening, which is done by a number of people as a group in communities and schools, provides social benefits that can reduce stress and help fight against loneliness and even dementia according to studies.

“With all these benefits, gardening for fitness will be a trend (趋势) in the coming year,” announced Mandal, CEO of the fitness coaching app Future, “Our users at Future have already been asking their coaches to add gardening and landscaping activities into their routines because it’s easy to get and fit into their lifestyle.”

1. What do the underlined words “on board with” mean in paragraph 2?

A．In support of.	B．At the risk of.
C．Under the control of.	D．In opposition to.

2. What did Zeller probably suggest doing before gardening?

A．Having a good rest.

B．Getting enough water ready.

C．Doing warm-up exercise.

D．Preparing tools for weeding.

3. What is paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．Tips for gardening.

B．The benefits of gardening.

C．The process of garden management.

D．The difference between personal and group gardening.

4. Which activity may be added to the app Future according to Mandal?

A．Running.

B．Yoga.

C．Gardening.

D．Walking.

7 . Yue-Sai Kan was born in China. In 1972, she moved to New York. When Kan was a child, she was told by her father that she should always aim to (力争) be the first because no one remembered the second. What her father said has been a driving inspiration over the years for her to become a bestselling author and a successful businesswoman.

Her new book Be a Pioneer, which is the tenth she has written and her first Chinese-language autobiography (自传), was produced after three years, inspired by her father’s words.

When writing an autobiography, the biggest challenge is not how to present one’s life, but to remember it. To help with reconstructing her story, Kan asked many friends and colleagues she made over the years to write down their memories of her from earlier times. So besides featuring Kan’s own words, the new book is also filled with those of her friends’s, which gives Kan a new understanding of herself — a woman who works hard, studies hard. and the most important thing is that she is a woman filled with a sense of responsibility.

“My helper Stephanie mentioned that I was worried because we were running out of money for the company. My housekeeper reminded me that before the start of one of my events she found that I had fainted (晕倒) in the bathroom. I was so tired that I was getting sick. They know more about me than myself,” Kan says.

“Writing a book is a good business to be in, not so much to make money but to grow the brain. I believe what I do will benefit the world. All the things I have done in Be a Pioneer — my successes and my failures — can be a good example to young people in particular. That’s the main reason why I wrote the book,” adds Kan.

1. What can we know about Kan’s book Be a Pioneer?

A．It took her 10 years to finish.

B．It is full of her father’s words.

C．It was completed with her friends’ help.

D．It tops the tenth on the bestseller list.

2. What is Kan’s difficulty in writing her autobiography?

A．Being short of money.	B．Having no supporters.
C．Having to write it in Chinese.	D．Remembering her past.

3. What does the author intend to do in paragraph 4?

A．To tell Kan is weak in health.

B．To show Kan is a worried woman.

C．To report the path of writing is difficult.

D．To state how Kan’s story was reconstructed.

4. What is Kan’s book Be a Pioneer aimed at?

A．Setting an example.	B．Earning money.
C．Making herself popular.	D．Proving herself to her father.

8 . Welcome to Chelsea FC Foundation Soccer Schools. Our camp programs in these schools offer players aged 9-17 the experience of a living and training like soccer experts with world-class coaching. Players will learn what it takes to become a world-class footballer at Chelsea FC and learn about Chelsea’s unique coaching philosophies. Chelsea FC Foundation’s coaches are skilled in challenging players of every level and their specialist programs cover technical, physical, psychological and social aspects of the game. Players will be grouped by age and their ability on the first day of the camp, and then they will start their training at different places.

Groups:

	Boys	Girls
Senior players	13-17	12-17
Place	Charterhouse School	Seaford College
Junior players	9-15	10-14
Place	Lancing College	Ardingly College

We offer you Soccer Only Camp and Soccer and English Camp to choose from.

Soccer Only Camp (2 weeks):

•Up to 32 hours per week of soccer training.

•Campers need to be able to speak at least an intermediate level of English.

•Campers need to pay $2,295.

Soccer and English Camp (2 weeks):

•Up to 19 hours per week of soccer training, along with 14 hours per week of English language lessons.

•Campers need to be basic level English speakers at least.

•One-to-one instruction from Chelsea FC Foundation’s coaches.

•Campers need to pay $3.200.

1. What is an advantage of Chelsea FC Foundation’s coaches?

A．They come from different countries.

B．They have specialized programs in different fields.

C．They provide one-to-one instruction for Soccer Only campers.

D．They can help campers achieve an intermediate level in two weeks.

2. Where will a 9-year-old junior player be trained?

A．At Lancing College.	B．At Seaford College.
C．At Ardingly College.	D．At Charterhouse School.

3. How long will a Soccer and English camper spend on soccer and English training in a week?

A．14 hours.

B．19 hours.

C．32 hours.

D．33 hours.

9 . Say many things, and people will remember none. Say some things, and people will remember some. Say ONE thing, and people will remember ALL. Want to express clear viewpoints?     1    .

Express more, explain less.     2     We think the audience doesn’t understand something, so we explain it, But in that case, explaining serves to correct a failed expression. When you focus on expressing points instead of explaining ideas, you’ll communicate more precisely (精确地). Expressing and delivering are more important about what your audience hears and receives.

    3     Wherever you see a list of words or concepts (概念), ask yourself: Do I need all these words or concepts to attract my audience’s attention or are some of them not needed? When you remove less important ideas, your audience will gain more.

Limit paragraphs to three sentences. If you’re writing your idea in a document or email, try to make paragraphs to three sentences or less. This makes it easier for readers to understand your points because they have less content to process. And because you’re writing in short, direct points compared with long pieces of text, you may find yourself writing less overall.     4    .

Hear your own words. No matter how much you review your own, writing, hearing it aloud will always identify places to cut.     5     When you say even one word more than you need to, you make your point one word harder for your audience to receive.

A．Remove unnecessary ideas

B．Know your “Need-to-Know”

C．These four tips shouldn’t be missed

D．You can’t change the style of your writing

E．Explaining is often an understanding behavior

F．Everyone benefits from applying this writing rule

G．You can read it aloud yourself to find out the words

10 . When you go on vacation next time, make sure to take lots of pictures of the wildlife you see. These photos can help save different types of wildlife because of a new field called “imageomies”. Imageomies uses computers to study pictures of wildlife and learn information from them.

Until recently, scientists didn’t have the technology to analyze (分析) the data in wildlife photos. But now, machine learning and computer vision are helping researchers unlock valuable information hidden in these images.

There are platforms where people can share their wildlife photos, like cBird, iNaturalist and Wildbook. These platforms help scientists keep track of different species and create databases. If you have rare (稀有的) photos of wildlife, it’s a good idea to share them on these platforms.

Scientists have limited time and resources to study all endangered wildlife in the world. By using artificial intelligence (人工智能) to analyze public photos, we can learn more about different species and their behaviors. This technology can even help us find things in photos that humans might miss.

It’s important to use the collected information responsibly and protect it from poachers (偷猎者). If we do that, imageomies can not only help save wildlife but also contribute to other fields like medicine and agriculture.

1. How can imageomies help scientists study wildlife?

A．By offering information from wildlife.	B．By analyzing the data in wildlife photos.
C．By analyzing the trend of human population.	D．By knowing the origin of biological processes.

2. What are the platforms where people can share their wildlife photos?

A．eBird, iNaturalist and Wildbook.	B．Imageomics, eBird and Wildbook.
C．Imageomics, eBird and iNaturalist.	D．Photos of wildlife, iNaturalist and Wildbook.

3. Why should people share their rare wildlife photos on platforms?

A．To appreciate the beauty of wildlife.	B．To contribute to the public safety.
C．To inspire others to protect nature.	D．To help scientists study wildlife.

4. Which can be the best title for the text?

A．Computers help identify the biological features	B．Poachers stop killing threatened animals
C．Photos can save wild species	D．Photos can protect our environment