1 . Have you got tired of exercising? Here are some ways to make exercise exciting again.

Kickboxing

While kickboxing may not be the easiest exercise in the world, it does cause you to begin using a new way to burn calories. Not only is it a great aerobic exercise (有氧健身运动), but also it has been suggested that kickboxing actually can help improve your mental health.

Fitness classes

Fitness classes are no longer “your mom’s aerobic classes”. In fact, some fitness classes are harder than usual workouts. Check your local gyms to see what types of diverse classes they can offer.

Yoga

Yoga has continued to gain more and more popularity. Not only does yoga help you increase flexibility but it leads to a healthier mind. A new study done by the Yoga Journal shows that there are now over 50 million people in America who practice yoga on a regular basis.

CrossFit (混合健身)

We have made a promise that we would never try these impossible exercises at home. While there is still an ongoing debate about whether or not CrossFit is safe, there are still people actively running CrossFit gyms. Instead of sitting back and getting opinions about CrossFit from people who may have done it before, give it a try.

1. Why would people try kickboxing?

A．To do the easiest exercise.	B．To exercise anywhere they like.
C．To burn calories in a new way.	D．To increase the flexibility of their body.

2. What can we learn from the new study of the Yoga Journal?

A．Yoga is easy to practice.	B．Yoga is popular in America.
C．Yoga is well received by women.	D．Yoga should be practiced regularly.

3. What’s the author’s attitude towards CrossFit?

A．Showing no interest in it.	B．Considering it dangerous.
C．Thinking it’s worth trying.	D．Considering it inconvenient.

2 . The Power of Reading in High School

In high school, reading is not just about passing exams or fulfilling assignments. It’s a gateway to new ideas, cultures, and perspectives. Here’s why reading should be a central part of your high school experience.

Firstly,     1    . By reading diverse texts, students can broaden their horizons and understand the complexities of the world. Whether it’s a novel set in a foreign country or an essay discussing social issues, reading allows students to gain insights into different cultures and viewpoints.

Secondly, reading improves critical thinking skills.     2    . They learn to analyze arguments, evaluate evidence, and form their own opinions. This is essential for success in both academic and professional life.

Thirdly, reading can enhance creativity.     3    . Authors often use unique language and imagery to convey their ideas, which can inspire readers to think creatively and come up with new ideas.

Moreover, reading is a great way to relax and destress.     4    . After a long day of classes and homework, picking up a good book can be a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of school life.

Finally, reading can be a source of inspiration.     5    . They can find role models, learn from others’ experiences, and gain motivation to pursue their own goals.

Reading, therefore, is not just a school subject; it’s a lifelong skill that can open up a world of possibilities. Make it a habit and enjoy the benefits it brings.

A．It’s a form of escape from the daily routine.

B．Through reading, students are exposed to new knowledge and ideas.

C．Reading encourages students to engage deeply with the text.

D．Students can find stories and characters that resonate with them.

E．Books often provide a window into the lives of others.

F．Reading fiction, in particular, can foster imaginative thinking.

G．By challenging their own beliefs and assumptions, students develop a more nuanced understanding of the world.

3 . At the Tate Modern gallery in London, an exhibition recently opened displaying more than 150 surrealist artworks from all around the world. Surrealism is an exciting but unusual type of art. It makes people see things in a different way and can be inspired by an artist’s dreams or by putting strange objects together in unexpected groups.

Surrealism started in the 1920s in Paris, the capital of France. A French poet called André Breton wrote about it. He was very interested in the thoughts, dreams and unusual ideas artists had, rather than just life-like recreations of everyday things. One of the most famous examples from this era (时代) is German artist Max Ernst’s Two Children Are Threatened by a Nightingale.

Some surrealist pieces are entertaining and perhaps even make people laugh. Many surrealist artists, though, wanted their creations to have a serious message and challenge what governments did or the way a society acted. Works have been inspired by terrible things such as wars and people being forced to leave the area or country they came from. A great example is Mayo’s Coups de Bâtons, inspired by police storming a café that was popular with artists.

Surrealism usually focuses on paintings but it also involves film, literature (books and writings), music, photography, sculpture and theatre. Surrealism’s influence is still with us today in things such as funny TV adverts, computer games and unusual film scenes. If something breaks from reality in a strange and challenging way, it could be considered a type of surrealism. Salvador Dalí, a Spanish artist who lived from 1904 to 1989, is the most famous creator of surrealist art. You’ve probably seen at least one of his pieces of art because he designed the logo (标识) for Chupa Chups lollies.

1. What do we know about surrealism?

A．It started with André Breton’s well-known painting.

B．It has been popular for over 150 years.

C．It describes daily things in a real way.

D．It has its origins in France.

2. What gave Mayo the idea to create his Coups de Bâtons?

A．One of his interesting dreams.

B．An attack on a café by the police.

C．A war starting in his motherland.

D．The life after he moved to a new country.

3. What does the last paragraph mainly focus on?

A．The introduction to famous surrealist artists.

B．The purpose of creating surrealist art.

C．The characteristics of surrealism.

D．The many forms of surrealism.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Step inside the fantastic world of surrealism

B．Surrealism: a window into art history

C．Surrealism: art without borders

D．Meet the great surrealist artists

4 . Summer to autumn, with the winter approaching, is there a better way to spend a beautiful evening than by sitting in the warm room with a good book? Here are some recommendations (推荐) to get you started.

Census     By Jesse Ball

Hardcover $19.65            Paperback $ 30.53            Audio CD $ 16.37

Census is a sad but wise novel by US writer Jesse Ball. The hero in the book learns that he has a deadly heart condition and hasn’t long to live, so he has to decide what to do with the rest of his life. But he is not only responsible for himself – he has a son with Down syndrome (唐氏综合征). The father decides to take a job on the road and take his son along with him. On their journey, they soon meet a woman who is “undistinguished, unimpressive, gentle, wonderful”, who becomes an important part of their lives.

Feel Free     By Zadie Smith

Hardcover $18.30            Paperback $ 19.36            Audio CD $ 33.37

British author Zadie Smith is most well known for her 2000 novel White Teeth, which was released when she was in her early 20s. This new book isn’t a novel, however, but a collection of the author’s essays and book reviews. They are very wide-ranging. For example, Smith writes about everything from gardens, bathrooms and philosophy to the Canadian pop star Justin Bieber.

Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress     By Steven Pinker

Hardcover $21.00          Paperback $ 14.88       Audio CD $ 45.87

Steven Pinker, a world-famous Canadian-American cognitive scientist, is worried about how people think today, believing that we’re all too pessimistic (悲观). In this book, Pinker argues that the world is getting better. This is due to progress since the “Age of Enlightenment” (启蒙运动时期) of the 17th and 18th centuries and its spirit of reason. With intellectual depth and literary flair, Pinker makes the case for reason, science and humanism: the ideals we need to confront our problems and continue our progress.

1. Which book covers the widest range of topics?

A．Census.

B．Feel Free.

C．White Teeth.

D．Enlightenment Now.

2. What is special about Enlightenment Now?

A．It is an original novel by an American writer.

B．It is a collection of the author’s works.

C．It holds pessimistic attitude to man’s future.

D．It is written by a well-known scientist.

3. How much should you pay in all if you buy a hardcover of each book?

A．$ 58.95.

B．$ 64.77.

C．$ 95.61.

D．$ 69.83.

5 . Whether at school, college or work, most of us take some sort of lunch break. It’s a good time to have a rest, catch up with friends and eat some food — but here lies the dilemma — what to eat? There are a feast of options but because of limited time or money, many of us stick to what we know — usually the humble (没有特别之处的) sandwich.

Some of us make our own sandwiches in the morning before heading out, while those in a rush tend to grab something at a snack bar or a cafe or buy a meal deal at a supermarket. A packet of chips may be an additional part to our lunch. What we eat is usually the same every day. Sheila Dilon from the BBC Food Programme says more than a third of office workers have eaten the same midday meal for the last nine months.

In the UK, bread has become the mainstay of our lunchtime snack, sometimes eaten at your desk--a style known as “al desko”. Bread is cheap and fills you up, with average lunch hours now reduced to 25 minutes and 24 seconds. It’s quick and convenient to eat. But it’s also boring! Some people have broken the mould (模式) by bringing in leftovers from their previous night’s dinner, which they then heat up in a microwave but even that isn’t very exciting.

We are humans of habit, but philosopher Julian Baggini says, “We’re never going to break out of our midday malaise unless we think outside the box.” There are choices that will fill you up. With just a microwave and a kettle, there’re a number of hot satisfying meals that can be made such as soups and jacket potatoes served with a dollop of baked beans or cheese. And then there are the ubiquitous (随处可见的) instant noodles in a pot-although you may question how nutritious they are.

If you’ve got time for more exotic (异国风味的) snacks, then look out for trendy “Ottolenghi” style food such as fava bean salad wrap. There is also the healthy Japanese style “bento box” or lunchbox that normally contains a mix of carbohydrate, protein and vegetables. And of course another healthy Japanese treat is sushi.

But if I’ve got time for a proper lunch, I head to my local greasy spoon (低档小饭馆) and tuck into a firy-up. Not very healthy but delicious, it sets me up for an afternoon of hard work. Then it’s time for the next dilemma what to have for dinner?

1. What does the underlined word “dilemma” in paragraph i mean?

A．A situation that is difficult to deal with.

B．A situation that causes trouble for others.

C．A situation where something makes you anxious.

D．A situation in which you have to make a very difficult choice.

2. What have more than a third of office workers eaten for lunch in the last nine months according to Sheila Dillon?

A．The humble sandwich.	B．The same midday meal.
C．The “Ottolenghi” style food.	D．The instant noodles.

3. What are the advantages of eating bread for lunch?

A．It’s delicious and healthy.	B．It costs less and saves time.
C．It’s exciting and convenient to eat.	D．It’s cheap and can be heated up in a microwave

4. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Sandwich is a common choice for lunch because of limited time or money.

B．You can use a kettle to make instant noodles.

C．Sushi is a delicious but harmful treat you can have for lunch.

D．The author enjoys less healthy but delicious food.

6 . Life in Australian hospitals has been far from normal for most children, with many reporting heightened levels of anxiety. Because of COVID-19, patients on most children’s hospital wards (病房) across Australia are only allowed one guardian bedside.

Sydney mum, Donna Truscott, spent most of July and August in and out of the Westmead Hospital with her 15-year-old son Mason. “Being in a hospital with a kid is difficult enough, but being in there with coronavirus (冠状病毒) around, knowing that I can’t have family come in and I can’t have a break, it’s gruelling,” Ms Truscott said.

Ms Truscott said one thing that helped take some of the mental stress away was the Humour Foundation’s clown doctors.

The family was one of the first to experience the Clown Doctors on Call programme — a new way for clown doctors to virtually visit sick children no matter where they are.

“Mason’s playing with them and singing with them, and doctors and nurses walking by can see the joy that these people bring to children,” Ms Truscott said. “It was really important for him to have that humour and just those moments to mentally relax and not think about the pain.”

“We’ve been lucky to have the development of technology so it’s nice that we can chat with clown doctors using Zoom and I hope that all hospitals across Australia embrace that,” Ms Truscott added.

The Humour Foundation’s clown doctor David Symons said the new on-call programme was helping them visit hospitals and outpatients they could not physically get to.

“We can now zoom into rural (乡村的) and remote Australia and we’ve now got programmes happening in Townsville which we didn’t have before, and there’s a possibility of something happening in Armidale where we haven’t had work before,” Mr Symons said. “When we fully roll it out, we could be visiting 100 more kids a week.”

1. What does the underlined word “gruelling” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Highly dangerous.	B．Really surprising.
C．Extremely tiring.	D．Incredibly exciting.

2. What is the purpose of the new programme?

A．To offer online clown doctor services to sick children.

B．To select professional doctors for rural hospitals.

C．To provide more wards for children’s hospitals.

D．To train parents in medical knowledge.

3. What is Ms Truscott’s attitude to the new programme?

A．Doubtful.

B．Supportive.

C．Unclear.

D．Curious.

4. How has the programme affected Symons?

A．It has changed his attitude to his job.

B．It has made him very famous worldwide.

C．It has inspired him to be a humorous doctor.

D．It has made his job more effective and helpful.

7 . A Lesson Plan from Life Planning Education：A Youth Development Program

Purpose：To learn about body language and how to use body language

Materials (材料)：cards; container

Time：25－35 minutes

Planning Notes：

•Write the words below on cards:

angry, disappointed, shy, afraid, sad, happy, nervous, excited, bored

•Place the cards in the container so volunteers can draw them out one at a time.

Steps：

First make sure that all volunteers know what body language means(expressing feelings through body movement and facial expressions).Go over the following instructions:

•I’ll need at least 9 volunteers to play a game similar to charades (猜词游戏).

•The first volunteer will draw a card with a feeling written on it and act out the feeling without using words.

•The rest of the group will guess what feeling is being communicated. Once someone correctly guesses the feeling, the next person in line will draw a card and act out what is written on it, again without words.

•The game will continue until there are no more cards or until time is up.

At last, end the activity using the discussion points below:

•Can you give examples of when someone’s body language communicated a different message from what he/she actually said?

•Sometimes one person is offended (冒犯) by another’s body language. How can you work to keep that from happening? Answers may include: be honest and direct; match your non-verbal messages to your verbal ones; be aware of cultural attitudes toward different kinds of body language.

1. To whom is the text most likely written?

A．Teachers.	B．Students.
C．Volunteers.	D．Young parents.

2. What do we know about the game?

A．One volunteer draws all cards.

B．Volunteers guess feelings one by one.

C．Each volunteer is given 25－35 minutes.

D．Feelings on cards are shown non-verbally.

3. What are you advised to do to avoid offensive body language?

A．Learn about different cultures.	B．Behave humorously.
C．Act indirectly.	D．Just let it be.

8 . In 2017, Persie Duong moved from Vietnam to Australia to complete his final two years of high school. He shares what he learned during this time and his advice for other international students.

The first day

Looking back, I can’t remember many things on my first day at school in Melbourne.     1     He was the international student coordinator (协调员). And also Selena, an Australian-Vietnamese friend who took me on a school tour.

What I also remember is the “funny” story of wearing a winter jumper on a 30-degree summer day — just because I didn’t want to break the “suggested” uniform (校服) list on my first day!     2     I was so silly.

Adjusting (适应) to life in Australia

The first few months weren’t easy, although I fully prepared beforehand.     3     I couldn’t understand my teachers and communicating in English was a huge problem. It was then that I learned how important it is to always keep learning and adjusting. I developed the habit of always asking questions.     4     I also found it important to be open-minded to maximize (充分利用) my learning experience.

There were many ups and downs in my two years of high school in Melbourne.     5     I couldn’t be prouder of what I achieved and how much I grew as a person.

A．Whenever you get the chance, help others too.

B．I still feel funny when I think of that moment.

C．I had to keep looking things up in the dictionary.

D．But no doubt it was the best experience I ever had.

E．What I do remember though is the welcome I got from Mr. Chow.

F．One of the biggest challenges for me was making friends with local students.

G．This not only improved my studies but also made my teachers think more highly of me.

9 . Teen Hands-On Journalism (新闻工作) Workshop

The Iowa City Public Library is working with Launch Student News (LSN) to offer a six-session (六节) journalism workshop for students in sixth through 12th grade.

LSN is a volunteer organization working to promote (促进) journalism. The workshop will be led by Victoria Feng and Malini Pillai. Feng is director and founder of LSN and a high school student with work recently published (发表) in The New York Times. Pillai is LSN’s director of education and opinion editor for their high school paper.

In this workshop, students will be introduced to reporting basics and get hands-on experience writing news, opinion and sports articles. By the end, students will have the skills needed to report the news in their own communities.

If you love to write, are interested in joining the school newspaper, or just want to learn more about journalism, sign up for this program. No experience is necessary.

You are expected to attend all sessions. The dates are below:

Monday September 13th 6 pm — 7 pm

Monday September 20th 6 pm — 7 pm

Monday September 27th 6 pm — 7 pm

Monday October 4th 6 pm — 7 pm

Monday October 11th 6 pm — 7 pm

Monday October 18th 6 pm — 7 pm

The program will be held online. Teens can attend from home or meet in the Koza Family Teen Center at the Iowa City Public Library to watch and learn together. Registration (注册) is required for students joining from home, but not necessary for those attending in person at the library.

1. What will students do in the workshop?

A．Learn to write sports articles.	B．Do research on famous newspapers.
C．Report news about their communities.	D．Get hands-on experience printing newspapers.

2. What do we know about the workshop?

A．It will start at 7 pm on September 13th.

B．It will finish on Monday October 11th.

C．It will take place once a week for six weeks.

D．It will have six sessions with each lasting for two hours.

3. What is a requirement for those attending from home?

A．They must register.	B．They must be in 12th grade.
C．They must have reporting experience.	D．They must attend at least three sessions.

10 . Everyone is born into a family, but not everyone gets a healthy one. Why is family important? What kind of impact does it have on a person in their childhood and as a grown-up? Here are four reasons why family is important:

1. Families set the stage for future relationships.

The very first relationships a child has are with their parents and any siblings (兄弟姐妹).     1     It's often not a decision they are aware of, but people often choose partners and friends based on how similar they are to their family.

2. During hard times, people need a family they can depend on.

    2     This can be emotional or financial (情感的或金钱的) support. Someone going through hard times will turn to their family if they trust them to provide encouragement and love.

3. Quality time with family is connected to better academic performance.

Columbia University did a series of studies on family dinner time. One study showed that kids who ate dinner with their family less than three times were twice as likely to get Cs or below in school.     3     Of course, there are other things at play, but families that value dinners together likely value other positive family communications.

4.     4    

Families are the first place where children learn how to manage their emotions and communicate with others. Parents are responsible for guiding their children and providing life lessons that will be remembered for years to come.     5    

A．Families teach important life lessons.

B．When life gets hard, people need support.

C．When families are strong, communities are strong.

D．These lessons form a big part of a person's worldview.

E．Family relationships are connected to a person's health.

F．These relationships provide a model for what future relationships will look like.

G．On the other hand, kids who had family dinners 5-7 times a week did much better.