1 . Benefits of Lifelong Learning
Lifelong learning has become essential in a constantly changing world due to fast-moving technology, changing job fields, and shifting cultural standards.
It boosts brainpower. According to a research in the Psychological Science journal, acquiring new skills not only keeps your brain active and sharp but also helps improve cognitive (认知的) function, delaying memory problems as you age.
It promotes career. Learning new things can help your career progress. It also helps the companies where you work to keep active.
It increases satisfaction. Gaining new knowledge and developing skills can be a fun and rewarding experience for many people.
Finally, remember the wise words of Malcolm X, “Education is your ticket to the future because the future belongs to those who prepare for it today.”
| A．It improves personality |
| B．It speeds up communication |
| C．It is no longer just a choice; it is a must |
| D．People prefer to change their careers fast |
| E．Continuously learning could provide enormous self-satisfaction |
| F．Additionally, learning new subjects enhances problem-solving skills |
| G．That is why the report The Future of Jobs highlights that employers value lifelong learners |
2 . UN FAO World Food Day Poster Contest applications are now being accepted. Try to picture a future where everyone has access to food and water. What comes to mind? You may help create a sustainable future by taking appropriate action. Create a poster showing your water action for food as part of the World Food Day Poster Contest to showcase your artistic talent.
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is a specialized agency that leads international efforts to end hunger, promote nutrition, and ensure food security.
Procedure and Benefits
Fill out the form on our website, take a picture of or scan your submission, and submit it on line. The screening committee will choose 15 posters from each category for the first round (a total of 60 posters from 4 age categories), and those chosen will be notified in December 2024. A certificate for this accomplishment will be given to the shortlisted individuals. Winners will be highlighted on the FAO social media channels and by regional FAO offices.
Our judges will choose three winners in each age group, and they will be revealed in December. The winners will also get a diploma and a surprise gift package, as well as promotion from FAO offices throughout the world.
Entry Requirements
●The entry period will open on June 1, 2024, and end on November 3, 2024.
●Per individual, only one entry may be submitted.
●Poster entries may be painted, sketched, or drawn using oil or watercolor paint as well as mixed media, pens, pencils, crayons, or charcoal. Artwork produced digitally is also acceptable. No photos are permitted.
●Text may or may not be included in poster entries. Use of text is limited to no more than 25 words.
●Never mention private information such as names, schools, ages, etc.
●Please do not send in physical posters; only digital files saved as JPEGs will be allowed.
1. By taking part in the contest, participants can ________.| A．show their cooking talent | B．contribute to food sustainability |
| C．raise their nutritional awareness | D．have more access to food and water |
| A．be promoted globally | B．informed before December |
| C．invited to regional FAO offices | D．decided by FAO after three rounds |
A． | B． |
C． | D． |
3 . Many people desire stronger, more authentic friendships as an adult.
Give yourself permission to bore people
We all know the safe topics to broach when you first meet someone. But this tendency to play it safe can delay knowing whether you are compatible with a potential friend.
Often our friendships feel superficial because they are built on a foundation of gossip. This is because it’s human nature to focus on a third person when we are anxious. We share spicy updates about former classmates with our high school friends, or grab a drink with colleagues and complain about the boss. But a friendship built on gossip can leave both people feeling exhausted and depressed after they hang out.
If a friend starts to give you updates on other people you know, it can be helpful to say, “I want to hear about what’s going on with you.” Or you can ask yourself, “What would I share about myself if I were with my best friend right now?”
Be curious about who people are, and who they want to be
| A．Focus on the gossip |
| B．Cut back on the gossip |
| C．Then jump to the heart of things |
| D．Rather than sticking with superficial chatter, go straight to what excites you |
| E．True friends strive to know each other’s thinking about difficult subjects |
| F．But the process of building these relationships can prove slow and frustrating |
| G．Ask yourself what’s worth sharing about yourself and knowing about others |
4 . Being sensitive means that you are observant, careful, and thoughtful. It can also mean you sometimes overinterpret or overreact to perceived criticism or judgment. If you tend to be a highly sensitive person, you are more likely to misread signals from others, sense social threats, and struggle to adapt to new circumstances.
The power of insensitivity can be interpreted as “sluggish (迟钝的) power” .
Practicing insensitivity involves several key strategies. Firstly, be assertive. Express our needs and opinions positively and with confidence. Secondly, adopt a forward-looking mindset.
| A．Learn to view the problem as two parts. |
| B．That’s where the need to be insensitive comes from. |
| C．I hope everyone can obtain the ability to be insensitive. |
| D．Behind insensitivity is a strong sense of self-awareness. |
| E．Being a highly sensitive person can come with many challenges. |
| F．It implies the ability to calmly face the setbacks and firmly move forward. |
| G．Focus on long-term goals rather than the ups and downs of life at the moment. |
5 . How to strengthen your willpower
Many of us face challenges with willpower, yet most people seem to believe this skill can be learned and strengthened. Fortunately, researchers have also come to similar conclusions.
Think of willpower as a muscle that can be strengthened with time and effort. Experts recommend simple but challenging tasks, like using your left hand to open doors or turning off lights when leaving a room.
Bad sleeping habits exhaust you physically and mentally, affecting your resistance to temptation. Sleep-deprived people are more prone to lack of focus and risky decisions. While everyone’s sleep needs vary, the National Sleep Foundation recommends seven to nine hours of sleep per night for the best performance.
Meditate
When tempted by food, drinks, or spending, use the “out of sight, out of mind” method. If not possible, remove the temptation or distance yourself temporarily. Walk, call a friend, or pursue a hobby until the urge fades.
| A．Sleep as long as possible |
| B．Form a good sleeping habit |
| C．Here are tips to help you strengthen your willpower |
| D．Meditation is a powerful tool for enhancing willpower |
| E．Engage in these tasks for a few weeks to boost your willpower |
| F．This is effective for behavioral addictions or problematic behaviors |
| G．Meditation is the act of remaining in a silent and calm state for a period of time |
6 . Something You Should Know About Balance Exercises
You need balance to perform just about any task, from walking, standing, sitting down in your chair, to every workout. Good balance helps prevent falls and therefore injuries, and simply makes daily activities easier and safer to perform. How steady you are on your feet can indicate how likely you are to live a longer, healthy life.
·What exercises should you take?
·How often should you perform balance exercises?
Balance exercises are often low-impact, controlled movements, so there’s not really any risk of over-training. Older adults who are at risk of falls should try to do balance training at least three times a week to reduce risk.
·
Training your balance three to six times each week should start to show results in 11 to 12 weeks. So, if you perform these exercises multiple times a week, you should see improvements in your balance in as few as three months.
·How long should you hold balance exercise positions?
The key to successful balance exercises is control and form. Move slowly with intention, focusing on bracing your core (稳住重心).
| A．What effects can balance exercises have on life |
| B．If you’d like to maintain quality of life and avoid pain |
| C．When the balance system as a whole starts to get worn |
| D．How long does it take to see results from balance exercises |
| E．Moving quickly will actually be less effective for these exercises |
| F．Young adults can do balance exercises every day or as often as they like |
| G．Pilates, dance and t’ai chi are all good exercises to maintain good balance |
7 . Plants are of greater importance in our lives than we think whether or not we are keen gardeners.
Large, leafy plants placed indoors provide some shade and reduce heat from sunlight inside a room when we don’t necessarily always want to keep curtains shut. Indoor plants will also cool the air around them slightly as they transpire (水分蒸发). This can help to keep humidity (湿度) within the human comfort zone of around 30% to 60%.
While placing plants indoors is not going to solve all air quality issues, certain plants are known to be effective in improving air quality within a home.
It has been shown in numerous studies that being around greenery and plants helps us to feel calmer and reduce stress. We feel calmer in natural environments.
| A．Interestingly, climbing plants can also serve a function. |
| B．In winter especially, dry air can cause many health issues. |
| C．Here are different ways plants can help keep us comfortable. |
| D．Improved air quality can keep us healthier in our living spaces. |
| E．It is outdoors, however, that plants can make the biggest difference. |
| F．Another factor that can determine how comfortable we feel is sound. |
| G．So surrounding ourselves with plants can help us to feel safe and at peace. |
8 . We all know someone who seems unable to control their spending or make good financial decisions. When that person is someone you care about, it’s understandable to want to help them better manage their money.
Listen without judgment.
Help them set financial goals. Ask how they would like their financial situation to be different in an ideal world.
The most constructive thing you can do is help the person build discipline and skills slowly through sympathetic support. At the same time，protect your own peace by setting financial boundaries for yourself. Avoid criticism or control, and focus on boosting confidence along their journey towards good money management.
| A．Give encouragement. |
| B．Share educational resources. |
| C．Why should they take steps to set financial goals? |
| D．What specific goals and time frames can you set together? |
| E．However，simply telling them to manage their money carefully is ineffective. |
| F．When it comes to anything money-related, tough love is rarely the way to go. |
| G．With these help，almost anyone can become better at managing money over time. |
9 . A few inspiring clues kept the rescuers going: the remains of fruit with bitemarks made by small human teeth, a pair of scissors and nappies (尿布) in the rainforest mud. All offered hope that four children, who come from the Huitoto Indigenous tribe, had miraculously survived a plane crash on May I in southern Colombia. The oldest of them was 13 and the youngest was only 11 months old. They were alive with tigers, poisonous snakes, storms and other threats under the dense green canopy of trees and vegetation.
The remains of the Cessna light aircraft were found two weeks later, with the bodies of three adults still inside. But there was no sign of the children. A long search through the forest began. Helicopters hovered over the area around the crash, broadcasting message s from the children’s grandmother, telling them they hadn’t been forgotten, urging them to stay in one place, and dropping packets of food that may have helped them survive.
“This isn’t a search for a needle in a haystack (干草堆), but a tiny flea (跳蚤) in a vast carpet, as they keep moving,” the captain of the search team told Colombian journalists. “Their bodies haven’t appeared, and I’m sure that we would have already found them if they were dead.”
Then on a Friday in June, army radios sounded. “Miracle, miracle, miracle, miracle”. It was the army code for a child found alive; repeated four times meant all four had survived.
Although malnourished, and covered in insect bites, none were in a serious condition. The military posted pictures of a group of soldiers and volunteers posing with the children, who were wrapped in blankets. The education of survival skills the children got from their grandmother, a respected elder in the Araracuara indigenous territory, was almost certainly vital to their survival.
“They’ve given us an example of total survival that will go down in history,” said Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, calling it “a joy for the whole country”.
1. How many people were on board the plane that crashed?| A．4. | B．5. | C．6. | D．7. |
| A．There was no timely rescue. |
| B．They were constantly in motion. |
| C．The accident left them badly injured. |
| D．Wild animals became a great threat for the search. |
| A．Optimistic. | B．Doubtful. | C．Subjective. | D．Concerned. |
| A．The pictures taken by the soldiers. | B．The messages sent by the army. |
| C．The tips from their grandmother. | D．The encouragement of the president. |
10 . Apollo 15 was the first flight to the moon that included a spacewalk. On our return trip to Earth, we needed to recover film canisters (胶卷盒) from the service module. Because it was a new activity, an incredible amount of preparation went into it.
I evaluated the entire plan in terms of safety and results. During our pre-flight analysis, we installed a warning tone in the suit in case of low oxygen pressure. Once all this pre-flight work was accomplished, the actual spacewalk was easy and accomplished in a short time. I had the pleasure of being outside the spacecraft for 38 minutes, and here’s how we did it.
We started suiting up an hour or so before the actual spacewalk. I got a little rush as the Command Module was depressurizing because I was then completely dependent on the pressure in the suit to keep me alive. I had practised this procedure many times on Earth, but this was for REAL and I had to do it just right. Once the cabin pressure went to zero, we opened the hatch (舱口) and went out.
What a feeling to be free in deep space! I concentrated on reaching for the handholds as I made my way to the back of the service module so I would not float away. I had a small problem right away. The high-resolution camera was stuck out in its extended position. I reached the canister, put a safety clip (安全扣) on it, attached by a rope to my wrist. and pulled it out of the bay. Turning around again I made my way back to the hatch. So far, a piece of cake. After another two trips, I finished my task.
By turning my head just so I could position myself so that both the Earth and the Moon were in field of vision. I realized that no one in all of history had ever seen this sight before. What an honour it was.
1. What is the purpose of installing a warning tone in the suit?| A．To help recover film canister. |
| B．To assess the safety of the plan. |
| C．To improve the quality of the suit. |
| D．To inform astronauts of low oxygen pressure. |
| A．His task was completely new for him. | B．He lacked full preparation in advance. |
| C．He was afraid to make any mistake. | D．He suddenly found his suit went wrong. |
| A．He couldn’t find the canister. |
| B．He failed to handle the problem himself. |
| C．He experienced a narrow escape initially. |
| D．He met with some challenges when doing his task. |
| A．Tired. | B．Confused. | C．Proud. | D．Safe. |
