3 . Professor Dallas Smythe first described commercial media as a system for delivering audiences to advertisers. This perception of the viewing public as a “market” for products as well as an audience for advertising reflects the economic preference of the current media system in America. The unplanned side effects of advertising, however, concern many critics (评论家).

Dinar Godrej holds the view that advertising creates an attack on our senses, that advertising can act as a “compulsive liar”, and that the disorder advertising creates attacks us with images and ideas that result in a cultural change that creates desires for goods that only the wealthy can actually get. This author takes the point of view that there is really nothing positive that advertising contributes to a society, and that just about everything about advertising is negative.

John Calfee addresses many of these issues but also focuses on how the information in ads benefits consumers. He takes the position that advertising functions in the public’s interest, and that even the argument about ads can be beneficial because they can result in competitive pricing for consumers. He also states that individuals can learn about important issues (such as health) through ads.

There are also more neutral (中立的) views, such as those held by people who see it as an economic engine to deliver “free” programs to people, or the idea that advertising is an art form in itself. Whatever the perspective, one thing is true: Advertising can have both obvious and potential (潜在的) impact. It can be defended on solid ground and criticized on solid ground.

1. Why does Dinar Godrej think advertising can be a “compulsive liar”?

A．It creates disorder in our body.	B．It is full of images and ideas.
C．It changes our feelings for goods.	D．It creates goods for the wealthy.

2. What are the benefits of advertising according to John Calfee?

A．It helps control prices.	B．It decreases public’s interest.
C．It avoids arguments.	D．It is good for people’s health.

3. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．Few people hold neutral views on advertising.

B．We can not see all the impact of advertising.

C．Advertising encourages us to learn about art.

D．Advertising is seldom criticized by people.

4. What is the author’s attitude toward advertising?

A．Positive.

B．Objective.

C．Doubtful.

D．Subjective.

4 . Stress can cause physical impacts to the body, such as increased heart rate and blood pressure, the release of adrenaline and cortisol (肾上腺素和皮质醇). If adrenaline and cortisol levels are increased for an extended period of time, that can damage DNA and cells.

In a new paper, published in April in the journal Cell Metabolism, researchers described how they measured biological age by looking for changes in DNA’s structure connected to aging.

In the first stage of the research, the researchers surgically attached three-month-old mice to twenty-month-old mice so that blood could flow between them. Over three months, the biological age of the younger mice increased while they shared blood with the older mice. But after the younger mice were separated and allowed to recover for two months, their biological age fell once again.

Then, the researchers looked at human DNA from blood samples gathered in previous studies to measure how human bodies react to stress.

In one stage, the researchers examined blood samples from elderly patients. Patients who had received emergency surgery for a fractured hip (髋部骨折) had an increased biological age the morning after the procedure, but it returned to pre-surgery levels four to seven days later. However, the researchers did not find the same effect in patients who had undergone elective hip surgery or colorectal (结肠直肠的) surgery.

The team also looked at patients who had been hospitalized with Covid-19, but these results varied by sex. While the biological age of female patients dropped within two weeks of recovery, that of men did not.

“The study looked at biological age both before and after stressful events. There are just very, very few studies that have looked at these clocks before and after some kind of intervention (干预),” Daniel Belsky, a medical scientist at Columbia University who did not participate in the study, tells The Scientist.

The study shows that biological age is “much more dynamic than people previously thought,” Jesse Poganik, a co-author of the study, tells Live Science. “You can have these very severe stress events, which increase biological age, but it can be short-lived, if the stress is short-lived, then the age can be restored.”

1. What did the researchers find about the biological age of the younger mice?

A．It increased during blood sharing.

B．It could be restored by blood sharing.

C．It dropped when they were attached to the older mice.

D．It returned to pre-sharing levels as soon as they were separated.

2. Who experienced a decrease in biological age after recovery?

A．Those who had had fractured hip surgery.

B．Those who had received colorectal surgery.

C．Those who had undergone elective hip surgery.

D．Those women who had been hospitalized with Covid-19.

3. What does Belsky want to stress about the study?

A．It stands out in similar studies.	B．It is truly remarkable.
C．It has some limitations.	D．It is influential.

4. Which is the most suitable title for the text?

A．Biological age can be measured easily

B．Recovering from stress is a long process

C．Stress ages you with not permanent effect

D．Stress’ harming human bodies means protecting them well

5 . The reopening of an Asian American-owned bookstore in Manhattan's Chinatown following a January fire has received a warm welcome back from its supporters.

Yu &. Me Books, which is regarded as the first female-owned Asian American bookshop in New York City, has raised more than $369,000 for repairs since a tragic fire on January 4. It reopened on Wednesday. "We are so excited to welcome you all back to our Yu &. Me Books home," the store announced on Instagram. "We can't wait to shed tears, laugh loudly and open our hearts with all of you who have made us feel at home."

The fire in an apartment above the bookstore on Mulberry Street killed one of the building's residents. Smoke and water damage also devastated Yu & Me Books, destroying almost all its inventory and equipment, according to a GoFundMe campaign that store owner Lucy Yu set up to make up for the costs.

During the restoration and renovation (翻新) of the original bookstore, the business operated from a location within The Market Line, an underground marketplace on the Lower East Side, and several pop-up shops (临时店铺) in the city.

"It was a bookstore I always wanted to visit, and I'm so happy that they were able to reopen," Charlotte Leinbach, a teacher for New York City's Education Department said. Leinbach hadn't been to the bookstore before the fire, but she had heard quite a bit about its fate. She bought two books, the second and third in the series Before the Coffee Gets Cold.

"It's hard to find a lot of books written in Japanese, and then translated into English," she said. "The design of the bookstore is really nice, and the layout is great. I am glad that they also sell used books. I love buying new books because it's fresh and it's nice, but it's always nice to see people in the community giving their books back and reselling and just passing them on." She said she will continue to support the women-run small businesses that focus on people and authors of color.

"I actually came on the day of the opening, but there were too many people, and it was too crowded, so I just haven't had a chance to look at it," Liam Li, another Asian American, said. "This place is unique. It's in Chinatown. As Asians live in New York City, I feel this offers the most space for the community. I understand like a minority in this society, it is not easy to have a store like this," she added.

1. Which word can replace the underlined one "inventory" in Paragraph 2？

A．Curtains.

B．Switches.

C．Goods.

D．Chairs.

2. How did Lucy Yu get the money to make up for the losses?

A．By applying to the government for money.

B．By getting money from an insurance company.

C．By raising money from her friends and relatives.

D．By collecting money from a fund on the Internet.

3. What can we infer about Charlotte Leinbach from the text?

A．She often gave a hand to the store owner before the fire.

B．She sang high praise for the arrangement of the store.

C．She prefers to buy used books rather than new ones.

D．She translates books as her part-time job.

4. Which can serve as the best title for the news report?

A．Chinatown bookstore's reopening welcomed

B．Smoke and water damage destroy Chinatown bookstore

C．Yu &. Me Books-first female-owned Asian American bookshop in NYC

D．Chinatown bookstore in New York City means a lot to Asian Americans

7 . Now it seems that more and more animals are showing up in cities where we would not expect them to. But scientists have learned that some species do better in cities. Take peregrine falcons (游隼) for example. They use tall city buildings to make homes, man-made lighting to hunt at night, and warm air currents created when the sun beats down on city surfaces to fly with less effort.

Some animals adapt well to city life, and some do not. For example, squirrels (松鼠) do amazingly well living in cities, while wolves have never seemed to get the hang of it. Usually, animals that eat a lot of different things, called generalists, do much better in cities than specialists, which eat one specific kind of food. Smaller animals are also more likely to live in cities than bigger animals. Some people believe animals that do well in cities might be smarter than the ones that do not, but more research is needed on this.

Many animals have even learned cool tricks to live in cities, and these behaviors help them find more food or mates (伴侣), or avoid people. To learn about these behaviors, we use recording devices to spot animals, microphones to record their sounds, and tracking equipment to follow them. Scientists use many different tools to study what animals eat, how healthy they are, how they compete with each other, and more.

Humans are turning the planet into cities and farms, which does not leave many other places for most wildlife to live in. So, what can we do? At home, we can cover our garbage carefully because it is not good for wild animals. We can also plant some native plants that wildlife might like. Seeing animals in a city, we can give them space and watch them from far away. We could also try some creative things like green roofs where birds and insects can live in.

To do that, we need to know what kind of habitats different species need, and how to prevent human-wildlife conflicts. We still have a lot to learn.

1. How does the author develop paragraph 1?

A．By providing statistical data.	B．By making a comparison.
C．By giving an example.	D．By stating arguments.

2. What kind of animals survive better in cities according to the author?

A．Those with close mates.	B．Those with long diet lists.
C．Those with fast movement.	D．Those with high intelligence.

3. What does the author suggest we do in paragraph 4?

A．Restrict urban and agricultural development.

B．Make our cities wildlife-friendly.

C．Plant new varieties of plants.

D．Sort our garbage carefully.

4. Where can the text be found?

A．In a short story.	B．In a health journal.
C．In a business report.	D．In a science magazine.

8 . In the eyes of many environmentalists, the world appears to be getting worse. They believe, the natural resources are running out and the air and water are becoming ever more polluted. But if we check the facts, things look different. Energy has become more abundant, not less so. Fewer people are starving. What seems to cause this gap between perception and reality?

One factor is the prejudice in scientific research. Scientific funding goes mainly to areas with many problems. That may be wise policy, but it will also create an impression that there are more potential problems than actually exist.

Secondly, environmental groups seek attention from the mass media. They also need to get continuous financial support. Understandably, perhaps, they sometimes exaggerate (夸大) their arguments. In 1997, for example, the World Wide Fund for Nature issued a statement titled: “Two thirds of the world’s forests lost forever”. The truth turns out to be near 20%.

The media can add to confusion too. People tend to be more curious about bad news than good. Newspapers and broadcasters are there to provide what the public wants. That, however, can lead to significant misinterpretations. For example, when a natural disaster happens, the media usually highlights the negative parts, giving more attention to the disaster’s details and what happens afterward. This flood of bad news can make people think that such events are more frequent or serious than they actually are. Consequently, people may develop a sense of insecurity, despite statistically low probabilities of similar events happening to them.

Another factor is people’s poor perception. People worry that vaccines can cause severe side effects or long-term health problems. Despite extensive scientific evidence demonstrating their safety and effectiveness, some individuals remain hesitant due to unfounded fears.

It is crucial that we look at the facts if we want to make the best possible decisions for the future. It may be costly to be overly optimistic – but more costly still to be too pessimistic.

1. What aspect of scientific research does the writer worry about in paragraph 2?

A．The need to produce results.	B．The selection of research areas.
C．The lack of financial support.	D．The desire to solve research problem.

2. Why does the writer quote the example from the World Wide Fund for Nature?

A．To show how influential the mass media can be.

B．To show how effective environmental groups can be.

C．To show how the mass media can help groups raise funds.

D．To show how environmental groups overstate their claims.

3. The writer suggests that newspapers publish articles that are intended to ________.

A．educate readers	B．mislead readers
C．meet readers’ expectations	D．encourage readers’ feedback

4. What does the author try to convey in the last paragraph?

A．Making decisions based on reality.	B．Balancing optimism and pessimism.
C．Being optimistic to avoid costly mistakes.	D．Addressing the environmental crisis gradually.

9 . If you’ve ever discovered unexpected online shopping activity on your accounts- worth of See ’n Says, for example-you know the risks of handing your cellphone to a restless preschooler. But children’s impulse (冲动) buys just uncover the surface of potential risks when children and technology meet. With smartphones and the Internet so accessible, children are leaving their digital fingerprints at increasingly early ages, often without guidance on the importance of privacy or security.

For the past eight years, Michigan State University professors Jessica Vitak and Tamara Clegg have talked to parents, teachers and kids about the challenges of surfing the Internet. Their current project, Connecting Contexts, offers a variety of learning opportunities to help kids safely and smartly interact with the ever-progressing technology they encounter. “Having these conversations early,” said Vitak, “will build awareness and habits around privacy they can take into adulthood. ”

“Many of the parents we interviewed didn’t feel they needed to talk about privacy with their kids before middle or high school,” said Vitak. “But if you’re willing to hand your child a smartphone or a tablet, then they are old enough to learn how to use them safely. ”

In December, the Federal Trade Commission proposed massive changes to existing federal rules around how online platforms collect children’s data and make money from it. It grilled (责问) Meta, Discord and other social media companies last month on their efforts to protect children on their platforms. It also carried out six bills before the Congress would tighten online security and safety for kids.

Extending from elementary to middle school, their work offers tested tools and resources for parents, teachers and children-including conversation starters at home, practical tips for building a better password or using social media, choosing learning apps for the classroom and age-appropriate “micro-lessons” that can be integrated into the courses.

1. What does the author describe at the beginning of the text?

A．The typical style of kids’ digital life.	B．The risks of kids’ exposure to technology.
C．The convenience of online shopping.	D．The role of smartphones in kids’ growth.

2. What can we learn from Vitak’s words in paragraph 3?

A．Parents lack awareness of kids’ online privacy.

B．Parents should set age limits for phone use.

C．Kids have little self-discipline on the Internet.

D．School should be responsible for kids’ online safety:

3. What effort did the Federal Trade Commission make?

A．It stopped children spending money on social media.

B．It made lots of changes to the present rules.

C．It collected data from online platforms.

D．It introduced several protective bills.

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

A．Kids’ Online Risks and Privacy Education

B．Actions Taken to Protect Kids’ Online Privacy

C．Kids’ Early Privacy Habits in the Internet Age

D．Researchers Create Technology Safety Tools for Kids

10 . With huge golden eyes and a distinctive call, a species of owl (猫头鹰) was finally spotted from Príncipe Island, just off Africa’s western coast. Officially named the Principe scops-owl, it is the eighth known bird species found only on that island.

“I was studying the grey parrot population of Príncipe Island with Bikegila, a local parrot harvester, who was one of the first people to spot the owl while searching for baby parrots in the early 1990s. He told me two instances where instead of finding baby parrots inside the parrot’s nests, they found a frightening-looking bird with big eyes. I immediately thought about owls,” says lead researcher Martim Melo.

Melo points out that the most interesting part of the new species is how they had hidden for so long. Their genetic (基因的) analysis shows that they are related to the very first owl that lived on one of the Gulf of Guinea islands. They arrived in Príncipe before any owl on neighboring islands but they were still the last to be discovered. “From my first conjecture about their existence, in 1998, it took me nearly 20 years to first set eyes on them!” Melo says.

While there are thought to be nearly 1,000 to 1,500 individuals of the newly described species, the researchers suggest that they are critically endangered. The main threat is that the species is found only in a single population in an area of about 34 square kilometers but they use only about half of that or less. “Although inside this area they are relatively common, they are also highly sensitive to any changes that may occur here,” Melo says. “Our results have shown that the species is very sensitive to human disturbance. A particular threat that worries us is the plan to build a hydroelectric dam. This will require construction work inside the park in an area where the owl is present.”

1. What can be learned about the Príncipe scops-owl?

A．It was mistaken for a parrot initially.	B．It was discovered purely by accident.
C．It was the only bird unique to the island.	D．It was first seen and studied by Martim Melo.

2. Which is closest in meaning to the underlined word “conjecture” in paragraph 3?

A．Guess.

B．Opinion.

C．Knowledge.

D．Concern

3. Why are the Príncipe scops-owls endangered?

A．Their numbers are decreasing.	B．They suffer from much human disturbance.
C．They just live in a limited area.	D．Their living places are occupied by humans.

4. What is the purpose of the text?

A．To show the critical role of owls in African ecosystems.

B．To uncover long-hidden secrets of Príncipe scops-owls.

C．To present growing threats to new owl species in Africa.

D．To introduce a new owl species found on Príncipe Island.