1 . For young children, impulse (冲动) control and self-regulation at school can affect how well they are learning. A team of researchers based in Germany and Switzerland wanted to test whether self-regulation could be taught in a way that was easily integrated (融入) into the curriculum. In their paper published in Nature Human Behaviour, researchers detail an experiment that took place during a full school year with a follow-up three years later.

Self-regulation can be defined as the ability to regulate attention, emotion and behavior to pursue individual goals, according to the authors.

In this study, researchers trained teachers to deliver a training module for first graders that helped them think through processes like overcoming obstacles (障碍) to reach a goal. The module was taught over five weeks, each lesson being about 50 minutes.

For example, in one story, a character named Hurdy thinks about climbing to the top of a mountain and identifies the obstacles in his path. He overcomes the obstacles and thinks about how he achieved his goal while enjoying the views at the top. There’s another similar story specifically about reading.

Some first-grade classes were taught this module, called the “mental contrasting with implementation (实施) intentions” (MCII), while others received their regular curriculum without this module.

Students who had been taught the MCII module showed improvement in academic skills like reading. They performed better on reading tests, had better reading ability and were better at finding careless mistakes based on a teacher’s assessments. The effect was smaller early after the module but trended upwards six months and about a year after they were taught the MCII module. These students were also more likely to be admitted into an advanced secondary school track three years later.

There were some caveats to the study, one being that some of the teachers were not blinded to whether the students received the MCII training or not. This could have affected their assessments of the students’ abilities. There may have also been differences in the teachers’ abilities in teaching the module material.

1. Why are the stories mentioned in paragraph 4?

A．To tell interesting stories.	B．To show different teaching methads.
C．To show how MCII works in real life.	D．To give background information on MCII.

2. What is the sixth paragraph centred on?

A．The research findings.	B．The research purpose.
C．The research process.	D．The research participants.

3. What does the underlined word “caveats” in the last paragraph probably mean?

A．Conditions.

B．Challenges.

C．Limitations.

D．Exceptions.

4. Where is the text probably taken from?

A．A travel brochure.

B．A scientific journal.

C．A health magazine.

D．A personal blog.

2 . High-resolution (高分辨率) satellite imagery has been used to map every single tree in Africa, showing a technique that could help improve the monitoring of deforestation (森林砍伐) across the world. Florian Reiner at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and his colleagues used images from sate lies to map canopy (树冠) across the entire African continent.

Modern sate lies usually catch tree canopies at a resolution of 30 meters — fine for measuring the size of forests, but less good at mapping individual trees. The satellite data Reiner and his colleagues used had a resolution of 3 meters, enabling the study to map all trees, including those not part of a forest.

The results suggest that 30 percent of all trees in Africa aren’t in a forest and instead are across farmland, savannah and urban areas. “Many countries in Africa lack thick forests, but have a lot of trees.” says Reiner. “These trees are extremely important to the local ecosystems, the people and the economy. By tracking every single tree, researchers can start to monitor how these trees are coping with climate change or whether they are sensitive to deforestation.” It could also improve the monitoring of reforestation efforts, which are growing in popularity as a way of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

“At a local level, being able to consistently monitor when and where trees are disappearing or reappearing can lead to more actionable insights,” says John Francis at the Alan Turing Institute in London.

“The study is a proof of concept rather than a map ready for immediate commercial use,” says Reiner. “It’s research work. It’s showing what could be done,” he says. But he is already working with colleagues to scale up the tracking approach to cover the entire global canopy: “We’re hoping that this will be seen as a way forward in monitoring tree resources.”

1. Why is high-resolution satellite imagery used to map every single tree?

A．To know the exact height of the tree.

B．To have a clear picture of the canopy.

C．To help monitor the deforestation.

D．To improve the satellite technology.

2. What is John Francis’ attitude towards the map?

A．Doubtful.

B．Disapproving.

C．Indifferent.

D．Favorable.

3. What do Reiner and his colleagues expect to do?

A．Protect the trees only in Africa.

B．Put the map into commercial use.

C．Track the entire global canopy.

D．Improve the imagery technology.

4. What is probably the best title?

A．Ways to Measure the Size of Forests in Africa

B．Coping with Climate Change by Tracking Every Single Tree

C．A Map from the Satellite Ready for Immediate Commercial Use

D．High-resolution Satellite Imagery Used in Monitoring Deforestation

3 . In the Arab world, a souk is a market usually held in an open-air location. Souks are an important part of life in the Middle East.     1    Another attraction of souks is that they offer visitors a great opportunity to feel the local culture.

Most major souks probably started as informal meetings of merchants (商人) in open spaces, which slowly developed into more formal markets.    2    For example, some souks have partial ceilings (天花板) to protect against bad weather, along with narrow streets which do not permit cars.

Everything from glassware to meat can be found at a souk,with merchants coming from nearby areas to sell their products.     3    So visitors can easily find beautiful artworks in all shapes and sizes at a souk, often at very reasonable prices.

    4    By tradition, shoppers at a souk must negotiate (协商) with shopkeepers to reach a price. For large items, customers will have to sit down with the shopkeeper. They will be offered tea and snacks while the price, including storage and delivery costs sometimes, is discussed.

If you happen to be traveling in the Middle East, just pay a visit to a souk. Some regions have famous markets with a long and interesting history, and a souk is a great place to get souvenirs. You can find a local guide for your visit to ensure that you know local cultural rules well.    5    

A．Europeans prefer to pay the list price.

B．Many countries in the Middle East have long artistic traditions.

C．That will certainly allow you a more enjoyable day at the market.

D．People may be shocked at the long process of making a deal at souks.

E．There are many cultural differences between the West and the Middle East.

F．Nowadays, souks make special designs to create a customer-friendly environment.

G．Many visitors to the Middle Eastern countries enjoy going to souks to buy great goods.

4 . The TV dramas concerning the unique Empress of China are always hot among audiences. Actresses who play the role of Empress Wu Zetian, are indeed all beauties. What did Wu Zetian, China’s only female emperor, look like in real life? Let’s explore the possibilities.

The famous Chinese scholar Guo Moruo researched this, and he thought that an empress in a painting by Tang Dynasty painter Zhang Xuan is Wu Zetian. Zhang left many famous paintings, such as Paintings of Lady of Guoguo on a Spring Outing of the Tang Dynasty, Court Ladies Preparing Newly-Woven Silk and Lady of Wei. It is guessed that Zhang Xuan was a court painter and had met Wu Zetian before, so the portrait by him is quite reliable.

Another frequently seen image of Wu Zetian is the block-painted edition of Images of Ancient People in History, created in 1498, during the government of Emperor Hongzhi in the Ming Dynasty. However, as the painting was recreated by Ming people, it is not very reliable and possibly a portrait born out of imagination.

There are also many stone statues of Empress Wu Zetian, and the most ancient one is now at her birthplace, Guangyuan in Sichuan province. The statue is said to be very close to the real appearance of Wu Zetian. When Empress Wu Zetian came into power, she built many temples and Buddha statues. Many Buddha statues in the Longmen Grottoes in today’s Luoyang in Henan province were constructed during her reign. Among them, a large Vairocana Buddha in Fengxian Temple is considered to be a “portrait” of Wu Zetian at 44 years old. The Buddha has characteristics of an oriental beauty’s face and is honored as the most beautiful Buddha in the world. At 17.14 meters high, the face of the Buddha looks pretty and has a mysterious smile. Wu Zetian funded the statue’s construction and took part in the consecration(神圣)ceremony when it was completed. Ancient people assumed that the statue was a vivid portrait of Empress Wu Zetian.

1. What is the passage mainly about?

A．A discussion about what Empress Wu Zetian looked like.

B．A brief introduction to Empress Wu Zetian.

C．why many stone statues were built.

D．The development of people’s ideas about Wu Zetian’s apprearance.

2. Why are people especially curious about what Wu Zetian looked like according to the passage?

A．Because there are too many puzzling possibilities.

B．Because even the famous Chinese scholar Guo Moruo researched this.

C．Because Wu Zetian is the only female empress in Chinese history.

D．Because it is human to be curious.

3. What does the last paragraph mainly talk about?

A．How and why ancient people made stone statues resembling Wu Zetian.

B．Different stone statues assumed close to the appearance of Wu Zetian.

C．The development of Buddha statues resembling Wu Zetian.

D．The reason why Buddha statues were built during Wu’s government.

4. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

A．Wu Zetian admired Buddhism.

B．The empress portrayed by Zhang Xuan is Wu Zetian.

C．Images of Ancient People in History was created during Wu’s government.

D．People now assume Vairocana is an vivid portrait of Wu Zetian.

5 . It was a quiet early afternoon in the library, and we librarians were enjoying a chat at the library desk. Suddenly, a regular reader, who had been reading a magazine, marched up to us, gave us an annoyed “Shush (嘘)!” and went back to her seat.

Shocked into silence, we tried not to laugh. How strange for a group of librarians to be shushed by a reader! Shouldn’t it be the other way around?

Well, it seems hard to explain. If you’re a baby boomer (婴儿潮出生的人) like me, you probably remember libraries as places of adults’ silent reading. These days, however, libraries are more like busy community centers, where being noisy to some degree is the new normal, especially when kids are taking part.

I am a loud librarian. My voice is naturally on the louder side. The hundreds of programs I led as a children’s librarian were filled with singing, dancing, movement exercises and cheerful readings of books with crowds of children and their caregivers. No shushing allowed!

Growing knowledge about the importance of kids and teens learning through hands-on experiences has since caused a sea change in how public libraries connect with young readers. These types of programs like board games, poetry reading and story times certainly aren’t designed to be silent.

But it’s a balancing act. Not all readers—or librarians—like the idea of a noisy library. It’s clear to me now that on the day my colleagues and I were shushed by a reader, we should have been using our “library voices” as we talked. Still, it’s unlikely that libraries will ever return to the days when they were places of silence. There’s just too much fun and learning happening. I heartily agree with my friend Rachel Payne, an early-childhood service educator at the Brooklyn Public Library, who told me, “When I visit a library and it is quiet, I always feel a bit sad. A library where conversations are happening and tables are full is a very good thing!”

1. How did the author think of the shush from a reader?

A．Unexpectedly funny.

B．Really annoying.

C．Quite necessary.

D．Very heartwarming.

2. What can be inferred about today’s libraries?

A．They serve kids only.	B．They become quieter.
C．They are less popular.	D．They have different functions.

3. Why does the author quote Rachel Payne?

A．To show different voices.	B．To express the author’s idea.
C．To make the end interesting.	D．To promote a new reading method.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．How to Act in the Library	B．It’s OK for a Library to Be Noisy
C．Why to Keep Silent in the Library	D．It’s Necessary for Librarians to Change

6 . Almost everyone who has studied English has been warned about the way Brits love their manners. It is part of our national identity, as much as fish and chips or complaining about the weather. Recently I have been wondering where this comes from and I read online that we say sorry up to eight times a day. Probably the same amount of times that any other person says “hello” or “how are you”. It is almost like greetings to us! It was only when I was explaining how there are five steps of saying thank you when you buy something from a shop to a Mexican friend of mine that I realised how mad it sounded.

After some research online I have not been able to find any specific reasons why we are the way we are. I suppose for centuries manners and how we eat at the table and talk to other people have been the barriers between the lower and upper classes and represent your social status. Britain has traditionally been a quite conservative country. There are many articles suggesting that this seemingly polite attitude of always saying please and thank you is quite false because it is impossible to always feel that you want to thank someone or say please.

Maybe it is for this reason that people are going one of two ways: they are incredibly polite and hold back on their feelings or not polite at all, and express their true feelings. Some Brits are fed up of pretending that they are always content and having to please people. Sometimes because we feel we have to be polite, we are prevented from saying what we truly think. Do you think it is better to not hurt people’s feelings and be polite or to let people know the truth? In your country what is the custom? I know in some countries if someone is considered to be doing their job, the clients think that they do not need to be thanked.

1. What does the author think of the British way of saying “Thank you”?

A．Normal.

B．Surprising.

C．Exciting.

D．Pleasing.

2. What does the author want to find out?

A．Why the British like to complain about the weather.

B．Why the British love their way of showing manners.

C．Why the British are fond of fish and chips so much.

D．Why the British have five steps of saying thank you.

3. What does the author think manners stand for centuries?

A．Wealth and health.

B．Social status.

C．Politeness.

D．Attitudes.

4. Why do Brits feel sometimes they have to be polite?

A．They want to express their true feelings.

B．They want to let people know the truth.

C．They are kept from saying what they think.

D．They want to represent their social status.

7 . While most musicians work with other artists when creating their music, Holly Herndon, an American musician and sound artist who is now based in Berlin, takes a different way, working with the machine learning software called Spawn. The software uses artificial neural networks modeled after the structure of the human brain. These networks learn patterns from datasets during the training process. Based on the data, the networks create new material that includes Herndon’s own voice.

When producing her album, PROTO, Holly trained datasets to write new music. The process requires the input data of music written by people or by artificial intelligence (AI). The neural networks then produce variations of that music. “Computers surprise you in a way that an instrument doesn’t,” Holly said. So what does music sound like when composed by what is essentially a robot? It sounds like music from the future!

But Holly Herndon isn’t the only one exploring AI in composition. Machines have played an increasingly important role in music over the last century. The godfather of computer science, Alan Turing, developed the first computer generated music in 1951. Then in 1980. David Cope from the University of California, Santa Cruz developed EMI — Experiments in Musical Intelligence, a system that analyzes existing music and produces new pieces based on it.

AI might not take over the job of the “pop star” anytime soon, or will it? Miquela Sousa is a computer-generated artist with over one million followers on Instagram. “I’m a model and singer. And I’m a robot,” Miquela said. This then raises the question: Can we reproduce creativity using a computer?

Though those questions are not easy to answer, I believe the next frontier of music lies somewhere in between. I can see the path forward with a new dawn of creativity that combines human inventiveness with AI. And the next chapter of music will certainly become wonderful as music and AI become even more closely connected.

1. What plays an important role in producing PROTO?

A．Holly’s special voice.	B．The input of existing music.
C．Holly’s rich knowledge.	D．The use of an instrument.

2. Why does the author mention the example of Miquela Sousa?

A．To promote deep thinking on AI musicians.

B．To show the popularity of smart robots.

C．To explain the tasks of computer-generated artists.

D．To make comparisons between human and robotic artists.

3. What is the author’s attitude towards music co- created by AI and humans?

A．Doubtful.

B．Surprised.

C．Confused.

D．Confident.

4. What does the text mainly talk about?

A．The increasing diversity of AI music.	B．The development of musical composition.
C．The history of computer-generated music.	D．The combination of AI and musical composition.

8 . Most of us have told a lie at one time or another. Some lies are harmful. Others are mostly harmless. Still other lies may even be created with the best of intentions. But no matter what kind of lie you tell, it takes a great deal of brainpower to keep your lie covered.

People lie for different reasons. Sometimes they do it to make themselves look better. Sometimes they lie to get out of trouble. Some lies are well-intended, which scientists call “prosocial lies”. Maybe you tell your parents that you loved the sweater they gave you for your birthday (even though you were really hoping for a new cell phone). That’s a prosocial lie.

When you tell the truth, your brain doesn’t have to do anything unusual. Lying takes much more work. For example, when you are late for class, you tell a lie that you have to stop by the library and pick up a book. Your teacher may ask to see the book or even ask you to read it. This may result in a series (系列) of lies, causing a lot of brain work done in the prefrontal cortex (前额皮层). It’s the part in charge of working memory. Working memory keeps something in mind just for a little while. When you use self-control to keep from telling the truth, this part comes into play.

Spending so much brainpower trying to keep a story straight means prefrontal cortex has a harder time doing other tasks that require planning, self-control or working memory, such as planning a study schedule. Kid’s prefrontal cortex is not fully developed until around age 25. So they have fewer resources (资源) there to begin with. That is why researchers feel it’s important that kid students find dependable people to whom they can safely tell even painful truths about themselves.

“Nearly all cultures value honesty,” Talwar says. And, she adds, “There are things people can do to help create a culture that strengthens the value of honesty. Rather than punishing people for lying, it is more important to praise them for telling the truth.”

1. What does the first paragraph intend to tell us?

A．Lying steals brainpower.

B．Harmless lies are welcome.

C．Trust is nowhere to be seen.

D．Many lies are well intended.

2. What do we learn about prosocial lies?

A．They bring tellers a lot of fun.

B．They get tellers out of trouble.

C．They make receivers feel good.

D．They lead receivers to a deep thinking.

3. Why should kids tell truths to dependable people according to researchers?

A．To make them feel safe.

B．To improve their control.

C．To guide their study schedule.

D．To free up their working memory.

4. What does Talwar suggest to strengthen the value of honesty?

A．Making people suffer from telling lies.

B．Giving people praise for being honest.

C．Helping people to lead a creative life.

D．Asking people to learn different cultures.

9 . Online training is one of the fastest growing parts of the fitness industry. If you’re considering joining the online fitness community, consider these benefits and drawbacks.

One of the most popular reasons for working out following an online video is that it offers ultimate convenience. No need to roll out of bed at 5 a. m. to attend that 6 a. m. boot camp class, which may end up being full when you arrive.    1    And what if you’re on the road? No problem. You can access your workout video through your phone.

    2    Most online fitness programs are much less expensive than similar offline programs—most range in cost from $ 10 to $ 20 per month. Some are even free. For example, the online Les Mills+program offers a free 30-day trial of its 1,500-plus workouts.

Online training also has broad offerings. When you head online, you have instructors from around the globe, all ready and willing to help you master your favorite moves.    3    Just because there isn’t a Krav Maga class in your area doesn’t mean you can’t go online to find one led by qualified instructors.

All these are undoubtedly positive-online training provides fitness resources to general consumers wherever they are, without requiring access to a gym or fitness studio.    4    

Very few online fitness programs enable the instructor to see you, check your form, and offer corrections based on your performance.    5    This is particularly concerning for beginners, as they’re more likely to do incorrectly. Besides, if you struggle with self-motivation and prefer a social workout environment, online fitness may not be for you.

A．Another is the price.

B．But it’s not without problems.

C．The same goes for different types of exercise.

D．However, online personal training isn’t for everyone.

E．Instead, you can turn it on at home at your convenience.

F．That being said, online workouts aren’t perfect when it comes to safety.

G．This means you could perform exercises wrongly, or even unsafely, without knowing it.

10 . As seabird biologist Bonnie Slaton slides off a small boat and walks through high water, the brown pelicans (鹈鹕) spread their wings overhead until she reaches Raccoon Island. The narrow island is a small piece of land separating the American state of Louisiana from the Gulf of Mexico. During the seabird breeding (繁殖) season, the placer, one of the few remaining places of safety for the pelicans, is full of noise.

Twelve years ago, there were 15 low-lying islands with breeding areas for Louisiana’s state bird. However, today, only about six islands in southeastern Louisiana have brown pelican nests and the rest have disappeared underwater.

Slaton and other scientists set u cameras to observe pelican nests on the island. The cameras show that in recent years the pelicans have faced some natural disasters. The main killer of them is flooding, which can wash away all the nests, as happened in April 2021. The disappearing islands are the location of a story of successful conservation. For many years, scientists have worked to bring the pelicans beck from tally dying off.

Mike Carloss is a state wildlife biologist in Louisiana. He said he never saw brown pelicans as a child in the 1960s. Their populations had been killed by the use of DDT, a kind of farm chemical. It thinned eggshells and prevented pelicans from giving birth to young birds. The beloved birds were completely gone from Louisiana, only appearing on the state flag. But a long-running effort to save them led to the birds’ return. After DDT was stopped in the U.S. in 1972, biologists brought young pelicans from nearby Florida to let them inhabit empty islands across the Gull of Mexico again. More than 1,200 pelicans have been set free in southeastern Louisiana over 13 years.

The brown pelicans can live more than 20 years. So, the final effect of disappearing breeding areas is uncertain and it will sill take time to become clear. And the future for pelicans is uncertain on the islands.

1. What is a killer of brown pelicans?

A．The island movement.	B．The underwater noise.
C．The increase of human population.	D．The disappearance of breeding areas.

2. Why did the scientists set up cameras?

A．To stop illegal hunting.	B．To watch pelicans’ home.
C．To predict serious flooding.	D．To record the number of pelicans

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

A．Live on.

B．Focus on.

C．Break into.

D．Look into.

4. How does the author feel about the pelicans’ future?

A．Unconcerned.

B．Doubtful.

C．Curious.

D．Proud.