1 . “When we think of curiosity, we often think of the need for immediate answers,” said Abby Hsiung, Ph. D. , a postdoctoral researcher at the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences and lead author of a new research paper. “But we found that when people were more curious, they were actually more pleased to wait.”

“When we watch TV shows or football games, we’re watching that information develop over time, uncertain about how it’s all going to end,” said Hsiung. “I wanted to know if higher curiosity would push people to seek, or to avoid getting an immediate ‘spoiler’ (剧透).”

Hsiung drew inspiration from short cooking videos that are popular on social media. “These videos caught my attention because even though they’re so short, they manage to develop a description and suspense (悬念), so that you’re attracted and curious about how the pizza will all come together.” So Hsiung got out her digital paintbrush and made a lot of 30-second animated line drawing videos that, like the cooking videos, eventually ended up as something highly recognizable, like a hamburger or a dog.

More than 2,000 adults from across the U. S. then watched 25 of these short line drawing videos online. Participants in Hsiung’s study were asked along the way how curious they were, how they felt, and to guess what the drawing would become. Viewers also had a spoiler button to skip ahead to see the final drawing. Hsiung and her team were surprised to find that when people were curious, they refused to hit the spoiler button and kept watching the drawings unfold. It was when people were less curious that they tended to go for an instant answer.

The study also found that curiosity increased at different stages of watching these videos. “We saw higher curiosity during moments when it seemed like the drawing could turn into anything and also when participants were starting to really home in on a single answer,” said co-author Jia-Hou Poh, Ph. D. , a postdoctoral researcher at the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences.

1. What is the popular belief concerning curiosity?

A．It fuels the urge for answers.	B．It leads to endless patience.
C．It stresses the need to wait.	D．It brings the pleasure of waiting.

2. What inspired Hsiung to use her research approach?

A．The evolution the TV shows displayed.	B．The fantasy the short cooking videos shared.
C．The way the short cooking videos developed.	D．The popularity the short cooking videos achieved.

3. What were participants required to do?

A．Make drawings to take a shortcut.	B．Answer some questions while watching.
C．Press the spoiler button to finish the task.	D．Hunt for an answer as quickly as possible.

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

A．The influence of patience on curiosity	B．Curiosity delays eagerness for the answer
C．Curiosity arises from the patience of waiting	D．The way to hold back the urge for an answer

2 . Who can imagine life today without an Automated Teller Machine (ATM)? They are available in considerable numbers throughout the world.

The first ATM was the brainchild of an enterprising Turkish-American inventor Luther George Simjian. When the idea of an automated banking machine struck him, he registered 20 patents before any bank agreed to give it a trial run. It is easy to assume that the inventor of such a popular machine was laughing all the way to the bank.     1     Within six months of its operation in New York in 1939, the device was removed due to lack of customer acceptance.

It was not until 1967, nearly 30 years later, that Barclays Bank, in a careful launch, rolled out a self-service machine in London, England, which proved successful.     2     The first cash machine relied on customers’ use of prepaid tokens (代币) to get envelopes with a fixed amount of cash inside.

    3     The banks’ principle was seemingly customer service. But it would be foolish to minimize the many advantages that cash machines provided to the banks themselves. By the late 1970s, the highest fixed cost for the average large bank was its branches. The greatest variable cost and loss to profits were its staff. Bank accounts swiftly recognized that self-service operations could reduce bank branch staff cost by70 percent.

Experts quickly determined that public acceptance of ATMs counted on convenience, simplicity, speed, security and trust.     4     For maximum efficiency, ATMs had to be located near public transport or in a shopping mall, not at a branch. The busier and more crowded the location, obviously, the better. Now, roughly 75 percent of all cash provided by banks to their customers comes from cash machines.     5    .

Public acceptance of deposits (存款) by machine was significantly slower than customers’ usage of ATMs for withdrawals. In general, it seems that customers sometimes still prefer and trust an over-the-counter transaction (交易) for deposits.

A．Location, in particular, was a key factor.

B．His cash machine, however, didn’t prove durable.

C．The device was relatively primitive, at least by today’s standards.

D．However, cash machines posed some interesting, unanswered questions.

E．An interesting factor was the issue of bio-statistics for customer identification.

F．Devices originally dismissed by the public are now recognized as essential institutions.

G．Soon afterwards, many other banks became admittedly champions of the cash machine.

3 . Architects often spend months or even years perfecting a design to express their ideas more clearly, convey additional information, or outline the right proportions for a building. However, the urgent issue of climate change is placing new demands on their work. For example, in July, Super Typhoon Doksuri battered China, affecting more than 2.66 million people in Fujian Province alone.

Green architecture that conserves energy and reduces carbon dioxide emissions offers a solution, and concerted efforts have been made in diverse research fields over the past three decades to minimize heat loss. In addition, new buildings have to be tailored to the needs of people’s lifestyles.

Ren Jun, a professor at Tianjin University’s School of Architecture, who designed the first near-zero energy house in China in December 2019, said, “You can construct low-energy, environmentally-friendly houses, but if the interior design and environmental quality don’t meet residents’ requirements, these properties won’t be suitable to live in.”

The near-zero energy house, located-in Banbidian village in Beijing’s southern district of Daxing, won the International Design Award in the United States in January last year. The 400-square-meter property, which stands at the entrance to the village, runs on solar power gathered from rooftop panels, with the addition of a small amount of power from the grid (电网).

Ren said the first obstacle to conserving energy in the property was heat retention, which he attempted to achieve by keeping the indoor temperature at a certain level. The property is divided into five areas: a solar garden in the front yard, a central lounge, a water courtyard, a sponge zone, and a back room. For the exterior walls, Ren used three types of insulation (隔热层), including plastic foam, each about 25 centimeters thick.

Ren also looked for ways to deal with emissions at the house. He decided to install a ventilator, which pipes air that is polluted and replaces it with fresh air from outside in every room at the property.

Ren said it would take three to five years before more ultralow or near-zero energy buildings appeared in Chinese cities.

1. Which is not an important factor for designing green houses?

A．Energy consumption.	B．Carbon emission.
C．People’s lifestyle.	D．Architecture style.

2. What can we conclude about the nero-zero energy house?

A．The house consumes little electricity.

B．The house is deliberately designed to keep heat.

C．The house is equipped with many intelligent facilities.

D．The house is the first International Design Award-winning building in China.

3. What did Ren do to build up the house?

A．He designed the house in five stories to trap heat in it.

B．He applied 75 centimeters of plastic foam to exterior walls.

C．He tailored the interior design to the demand of local people.

D．He installed a ventilator to cut down carbon dioxide emissions.

4. Which is the best title for the passage?

A．Green Homes Offer Hope amid Climate Change

B．Green Houses Feature Near-Zero Energy Consumption

C．Ren Jun Won the International Design Award

D．China Strives for Low Carbon Strategy with Green Houses

4 . One overlooked benefit of lab-grown food is that it may help the UK deal with the crisis in housing affordability. As farming is replaced by precision fermentation (发酵) , the significant amount of land currently used for livestock farming(including parts of the green belt) will be freed up for development in places that people actually want to live.

However, we’d take a different lesson from the promise of lab-grown meat. Free-market environmentalism and harnessing the power of innovative technologies — supported by market-based measures like a border-adjusted carbon tax — can successfully tackle the problem of man-made climate change without fundamentally uprooting the way we run society. Saving the planet doesn’t have to cost us the earth.

It is important to acknowledge that certain types of livestock farming may have issues with sustainability and climate change. But it is not true of all farming systems; and the issues that do exist are being dealt with using the latest research into genetics and biotechnology-for example, recent research has shown that certain types of seaweed can reduce methane emissions from cattle to close to zero.

Farmer data also shows that increased sales of milks have not seen a corresponding reduction in dairy sales.

The global food system, consumer choices and climate change are incredibly complex issues, and anyone who proposes simple solutions is almost certainly not in possession of all the relevant facts and data. Livestock are an important part of humanity’s future food needs.

1. Why does lab-grown food help Britain to solve the housing affordability crisis?

A．As farming is replaced by precision fermentation, the level of agricultural development is improved.

B．The significant amount of green belts are used for development in places that people actually want to live.

C．Lab-grown food is more environmentally friendly and beneficial to human health.

D．A large amount of land used for livestock farming will be freed up for residence.

2. What lessons have learned from the promise of lab-grown meat?

A．Free-market environmentalism can change the way society operates.

B．Adjusting carbon tax can successfully solve the problem of climate change.

C．Adopting the power of innovative technologies is useful for saving the earth.

D．Saving the earth requires changing the way society operates.

3. Which of the following best explains “harnessing” underlined in paragraph 2?

A．obtain

B．exploit

C．inherit

D．develop

4. It can be inferred from this passage that .

A．global food issue is so complex that there are no complete research data.

B．sustainability and climate change are common problems in agricultural systems.

C．some kinds of seaweed can make the amount of methane emitted by cattle ineffective.

D．the sales of substitute dairy products increased, and the sales of dairy products decreased accordingly.

5 .

Zion National Park in Utah has plenty of trails, but Angels Landing may be the most breathtaking. Picture this. You begin the hike on the wide and well-maintained West Rim Trail. It follows the river and then crosses the bottom of the canyon, surrounded by 270-million-year-old layers of rock. Relaxing, right? Just wait for it. The trail then starts to climb via a series of switchbacks (急转弯) leading up the side of the mountain. Then more switchbacks: 21 tighter turns, called “Walter’s Wiggles,” where elevation levels rapidly increase. Your heartbeat is probably rapidly increasing at this point, too.

On top of Walter’s Wiggles, you can stop for a stunning view (perhaps with a marriage proposal) and a restroom stop while you contemplate (仔细考虑) the final stretch of the hike. If you’re afraid of heights, it’s best to turn back now. The last stretch is the real test of bravery.

The last half mile of the hike is what really ranks it as one of the nation’s most dangerous. Angels Landing itself is a fin-like formation jutting (突出) 1,500 feet out of the canyon, and this is where you make the final 500-foot climb. Guardrails and chains bolted (拴住) into the cliff help you keep from tumbling over the extremely steep ledge. You’re literally living on the edge, and you don’t want to trust the “angels” down there to catch you. Once you reach the top, however, it’ll all be worth it: 360-degree views of the canyon make a great backdrop for kicking back and having a meal before you come back down the way you came.

Angels Landing might be dangerous, but thankfully, not too many people have had fatal falls. According to the park website, seven people have died in the 100 years the park has existed. Still, this is a very vigorous hike. If you’re out of shape, bringing young children along, feel ill or prone to fainting, or are just plain afraid of heights, opt for an easier trail.

Angel’s Landing is a great hike for most of the year, besides the cold winter months when the trails could become dangerously slippery. Summer is the most popular time of year — and therefore the most crowded — but it can also get extremely hot, so opt for an early morning hike while the temperatures are still mild.

Sure, it’s dangerous, but there’s a reason this is one of Zion ‘s most popular hikes. If you’re up for the challenge, Angels Landing will definitely deliver rewards.

This article first appeared on Curiosity.com.

1. What geological feature surrounds the hiker during the initial part of the hike?

A．Plenty of trails in the park.	B．Mountain Peaks.
C．270-million-year-old layers of rock.	D．Grass Meadows.

2. What is the main attraction and appeal of Angels Landing?

A．The challenging hike with switchbacks.

B．The 360-degree views of the canyon.

C．The well-maintained West Rim Trail.

D．The river crossing and rock formations.

3. Which of the following statement is true according to the passage?

A．If a tourist is afraid of heights, it’s best to turn back onto Angels Landing.

B．Seven people have died so far due to slippery trails in winter.

C．Bringing young kids along to climb onto Angels Landing will be appreciated.

D．Taking a break with the views of the canyon as background is absolutely worth the trip.

4. Which of the following could be the best title for the passage?

A．Unveiling the Hidden Beauty: Exploring Zion National Park’s Trails

B．Zion’s Ultimate Thrill: The Adrenaline-Pumping Angels Landing Expedition

C．Chasing Heights: Angels Landing Adventure in Utah’s Zion National Park

D．Angels Landing: Conquering Utah’s Breathtaking and Daring Hike in Zion National Park

6 . Researchers at the University of Washington created a new web app, Self-Talk with Superhero Zip, aimed to help children develop skills like self-awareness and emotional management.

At first, some parents were wary: In a world of Siri and Alexa, they are skeptical that the makers of such technologies are putting children’s welfare first.

In Self-Talk with Superhero Zip, a chatbot guided pairs of siblings through lessons. The UW team found that, after speaking with the app for a week, most children could explain the concept of supportive self-talk and apply it in their daily lives. And kids who’d engaged in negative self-talk before the study were able to turn that habit positive.

The UW team published its findings in June at the 2023 Interaction Design and Children conference. The app is still a prototype (雏形) and is not yet publicly available. Previous studies have shown children can learn various tasks and abilities from chatbots. Yet little research explores how chatbots can help kids effectively acquire socioemotional skills.

“There is room to design child-centric experiences with a chatbot that provide fun and educational practice opportunities,” said senior author Alexis Hiniker, an associate professor in the UW Information School. “Over the last few decades, television programs like ‘Sesame Street,’ ‘Mister Rogers,’ and ‘Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood’ have shown that it is possible for TV to help kids cultivate socioemotional skills. We asked: Can we make a space where kids can practice these skills in an interactive app? We wanted to create something useful and fun— a ‘Sesame Street’ experience for a smart speaker.”

The length of these effects isn’t clear, researchers note. The study spanned just one week and the tendency for survey participants to respond in ways that make them look good could lead kids to speak positively about the app’s effects.

“Our goal is to make the app accessible to a wider audience in the future,” said lead author Chris (Yue) Fu, a UW doctoral student in the iSchool. “We’re exploring the integration of large language models — the systems that power tech like ChatGPT — into our prototype and we plan to work with content creators to adapt existing socioemotional learning materials into our system. The hope is that these will facilitate more prolonged and effective interventions.”

1. What can we learn about Self-Talk?

A．It encouraged kids to engage in positive talking.

B．It could help kids explain complicated concepts.

C．It could be already downloaded from UW’s website.

D．It was welcomed by parents like Siri and Alexa.

2. “Sesame Street” is mentioned in this passage to show _________ of Self-Talk.

A．The primary function.	B．The promising prospect.
C．The new-found popularity.	D．The historical background.

3. Which may the follow-up research include?

A．Larger amounts of kinds of languages.	B．More characters with different background.
C．New technology adopted like ChatGPT.	D．Longer studies in more natural settings.

4. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that the Self-Talk will _________.

A．Adapt socioemotional material and reform the education system.

B．Explore powerful technology and improve its effectiveness.

C．Promote socioemotional learning and provide ongoing support.

D．Combine large language models and lengthen its service time.

7 . The recent floods in Pakistan have sub-merged a third of the country and left more than 1,100 people dead. It is not the only part of the world to have suffered extreme weather this year. Early on, Australia was hit with unheard-of rain and heat. By the summer, east Africa was suffering its fourth year of drought. Meanwhile, temperature records were broken in cities across Europe, and rivers there ran drier than at any point for 500 years. A 70-day heatwave across much of China saw temperatures regularly exceeding 40℃, with the country’s two largest lakes dropping to their lowest recorded heights.

Attributing (把……归因于) any single weather event to climate change is a complicated business. Part of the difficulty reflects the complex mechanisms of Earth’s climate, where continuous warming is the background against which many other patterns play out.

One of the most powerful sources of natural climate variability is the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a phenomenon in which the climate all around the tropics moves into one of two extreme states. When the trade winds blow more weakly across the Pacific than usual, the warm water remains in the eastern Pacific, causing more rainfall in that part of the world, an event known as an El Nino. When the winds blow particularly strongly, more warm water gathers in the western Pacific, and more cold water comes up from the depths off the coast of South America, known as La Nina.

What is happening in Pakistan is likely to be a disastrous combination of multiple factors. A hotter planet means there is more moisture (湿气) in the air, leading to more extreme rainfall and greater risks of flooding. This means La Nina-caused rainfall can be unusually deadly. Global warming also has an indirect effect, as high temperatures experienced in the Himalayas earlier this year sped up the melting of glaciers (冰川) and overloaded rivers. It is also possible that air pollution in the area, which complicates air-circulation patterns, may have a role to play as well.

A pressing concern is the impact the increased flooding and severe droughts will have on a world where resources are already sapped by a rapid running of disasters. “We’re already not coping and it’s only getting worse,” says Maarten, director of the climate centre for the International Red Cross.

Equally fraught are questions of responsibility. Whether or not specific disasters were made more likely to occur by ENSO, climate change is doubtless playing a role in increasing their severity. This implicates richer countries most responsible for historic pollution, which have thus far largely been spared the worst consequences of their emissions.

1. The author lists a range of extreme events at the beginning to _________.

A．predict the ending	B．raise the issue behind
C．highlight an opinion	D．illustrate an argument

2. Which might not explain the heavy rainfall in Pakistan?

A．Loss of ice due to the greenhouse effect.

B．Harmful gases let off into the atmosphere.

C．Trade winds blowing more weakly across the Pacific.

D．More moisture in the air caused by high temperatures.

3. The underlined word “sapped” in paragraph 5 can be replaced by _________.

A．conserved

B．consumed

C．shared

D．destroyed

4. Which of the following statements does the author support?

A．Urgent priority should be given to climatic change.

B．Specific disasters are undoubtedly linked to La Nina.

C．Governments have taken measures to deal with the current situation.

D．Richer countries have taken the responsibility for the environment.

8 . When Richard Oswald was growing up in northwestern Missouri in the 1950s, his dad had a firm rule: Don’t plant corn until mid-May. But that rule has become a relic of the past. In Rock Port, a small farming community near the Nebraska border, the growing season now begins more than a month earlier.

That’s not surprising. Across much of the US, winter is not as cold as it used to be. The four warmest Januaries on record have all occurred since 2016. In Missouri, winters are about 4 degrees hotter on average than in 1970-and farmers are starting to feel the effects.

As the planet continues to warm, cold winter weather will become less common, said Amy Butler, a re-search scientist studying climate variability. “However, less cold does not mean never cold.” Butler said. In the past decade, Liz Graznak’s organic vegetable farm near Columbia, Missouri, has endured increasingly extreme swings in weather. “We don’t get a couple of inches of snow; we get 18 inches of snow all at once and then in five days, it’ s 70 degrees again.” Graznak said. “We don’t get a couple of inches of rain; we get a 12-inch downpour in the span of 24 hours. That’s devastating(毁灭性的)to a vegetable farm.”

To help protect her crops, Graznak has built four large greenhouses on her property in just over a decade. Inside, she’s able to grow delicate, high-value crops, including flowers, lettuce and spinach.

But these greenhouses come at a steep cost. Nearly seven years ago, Graznak spent more than $18,000 to build a greenhouse and since then, the price has more than doubled. “When I think about these costs, in my brain, I say, ‘OK, how many heads of lettuce is that?’” She said. “I know I can sell a head of lettuce for $4, so how many heads of lettuce do I have to sell to be able to pay for that greenhouse? And that’s a lot of lettuce.”

1. What does the author want to show by telling Richard Oswald’s story?

A．New farmers should learn to farm on their own.

B．New farmers aren’t as experienced as old ones.

C．Following traditional farming rules is essential.

D．Climate change is changing farming rules.

2. What did Liz Graznak experience in the past decade?

A．Many extreme weather events.

B．A winter without any cold days.

C．Less snow and rain on the whole.

D．More stable temperature than before.

3. What can be inferred from Liz Graznak’s words in the last paragraph?

A．The profits of her farm have increased.

B．She has lost hope in the future of farming.

C．The cost of farming has greatly increased.

D．Budgeting is important in modern farming.

4. What would be the best title for the text?

A．Farmers in the US are troubled by floods

B．Farmers are worried about the future of farming

C．Farmers are feeling climate change’s effect in the US

D．Farmers are turning to greenhouses due to climate change

9 . There are close to 7, 000 languages spoken on Earth. However, it’s estimated that by the end of this century, up to 50% of them may be lost.

It’s commonly thought that majority languages tend to be valued for being useful and for promoting progress, while minority languages are seen as barriers to progress, and the value placed on them is seen mainly as sentimental (感情用事的). But is sentimentality really the only motivation for preserving language diversity?

Speakers of endangered languages often live in remote areas with unique landform. It is quite common for these languages to distinguish between hundreds more types of plants and animals than those known to modern science. For example, in Southeast Asia, some tribes have discovered the medicinal properties of over sixty-five hundred plant species. This has led to many of landmark achievements in medicine.

It was once believed that the limits of one’s language defined the limits of one’s thought. This theory, called the Sapir-Wharf hypothesis (假说), has been largely rejected in favor of the improved version, which assumes that the language we speak does not set the limits of our thoughts, but it does direct our focus in certain ways. For example, English is a tense-based language. It’s nearly impossible to talk about doing something without specifying the time — i. e. I went to the party(past), I’m going to the party(present), or I’ll go to the party (future). This differs from Chinese, where it’s perfectly reasonable to say, “I go to the party” without defining the “when”. Thus, part of the richness of language is that it allows us to organize the world in so many unique ways.

Some languages categorize the world in ways so different from our own that they are difficult to conceptualize (概念化). The United States employed native Navajo speakers to create a system of message coding during the Second World War. The Japanese were never able to break it, and the “code talkers” are often cited today as having helped decide the outcome of the war.

As we’ve already seen, minority languages are valuable for many practical reasons. In conclusion, I’d say the short answer is yes — dying languages are certainly worth saving!

1. What do people tend to think of minority languages?

A．Valueless.

B．Time-honored.

C．Informal.

D．Stable.

2. How can we benefit from endangered languages according to the author?

A．We can discover drugs in a much safer way.

B．We don’t have to rely on modern medicine.

C．We can acquire a broad knowledge of nature.

D．We can learn how to protect plants and animals.

3. Why does the author mention the Second World War?

A．To correct the Sapir-Wharf hypothesis.

B．To prove the value of minority languages.

C．To show wars’ role in preserving a language.

D．To explain ways to conserve some languages.

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

A．Are majority languages worth valuing?

B．Are we willing to save dying languages?

C．Should endangered languages be saved?

D．Is the future of minority languages bright?

10 . The UK has a rich literary heritage, with cities packed with bookshops, literary landmarks and comfortable cafes. If you love books, try one of these city breaks.

York

Earning a remarkable “bookspiration” score of 9. 4/10, York has claimed the title of the best UK city for book lovers. Having the highest number of reading spots per 100, 000 people among all cities analysed, literary lovers will find themselves spoiled for choice in this city. Home to 20 libraries and 33 highly-rated bookshops, this serves as a significant literary resource for a city of its population size.

Books inspired by York include: The Secret Garden, Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre

Bath

Bath comes second, receiving a final “bookspiration” score of 8. 1/10. Beyond its plentiful quiet reading spots, more than seven libraries and 16 bookshops per 100, 000 people, the city also offers sufficient green spaces, perfect for eager readers to dive into their favourite books. It’s a dream destination for those with a preference for Jane Austen’s works. It’s also host to the annual Jane Austen Festival in September, featuring many immersive(沉浸式的)Regency-themed experiences.

Books inspired by Bath include: Northanger Abbey, Persuasion, Vathek

Belfast

In third place is Belfast, scoring a respectable 7. 3/10. The Northern Irish city has 18 libraries and 55 charming bookshops to choose from. Serving as the backdrop of inspiration for CS Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, Belfast also has a bookish culture as it plays host to an annual book festival drawing in the nation’s biggest bookworms.

Books inspired by Belfast include: Eureka Street, Mystery Man, The Star Factory

Bristol

Bristol with a score of 6. 8/10 secures fourth place to be a literary lover’s paradise. Thanks to its treasure of bookshops from independent to second-hand, over 17 bookshops per 100, 000 people, the lively South West city makes an incredible destination for book-shopping.

Books inspired by Bristol include: Shadow Dance, Birdcage Walk, Keep Him Close

1. Which city is the source of the inspiration for Wuthering Heights?

A．York.

B．Bath.

C．Belfast.

D．Bristol.

2. What can you do during Jane Austen Festival?

A．Rate bookstores of the city.	B．Attend theme-based activities.
C．Dive into CS Lewis’s books.	D．Take a South West city tour.

3. What is a feature of Belfast?

A．The best green reading spaces.	B．The highest “bookspiration” score.
C．The most attractive book festival.	D．The biggest second-hand bookstore.