1 . While socializing comes naturally for some, it can be a struggle for others. Shyness is a normal, common personality trait (特征).     1    . If you’re often hesitant to engage in social situations, you may interact with those around you in a more comfortable way. We outline four strategies for overcoming shyness in life.

Get Excited About A New Adventure

You may have been shy most of your life.     2    . Working through shyness and developing increased confidence may seem like a discouraging task for you, but viewing the journey as an exciting adventure to parts unknown can be exciting and, in turn, may boost your self-esteem.

Pay Attention To Your Words

    3    . Talking to yourself in a negative way when describing yourself can damage your self-confidence. Consider replacing phrases like “I am shy” with “I am learning to be more comfortable” in social situations. This can go a long way toward moving from shyness to confidence.

Practice Mindfulness (正念)

Mindfulness involves drawing your attention to the present and being aware of your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings.     4    . In one study, participants in a mindfulness program experienced an improved view of their self-worth.

Take Small Steps

Getting started can be the hardest part of learning how to be more social for those who are shy.     5    . You can start out small. Try chatting with the teller at the bank or the person ahead of you in the checkout line. This can help you build confidence and work your way up to more difficult challenges.

A．If so, that’s a part of you that you’re used to

B．Sometimes the best path toward addressing a fear is exposure

C．Mindfulness can help reduce symptoms of social anxiety disorder

D．Taking time to tend to your appearance can make a big difference

E．How we communicate and characterize ourselves can be powerful

F．However, shyness can make it hard for people to connect with others and achieve their goals

G．But engaging with people doesn’t have to be practiced as an important work presentation

2 . Journal editors decide what gets published and what doesn’t, affecting the careers of other academics and influencing the direction that a field takes. You’d hope, then, that journals would do everything they can to establish a diverse editorial board, reflecting a variety of voices, experiences, and identities.

Unfortunately a new study in Nature Neuroscience makes for disheartening reading. The team finds that the majority of editors in top psychology and neuroscience journals are male and based in the United States: a situation that may be amplifying existing gender inequalities in the field and influencing the kind of research that gets published.

Men were found to account for 60% of the editors of psychology journals. There were significantly more male than female editors at each level of seniority, and men made up the majority of editors in over three quarters of the journals. Crucially, the proportion of female editors was significantly lower than the overall proportion of women psychology researchers.

The differences were even starker in the neuroscience journals: 70% of editors were male, and men held the majority of editorial positions in 88% of journals. In this case, the proportion of female editors was not significantly lower than the proportion of female researchers working in neuroscience—a finding that reveals enduring gender disparities in the field more broadly.

Based on their results, the team concludes that “the ideas, values and decision-making biases of men are overrepresented in the editorial positions of the most recognized academic journals in psychology and neuroscience.”

Gender inequality in science is often attributed to the fact that senior academics are more likely to be male, because historically science was male-dominated: it’s argued that as time goes on and more women rise to senior roles, the field will become more equal. Yet this study showed that even the junior roles in psychology journals tended to be held disproportionately by men, despite the fact that there are actually more female than male junior psychology faculty.

This implies that a lack of female academics is not the problem. Instead, there are structural reasons that women are disadvantaged in science. Women receive lower salaries and face greater childcare demands, for instance, which can result in fewer publications and grants—the kinds of things that journals look for when deciding who to appoint. Rather than simply blaming the inequality of editorial boards on tradition, we should be actively breaking down these existing barriers.

A lack of diversity among journal editors also likely contributes to psychology’s WEIRD problem. If journal editors are largely men from the United States, then they will probably place higher value on papers that are relevant to Western, male populations, whether consciously or not.

1. What would we expect an editorial board of an academic journal to exhibit in view of its important responsibilities?

A．Insight	B．Diversity
C．Expertise	D．Integrity

2. What do we learn from the findings of a new study in Nature Neuroscience?

A．The majority of top psychology and neuroscience journals reflect a variety of voices, experiences and identities.

B．The editorial boards of most psychology and neuroscience journals do influence the direction their field takes.

C．The majority of editors in top psychology and neuroscience journals have relevant backgrounds.

D．The editorial boards of the most important journals in psychology and neuroscience are male-dominated.

3. What can we infer from the conclusion drawn by the team of the new study on the basis of their findings?

A．Male researchers have enough representation in the editorial boards to ensure their publications.

B．Male editors of top psychology and neuroscience journals tend to be biased against their female colleagues.

C．Women’s views are underrepresented in the editorial boards of top psychology and neuroscience journals.

D．Female editors have to struggle to get women’s research articles published in academic journals.

4. What does the author suggest we do instead of simply blaming the inequality of editorial boards on tradition?

A．Strike a balance between male and female editors	B．Implement overall structural reforms
C．Increase women’s employment in senior positions	D．Enlarge the body of female academics

3 . Genetic testing companies have a long history of creative attempts to reach the mainstream. An early example was the sequencing of rock star Ozzy Osbourne’s genes in 2010, with accompanying guess about how they might have influenced his drug habits.

Lately, such projects have taken on a new, highly commercialized tendency. In 2017, we got the “Marmite (马麦酱) gene project,” run by London-based genetic testing start-up DNAfit. It claims to show that love or hate for Marmite was in our genes. The project turned into a full-blown marketing campaign, and even sold Marmite-branded DNA testing tools.

DNAfit is now working with Mercedes-Benz to find out whether specific genetic traits are associated with business wisdom. AncestryDNA, the world’s largest consumer genetic testing company, last year teamed up with Spotify to promote “music tailored to your DNA.” Just a few weeks ago, 23andMe, the second largest, announced a partnership with Airbnb to provide genetically tailored travel experiences, also inspired by ancestral DNA.

I have skin in this game. I run a genetic-testing start-up that connects people who want their genome sequenced with researchers who want data to improve their understanding of genetic disease. I believe that broadening access to DNA testing can be a powerful force for good, providing safer, more effective medicines and giving people more power over their healthcare. But these campaigns risk discrediting the industry, by giving a misleading impression of what genetics can and can't say and its role in determining behaviours and personal preferences.

Take the Marmite study. It covered 261 people — tiny, by the standards of the field. It was published not in a journal, but online on bioRxiv, a server where scientists typically put results before peer-review. Shortly after, researchers looked at the genetic data of more than 500 times as many people in the UK Biobank and found no such correlation. A large peer-reviewed study in 2013 found no significant link between genes and business common sense.

We need to inform the public about what this is all about: that is, the gathering of large amounts of genetic data. We need better regulation to ensure that consumers are clear that this may happen with this sensitive personal information. A checkbox on a 20-page web document full of legal terms should not be enough.

Scientists too, need to start asking hard questions about whether the information they are using has been sourced ethically. DNA testing has a great future, but we can't build this future with data acquired by any means.

1. The author mentions DNAfit, AncestryDNA and 23andMe in order to __________.

A．highlight the problems facing genetic testing

B．illustrate the commercial applications of DNA

C．compare what progress the companies have made

D．reveal the link between DNA and a person's character

2. We can learn from “I have skin in this game” in Para. 4 that the author __________.

A．is challenging the available treatment for skin disease

B．has a personal investment in the genetic-testing business

C．hopes to remove people's misunderstanding of the game rules

D．believes that every individual should have access to DNA testing

3. What do the last two paragraphs mainly talk about?

A．The disadvantages of genetic testing.	B．The scientific value of genetic testing.
C．The legal system genetic testing needs.	D．The essentials for proper genetic testing.

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

A．DNA Is Anything but a Marketing Tool	B．Genetic Testing Campaigns Aren't Legal
C．Creative Marketing Is Key to Genetic Testing	D．DNA Testing Has Become a Booming Industry

4 . Coinciding with the groundbreaking theory of biological evolution proposed by British naturalist Charles Darwin in the 1860s, British social philosopher Herbert Spencer put forward his own theory of biological and cultural evolution. Spencer argued that all worldly phenomena, including human societies, changed over time, advancing toward perfection.    1    .

American social scientist Lewis Henry Morgan introduced another theory of cultural evolution in the late 1800s. Morgan, along with Taylor, was one of the founders of modern anthropology. In his work, he attempted to show how all aspects of culture changed together in the evolution of societies.    2    .

In the early 1900s in North America, German-born American anthropologist Franz Boas developed a new theory of culture known as historical particularism. Historical particularism, which emphasized the uniqueness of all cultures, gave new direction to anthropology.     3    .

Boas felt that the culture of any society must be understood as the result of a unique history and not as one of many cultures belonging to a broader evolutionary stage or type of culture.     4    .

Historical particularism became a dominant approach to the study of culture in American anthropology, largely through the influence of many students of Boas. But a number of anthropologists in the early 1900s also rejected the particularist theory of culture in favor of diffusionism. Some attributed virtually every important cultural achievement to the inventions of a few, especially gifted peoples that, according to diffusionists, then spread to other cultures.     5    .

A．Other anthropologists believed that cultural innovations, such as inventions, had a single origin and passed from society to society. This theory was known as diffusionism.

B．In order to study particular cultures as completely as possible, Boas became skilled in linguistics, the study of languages, and in physical anthropology, the study of human biology and anatomy.

C．He argued that human evolution was characterized by a struggle he called the “survival of the fittest,” in which weaker races and societies must eventually be replaced by stronger, more advanced races and societies.

D．They also focused on important rituals that appeared to preserve a people’s social structure, such as initiation ceremonies that formally signify children’s entrance into adulthood.

E．Thus, in his view, diverse aspects of culture, such as the structure of families, forms of marriage, categories of kinship, ownership of property, forms of government, technology, and systems of food production, all changed as societies evolved.

F．Supporters of the theory viewed as a collection of integrated parts that work together to keep a society functioning.

G．For example, British anthropologists Grafton Elliot Smith and W. J. Perry incorrectly suggested, on the basis of inadequate information, that farming, pottery making, and metallurgy all originated in ancient Egypt and diffused throughout the world.

5 . There are well-documented mental health benefits to pet ownership, as much research has shown. Indeed, we know there are some physical benefits as well, as dog owners tend to have more active lifestyles. Yet when it comes to conditions like allergies (过敏), we tend to think of pet ownership as exacerbating, not alleviating them.

Hence, a recent study published in the journal PLOS One might come as a surprise. The study, published Wednesday, found that children raised with cats and dogs early in life had a 13 to 16 % lower risk of developing all food allergies than those who did not own pets.

The researchers engaged in a detailed survey, studying 65,000 children. They found that children who were exposed to dogs either during fetal (胎儿) development, or up to the age of 3 years old were less likely to have nut, milk and egg allergies.

This wasn’t true for other pets that weren’t cats and dogs. Indeed, the same research found that children exposed to hamsters during this same period had an increased risk of nut allergies. Yet children who were exposed to cats during their early years were likewise less likely to develop specific allergies — namely, allergies to wheat, soybean and egg.

While the study is not the final word on the issue — the researchers note “further studies using oral food challenges are required to more accurately assess the incident of food allergies” — it reinforces preexisting research on the seemingly funny ways that cats influence human development.

In addition to adding to the growing body of scientific literature about pets and human health, the PLOS One also reinforces earlier research about the role of the environment in developing allergies. The research repeatedly found that exposure to farmyard dirt, dust and the various fine hairs that fly off animals helps children in their breathing system development.

1. What does the underlined word “exaccrbating” in paragraph 1 best mean?

A．Worsening.	B．Damaging.
C．Improving.	D．Benefiting.

2. What agrees with the result of the recent research?

A．Kids over 3 will have more food allergies.

B．Hamsters cause the most allergies to children.

C．All pet ownership will not reduce food allergies.

D．Cat owners are less likely to be allergic than dog owners.

3. What is the author’s attitude to the PLOS One study?

A．Satisfied.	B．Objective.
C．Doubtful.	D．Unconcerned.

4. What is a best title for the text?

A．Benefits brought by raising animals

B．Pet ownership making kids healthier

C．Researches on different food allergies

D．Dogs and cats reducing kids’ allergies

6 . “From one day to the next, our profession was wiped out. We woke up and discovered our skills were unnecessary.” This is what two successful graphic designers told me about the impact of AI. The old promise—creative workers would be better protected than others from mechanization (机械化) —ruined overnight. If visual artists can be replaced by machines, who is safe?

While there’s plenty of talk about how education might change, little has been done to equip students for a world whose conditions shift so fast. It’s not just at work that young people will confront sudden changes of state. They are also likely to witness more environmental breakdown and the collapse of certain human-made systems.

Why are we so unprepared? Why do we manage our lives so badly? Why are we so expert at material innovation, but so unskilled at creating a society in which everyone can succeed? Why do obvious lies spread like wildfire? What is lacking in our education that leaves such gap s in our lives?

The word education partly comes from Latin, meaning “to lead out”. Too often it leads us in: into old ways of thinking, into dying professions. Too seldom does it lead us out of our cognitive and emotional circles, out of a political and economic system that’s killing us.

I don’t claim to have definitive answers. But I believe the extreme demands, throughout our schooling, of tests and exams reduce the range of our thinking. The exam system creates artificial borders. The intense combined demands of the testing system leave almost no time to respond to opportunities and events, or for children to develop their own interests.

Education should be joyful and delightful, not only because joy and delight are essential to our health and happiness, but also because we are more likely to survive major changes. Schooling alone will not be enough to lead us out of the many crises and disasters we now face. But it should at least lend us a torch.

1. Why does the author quote the two graphic designers?

A．To stress the issue of unemployment.	B．To show the wide application of AI.
C．To indicate the creativity of artists.	D．To set the tone for further discussion.

2. What does the underlined word “confront” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Object to.

B．Bring about.

C．Meet with.

D．Call for.

3. What do the questions in Paragraph 3 chiefly reflect?

A．The numerous social problems to solve.

B．The complex features of current society.

C．The disadvantages of the current education system.

D．The success of everyone in material matters.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards the exam system?

A．Critical.

B．Tolerant.

C．Approving.

D．Ambiguous.

7 . We have been defending humanities for many decades now, but the crisis of the humanities only grows. In the face of declining student interest and mounting political scrutiny (审查), universities and colleges are increasingly putting humanities departments on the chopping block.

As a humanist, I am prepared to admit that I do not know what the value of the humanities is. I once asked the best teacher I ever had why she no longer taught her favorite novel, and she said that she stopped teaching a book when she found she was no longer curious about it. The humanistic spirit is, fundamentally, an inquisitive one.

In contrast, defenses of the humanities are not - and cannot be - conducted in an inquisitive spirit, because a defensive spirit is inimical to an inquisitive one. Defensiveness is, it must be admitted, an understandable response when the chopping block is brought out and you need to explain why you shouldn’t be on it, which requires their participants to pretend to know things that they do not actually know.

Nonetheless, we should be alert to the danger of becoming accustomed to putting our worst foot forward. An atmosphere of urgency and calls for immediate action are hostile to fields of study like literature and philosophy that require a reflective mood, and the pretense (假装) of knowing what one doesn’t actually know is hostile to forms of inquiry that demand an open mind.

A defensive mindset also encourages politicization. If the study of literature or philosophy helps to fight sexism or to promote democracy — and everyone agrees that sexism is bad, and democracy is good-then you have your answer as to why we shouldn’t cut funding for the study of literature or philosophy. Politicization is a way of arming the humanities for its political battles, but it comes at an intellectual cost. Why is sexism so bad? Why is democracy so good? Politicization silences these and other questions, whereas the function of the humanities is to raise them.

Humanists are not alone in their ignorance about the purpose of their disciplines. But scientists are under a lot less pressure to explain why they exist because the society at large believes itself to already have the answer to that question. If at some point I am called on to defend the study of Homer or Descartes at some official hearing, I will do my best, but I will not run to battle; the battle will have to come to me.

The task of humanists is to invite, to welcome, to excite, to engage. And when we let ourselves classrooms but also in our public-self presentation, we find we don’t need to defend or prove anything: We are irresistible.

1. What is the main concern regarding the crisis in humanities?

A．Students’ lack of interest in studying humanities courses.

B．People’s little knowledge regarding the purpose of humanities.

C．The mounting political scrutiny faced by humanities departments.

D．The pressure on humanists to argue for the value of their disciplines.

2. What does the word “inimical” underlined in Paragraph 3 most probably mean?

A．contrary.

B．relevant.

C．sensitive.

D．immune.

3. What can be inferred about a defensive mindset?

A．It is the worst action to take in the face of the crisis.

B．It leads to a compromise on human’s intellectual depth.

C．It requires a reflective mood on the study of humanities.

D．It brings about a lower chance of survival for humanities.

4. Which of the following might the author most probably agree?

A．Humanities may not need any defense.	B．Science is more useful than humanities.
C．The future of humanities remains cloudy.	D．The battle of humanities is a hard one to fight.

8 . Plastic, which is now common, contains endocrine-disrupting chemicals, or EDCs (内分泌干扰物), that has been linked to increased risk of many chronic diseases. Parental exposure to EDCs, for example, has been shown to cause metabolic (新陈代谢的) disorders, including obesity and diabetes, in the later generations.

Led by Changcheng Zhou, a professor of biomedical sciences in the School of Medicine at the University of California, the researchers investigated the impact of fathers’ exposure to a phthalate called dicyclohexyl phthalate, or DCHP (邻苯二甲酸二环己酯), on the metabolic health of first generation (F1) and second generation (F2) in mice. Phthalates are chemicals used to make plastic more durable.

The researchers found that fathers’ DCHP exposure for four weeks led to high insulin (胰岛素) resistance and impaired insulin signaling in F1. The same effect, but weaker, was seen in F2 .

“We found fathers’ exposure to EDCs may have intergenerational and transgenerational detrimental effects on the metabolic health of their later generations, ”Zhou said. “To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first to demonstrate this.”

In the case of fathers’ exposure in the study, intergenerational effects are changes that occur due to direct exposure to a stressor, such as exposure to DCHP of fathers (F0 generation) and his F1 generation. Transgenerational effects are changes passed down to later generations that are not directly exposed to the stressor (for example, F2 generation).

“This suggests that fathers’ DCHP exposure can lead to sex-specific transgenerational effects on the metabolic health of their later generations,” Zhou said.

Zhou stressed that the impact of exposure to DCHP on human health is not well understood, even though DCHP is widely used in a variety of plastic products and has been detected in food, water, and indoor particulate matter.

“It’s best to minimize our use of plastic products,” Zhou said. “This can also help reduce plastic pollution, one of our most pressing environmental issues.”

1. Why are phthalates added to plastic?

A．To beautify it.	B．To make it long-lasting.
C．To reduce its cost.	D．To increase its weight.

2. What does the underlined word “detrimental” in paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Negative.

B．External.

C．Distinct.

D．Adventurous.

3. What did Zhou advise people to do?

A．Bury plastic waste.	B．Watch out for the food they eat.
C．Use fewest plastic products.	D．Never produce plastic products.

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

A．Plastic contains endocrine disrupting chemicals

B．Plastic pollution is a pressing environmental issue

C．DCHP is widely used in a variety of plastic products

D．Chemicals in plastic may impact two generations’ health

9 . Face blindness, a mystifying condition that can trick us into believing we recognize people we’ve never met or make us fail to recognize those we have, has been previously estimated to affect between 2 and 2.5 percent of people in the world.Now, a new study by researchers at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and the VA Boston Healthcare System is providing fresh insights into the disorder, suggesting it may be more common than currently believed.

Published in February 2023 in Cortex, the study findings indicate that as many as one in 33 people may meet the criteria for face blindness, or prosopagnosia (面孔失认症).“This translates to more than 10 million Americans,” the research team said.

The study found similar face-matching performance between people diagnosed with prosopagnosia using stricter vs looser criteria, suggesting that diagnostic criteria should be expanded to be more inclusive. That could lead to new diagnoses among millions who may have the disorder but don’t realize it.

The study results are based on a web-based questionnaire and tests administered to 3,341 individuals.First, the researchers asked participants whether they experience difficulties recognizing faces in their everyday lives.Then they administered two objective tests to determine whether they had difficulties learning new faces or recognizing highly familiar famous faces.

The results showed that 31 individuals out of the 3,341 had major prosopagnosia, while 72 of the 3,341 had a milder form. The researchers also observed that there were no neatly divided separate groups of people with poor or good ability to recognize faces. Rather, the ability to recognize faces appeared to lie on a continuum (连续体).

Finally, the researchers compared face-matching scores among people with prosopagnosia diagnosed using different criteria and found that using stricter diagnostic cutoffs did not correspond with lower face-matching scores.

In the new study, the researchers provide diagnostic suggestions for identifying mild and major forms of prosopagnosia based on guidelines for major and mild neurocognitive disorders in the DSM5, the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

1. Which of the following indicates a person has face blindness?

A．Failing to identify his belongings.

B．Being able to recognize his friends.

C．Mistaking a stranger for an acquaintance.

D．Misunderstanding ones’ facial expressions.

2. What question is sure to be included in the questionnaire?

A．Do you have trouble recognizing faces?

B．Do you know what face blindness means?

C．Do you know anybody with face blindness?

D．Do you experience difficulties in everyday life?

3. What do we know about the DSM5?

A．It came up based on the new study.

B．It has experienced four revisions.

C．It is only used to identify face blindness.

D．It participated in and funded the new study.

4. Where is the text most likely from?

A．A fiction novel.	B．A fashion website.
C．A health brochure.	D．A science magazine.

10 . ①Since the first Chinese astronaut Yang Liwei reached the space with Shenzhou V, we have continued the Chinese Flying Dream to new chapters. On the evening of November 29, Shenzhou XV was successfully launched (发射) from Jiuquan Center. Shenzhou XV is of great meaning for Chinese space work and made some great achievements (成就) that were never seen before.

②The first was the huge number of jobs Shenzhou XV’s astronauts will finish. They will do more than 40 science experiments in fields such as air medicine, and air technology, which is amazing in humans’ space history.

③With the arrival of Shenzhou XV, Tiangong Space Station has finally developed into its largest size weighing around 100,000 kg. It is one of the largest buildings that humans have ever built in space.

④The space station is made up of 5 different parts. The Tianhe module (舱) is working in the center of the station. The Wentian and Mengtian modules are on the left and right sides of Tianhe. The Shenzhou spaceships are on the top of the station. The last one, the Tianzhou V is under the Tianhe module.

⑤The astronauts of Shenzhou XV are also different from the past. Usually, the new groups of astronauts were sent into space after the early ones went back to the Earth. But this time, the two groups of astronauts met in the space. Worldwide, there are now a total of 13 astronauts in space. So, for the time being, China is the country with most people in the space.

⑥The other thing about them is the age of the Shenzhou XV’s astronauts-is the-oldest of history (over 53). Among them, 56-years-old Deng Qingming was one of the earliest 14 astronauts in China. He served as a backup astronaut four times and watched his teammates fly again and again, but he never gave up the dream to fly. Now he made it, although it takes some time.

⑦The launch of Shenzhou-15 is a historic moment for Chinese space-exploring plan. Chinese-people wilt always let imagination about the sky run wild.

1. The structure (结构) of Tiangong Space Station is                 .

A．	B．
C．	D．

2. The writer’s main purpose in writing the passage is to ____________.

A．share the exciting stories of Shenzhou astronauts

B．show how great and meaningful Shenzhou XV is

C．ask teenagers to work hard and become astronauts

D．tell it is difficult to build such a great space station

3. According to the passage, Shenzhou XV is meaningful because ___________.

A．it makes up Tiangong Space Station as the largest building ever in space

B．all the astronauts in the world are now living in Shenzhou XV spaceship

C．the astronauts in it are the youngest of the history of Chinese space work

D．it made great achievements in Chinese and humans’ history of space work

4. The structure of the passage is ___________.

A．	B．
C．	D．