If you enjoy walking for exercise, there’s a simple way to meet your demand—change your walk into a ruck, and it’s an increasingly popular form of exercise.
Rucking is walking with weight on your back. The term “rucking” comes from ruck marching, a core skill used by the military around the world. One of the tests the army normally gives to soldiers is a 12-mile ruck, which they must complete within three hours while carrying a weight of at least 35 pounds.
The reason why rucking is growing in popularity is that it’s an easy and all-body exercise. One study in 2019 showed that 10 weeks of weighted walking improved physical performance. Since rucking is usually performed outdoors, there is no doubt that it’s also good for your mental health. Lots of studies suggest that the mental health benefits of being in a natural environment are huge.
There are several tips for your rucking when you get started. First, don’t be too eager. As with any new exercise, you’ll need to begin slowly. Start with an empty backpack (背包) and walk a distance you’ve already done. When you start adding weight to your pack, try something low, like 10% of your body weight. Adding weight is going to put more stress on your ankles, knees, hips and back, so do it gradually. Another option is to start with a weighted vest (背心) instead of a backpack. This spreads the weight between your front and back. And of course, don’t forget your feet. Select a comfortable pair of shoes to prevent getting hurt.
1. What is rucking?(不多于六个单词)2. Why is rucking popular?(不多于六个单词)
3. Where is rucking usually performed?(不多于一个单词)
4. What is the last paragraph mainly about?(不多于三个单词)
2 . Hundreds of dead migrating (迁徙) songbirds covered the ground like a carpet on Thursday in Chicago.
Nearly 1,000 songbirds died throughout the night after crashing into the glass of the McCormick Place Lakeside Center due to a deadly combination of excellent migratory conditions, rain, and the low building’s lighting and window-lined walls, according to bird experts.
Window hits are a problem in almost every major city in the United States. Birds cannot see transparent (透明的) or reflecting glass and are unaware that it is a dangerous block. They rush for plants or bushes they see through windows or reflected in them, killing themselves in the process.
Night-migrating birds depend on the stars for direction. Building lights both attract and confuse them, resulting in window hits or birds flying around the lights until they die of exhaustion, a phenomenon known as deadly light attraction.
According to Stan Temple, a retired bird expert from University of Wisconsin-Madison, conditions were ideal for a big wave of songbird southern migration over Chicago on Wednesday evening. “You had all these birds that were just eager to set out, but they’ve been held up with this unusual September and October with temperatures way above normal,” Temple said.
To avoid irregular air movements and predators (捕食者), little songbirds graze to absorb energy during the day and travel at night. They’ve been waiting for north winds to push them south, but September’s unusually warm south winds left the birds in a holding position here, according to Temple. A wind moved south on Wednesday evening, offering a good chance, and millions of birds took to the air.
“Pre-dawn rain forced the birds to fly low, and they found McCormick Place’s lights on,” said David Willard, a manager at the Chicago Field Museum.
According to Ann a Pidgeon, a bird biologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, window hits and deadly light attraction are simply avoidable. Building managers can simply decrease their lights, and building designers can create windows with bird-friendly marks in the glass. People can also add screens, paint their windows, or put stickers on the glass.
1. Which of the following probably caused the songbirds’ death in Chicago?| A．Window hits. | B．Hunger. | C．Diseases. | D．Bird hunts. |
| A．Play. | B．Eat. | C．Grow. | D．Wait. |
| A．The importance of protecting birds. | B．The prediction of the songbirds’ future. |
| C．The further study of the songbird event. | D．The ways to avoid the disaster for birds. |
| A．Human activities have affected wild life. | B．Climate change is challenging the world. |
| C．Technology helps the protection of nature. | D．Animals learn to adapt to the environment. |
3 . Best friends Tommy, 17, and Daniel, 15, decided to sign up for their school’s robotics team in their freshman year, and began their journey towards changing lives for the better.
They began their work with 3D printers to create parts for their robots, but they wanted their impact to be greater. “It started off with a team idea,” Tommy said. “We were trying to figure out how we could make a difference to society as a first-year robotics team. We later thought of the idea of using 3D printers to make prostheses (假肢), like hands.”
The team worked with IMAHelps, a nonprofit organization, and received help from the Science Robotics Initiative. Shortly after, they began working with their first person in need of a prosthesis.
“We started off with making an artificial (人造的) arm for Samantha, a 12-year-old little girl in Ecuador who lost her arm in a bus accident,” Tommy explains. “We got her measurements and then made the prosthesis. IMAHelps brought it to Samantha and it fit her perfectly and worked well.”
“Samantha had a dream to write, and we wanted to help with that,” adds Daniel.
It didn’t take long for other kids to see Samantha’s prosthesis. A young man named Ernest Priester, 13, asked to have an artificial foot. Later, the team offered to make him one for free. “He started tearing up. It brought so much joy to his eyes.” Tommy says.
This July, the team traveled to Ecuador to deliver four more prostheses to those in need. “We were so happy to help,” Tommy shares.
The team also plans on continuing to give away their 3D creations. “You can do whatever you want to do when it comes to helping people and changing the world,” Tommy says. “There are no age limits.”
“By offering a little bit,” adds Daniel. “We can change a lot.”
1. To make the robotics team’s impact greater, Tommy and Daniel decided to________.| A．create robot parts | B．start a robotics course |
| C．make prostheses | D．invent a 3D printer |
| A．They set up IMAHelps for her. | B．They made her an artificial arm. |
| C．They offered her medical treatment. | D．They gave her instructions on writing. |
| A．Curious. | B．Relaxed. | C．Regretful. | D．Pleased. |
| A．Caring. | B．Calm. | C．Honest. | D．Brave. |
4 . A houseplant is pretty to look at and brings fresh air to your home. Besides, looking after a plant will give you something more to do and care about. Let’s look at the four best houseplants you can grow.
 Australian Pine A perfect “living decoration” to add in your house, it is good to look at and has a comforting feel. It can also serve as the perfect Christmas tree. It grows around 10 feet tall indoors. Remember that it requires plenty of light and fresh air. Otherwise, it becomes weak and an easy target for mites (螨虫). |  Dracaena The green and yellow pattern on its leaves looks great. It can grow to be around 10 feet tall. Just make sure you keep the soil surface dry between your watering periods because it gets influenced by too much water. Also, having this plant around a dog can be dangerous. It can be poisonous to dogs if they eat it. |
 Grape Ivy If you want something off the ceiling (天花板), this houseplant is the one for you. It’s a climbing plant, and it will make for a beautiful hanging basket decoration. The plant is full of life wherever it is hung. It needs to be kept wet in all its parts for good growth. |  Peperomia It is little in size, with long leaves. It adds energy to your living room and creates a comforting environment. As it’s not a very tall plant, you needn’t worry about how much space it will take up. The plant likes a dry surface of the soil. |
So what are you for? Choose the one that attracts you most, and give your home a wonderful addition.
1. Which of the following can serve as a Christmas tree?| A．Australian pine. | B．Dracaena. | C．Grape ivy. | D．Peperomia. |
| A．be careful with mites | B．hang it from the celling |
| C．keep dogs away from it | D．leave the surface of the soil wet |
| A．Its leaves are short. | B．It is small in size. |
| C．It likes much water. | D．It is a climbing plant. |
| A．Politics. | B．Business. | C．Travel. | D．Life. |
5 . In a tiny, lab-grown garden, the first seeds ever sown in lunar dirt have come up. This small crop, planted in samples (样本) returned by Apollo tasks, offers hope that astronauts could someday grow their own food on the moon.
But plants planted in lunar dirt grew more slowly and were thinner than others grown in volcanic(火山的) material from Earth, researchers report 12 May in Communications Biology. That finding suggests that farming on the moon would take a lot more than a gardening skills.
“Ah! It’s so cool!” says a botanist (植物学家) Richard Barker. “Ever since these samples came, back, there’s been botanists that wanted to know what would happen if you grew plants in them,” says Barker, who wasn’t involved in the study. “But everyone knows those precious samples are priceless, and so you can understand why NASA was unwilling to publish them.”
The team planted seeds in tiny pots that each held about a gram of dirt. Four pots were filled with samples returned by Apollo 11, another four with Apollo 12 samples and a final four with dirt from Apollo 17. Another 16 pots were filled with earthly volcanic material used in past experiments to copy moon dirt. All were grown under LED lights in the lab and watered with nutrients.
“Nothing really compared to when we first saw the seedlings as they were coming up in the lunar dirt,” says Anna-Lisa Paul, a plant biologist. “That was a moving experience. We could not speak when we watched the very first plants growing in unique materials.”
Plants grew in all the pots of lunar dirt, but none grew as well as those planted in earthly material. “The healthiest ones were just smaller,” Paul says. The moon-grown plants were tiny. Faced with that, explorers need to do more research to let plants grow strongly on the moon. I believe we will succeed in time.
1. What does the research on plants grown in the lunar dirt show?| A．Growing foods on the moon is necessary. |
| B．Skills are the key to farming on the moon. |
| C．Farming’ on the moon needs many factors. |
| D．Astronauts want to grow food on their own. |
| A．Some plants need planting in special soils. |
| B．Botanists are interested in studying new things. |
| C．It is a selfish action for NASA to keep the secret. |
| D．The samples brought from the moon are valuable. |
| A．It is practical. | B．It is hopeful. |
| C．It only attracts astronauts. | D．It challenges most experts. |
| A．The First Plant Has Been Grown in Moon Dirt |
| B．Astronauts Have Brought Things Worth Spreading |
| C．Botanists Have Found a New Kind of Plant Lately |
| D．Farming on the Moon Has Been Accepted by People |
6 . Climate activist Henry Emson told Euronews that when he became a father seven years ago, he was worried about his family’s effect on the environment. After doing some research, he found the best way to eliminate their carbon footprint was by planting giant sequoia trees(巨型红杉树).
Giant sequoias are ideal for capturing carbon dioxide because they continue to grow consistently for centuries, storing CO2 over time. General Sherman, the world’s largest sequoia tree, has stored an estimated 1,500 tons of CO2 in its trunk over the last 2,200 years and could live another 800 years. The average human could generate close to 1,000 tons of CO2 over their lifetime, so planting one giant sequoia could effectively reduce the carbon footprint of more than one person.
After realizing the power giant sequoias have to fight climate change, Emson devoted his life to planting thousands in the UK by creating the One Life One Tree project. Its final goal is to plant 100,000 giant sequoias in the UK by 2030, and according to The Mirror, as of March 2022, it has already planted 700. Trees are currently being planted near Abergavenny in Wales and the project is expanding to Devon, the Lake District and Scotland.
While the common assumption is that these giant trees can only be grown in Northern California, they actually do well in the UK at a time when the sequoia population is threatened back home.
According to One Tree One Life, 95% of the old-growth sequoia population has been logged over the past two centuries and what remains is under threat from climate change. “A 10 year＋ drought and temperature increase have greatly damaged the health of the trees. A secondary impact of the drought is making them increasingly susceptible(易受影响的)to insect attack and fire,” the site says.
Considering the danger that climate change is causing giant sequoias in California, Emson’s work also benefits these trees. “They’re like climate refugees(难民)—we help them with assisted migration,” he told Euronews.
1. What does the underlined word “eliminate” in the first paragraph probably mean?| A．Measure. | B．Remove. | C．Overlook. | D．Spread. |
| A．By giving an example. | B．By doing an experiment. |
| C．By making comparisons. | D．By referring to comments. |
| A．To protect the environment by planting trees. |
| B．To test the adaptability of giant sequoia trees. |
| C．To save different kinds of endangered trees. |
| D．To prove the value of giant sequoias to his kids. |
| A．It disturbs the whole ecosystem of California. |
| B．It indirectly turns giant sequoias into refugees. |
| C．It helps promote the survival of giant sequoias. |
| D．It assists California in recovering from drought. |
7 . There’s this idea that the best stories are somewhere else, but actually we’ve got great stories on our doorsteps.
I was born in Birmingham and grew up doing sport. At 16, when I was playing football, I injured my knee so badly that I had to give up any sporting ambitions. However, I turned to photography as a way for me to continue exploring my passion for sport. Taking photos also allowed me to connect with people, sound their voices and challenge social norms (规范).
When I was growing up, I hardly saw any photographs of ordinary girls playing sport. The only images I see of sportswomen in the mainstream media are of excellent athletes. To fill the gap, I’m trying to do my own art project People, Place and Sport. Since most people aren’t used to being in the spotlight, I will open with the same question: “What does this sport mean to you?” Then I try to involve the subjects I photograph by doing interviews with them and asking how they would like to share their stories with sports. When people respond positively and start to relax, I begin to shoot them on film.
One of my best project photos is of Mav Akram boxing. Mav is an African woman boxer and runs a Women’s Boxing Club in Birmingham. She is also passionate about getting women into boxing, not just for the physical elements, but also mental health. Because Mav thinks boxing is not only a strategic sport of not getting hit, but also can offer a sense of community. This photo truly encourages women of all shapes and sizes to participate in the sport.
1. What is the author?| A．An athlete. | B．A photographer. | C．A coach. | D．A reporter. |
| A．By taking their photos right away. | B．By showing them a picture of Mav. |
| C．By getting to know their own stories. | D．By opening up with various questions. |
| A．It is merely suitable for men. | B．It sharpens her body and mind. |
| C．It teaches her to avoid getting hit. | D．It helps her fight against social norms. |
| A．An art project. | B．A passion for sport. |
| C．An impressive photo. | D．A lasting friendship. |
8 . History is important to study because it is essential for all of us in understanding ourselves and the world around us. And in my opinion, studying history benefits beyond history itself, because it helps develop and refine our skills through studying history.
You can refine our reading skills by reading texts from a wide array of time periods. Language has changed and evolved over time and so has the way people write and express themselves. We can also refine our writing skills through learning to not just repeat what someone else said, but to analyze information from multiple sources and come up with our own conclusions. It’s two birds with one stone — better writing and critical thinking!
There are so many sources of information out in the world. Finding a decisive truth for many topics just doesn’t exist. What was a victory for one group was a great loss for another — we get to create our own opinions of these events.
History gives us the opportunity to learn from others’ past mistakes. It helps us understand the many reasons why people may behave the way they do. As a result, it helps us become smarter as decision-makers.
In the study of history we will need to conduct research. This gives us the opportunity to look at two kinds of sources — primary (written at the time) and secondary sources (written about a time period, after the fact). This practice can teach us how to decipher between reliable and unreliable sources.
There are numbers and data to be learned from history. In terms of patterns: patterns in population, disappearances during times of war, and even in environmental factors. These patterns that are found help clarify why things happened as they did.
It’s incredibly important to learn to question the quality of the information and “history” we are learning. Keep these two questions in mind as we read through information: How do I know what I’m reading are facts and accurate information? Could they be the writer’s opinions?
1. The author thinks history helps make good decisions in that ________.| A．we can learn from others’ past mistakes | B．we can meet many sources of information |
| C．we can look at primary and secondary sources | D．we can create our own opinions of the past events |
| A．Work out. | B．Make out. | C．Pick out. | D．Try out. |
| A．To remind readers to read historical novels carefully. |
| B．To warn readers not to read too many history books |
| C．To emphasize the quality of the information on history. |
| D．To make readers doubt about the reality of history. |
| A．How to study history? | B．Why is history important? |
| C．Reliable data of history | D．Value of studying history |
9 . The body gives off many gases. Although some smells may signal a need to bathe or that you ate a certain meal, other gases might point to serious disease. Now, researchers have come up with a system that uses earmuffs to catch the disease-signaling gases. Doctors could get the information as patients wear a set of earmuffs. Results could be ready within minutes.
“The ear is a good place to monitor,” explains Johnson, a biomedical engineer. The ear’s skin is fairly thin, he notes. So gases don’t have to travel far to get out of the blood and escape through skin pores.
To collect the gases, Johnson and his team selected earmuffs that make a tight seal with the head. These are the type people often wear to protect the ears from loud noise. His team made two holes in the muff covering one ear. A tube slowly pumped air in one hole. Another tube pulled air out of the second hole and sent it to a sensor.
In their tests, the team found that they could measure changes in the amount of alcohol coming from the skin of the ear. It could work much like a Breathalyzer that police use to test people for driving drunk. The team invited three men. Each had to avoid drinking alcohol for at least three days before taking part. Once in the lab, these men wore the earmuffs and sat for 10 minutes as the system recorded normal gas levels leaving their ears. Afterward, the men drank a big amount of alcohol. About 7 minutes later, the earmuff system tested out a rise in alcohol leaving the skin. After 50 minutes, alcohol levels reached the peak and continued falling until the test was over.
The team then measured other gases by changing out the sensor. With the right sensor, their earmuff system could test out disease. Later, they replaced the earmuffs with a one-eared version to make it a bit more comfortable.
Johnson imagines another possible benefit. The earmuff system could help doctors tell whether a child’s ear infections have been caused by bacteria or a virus. How? Each type of infection exudes different gases. That, in turn, could guide how doctors cure the disease.
1. What makes the ear a good place to monitor?| A．Its small size. | B．Its thin skin. |
| C．Its clean surface. | D．Its blood flow. |
| A．Sensors should be examined in time. | B．Drunk-driving tests were ineffective. |
| C．Serious diseases were difficult to identify. | D．Their system could be used to tell diseases. |
| A．Collects. | B．Gives off. | C．Cuts off. | D．Uses. |
| A．Politics. | B．Business. | C．Science. | D．Entertainment. |
10 . In 2009 in a small town, Todd Bol came up with an idea to share his mother’s love of reading with others. Bol’s mother had been a teacher who had loved reading. He decided to build a wooden box and fill it with books. Bol placed the box of books on a post in his front yard with a sign that read “Free Books”. Soon his neighbours noticed this tiny model of a “schoolhouse”. They began taking the books and replacing them with books of their own. The tiny library allowed people the opportunity to “check out” books day or night.
Bol’s friends and neighbours wanted little libraries of their own. Bol built several and gave them away. One of his friends, Rick, believed that Bol’s little libraries could benefit more than just local friends and neighbours. With these ideas in mind, Bol and Rick came up with a plan to build over 2,500 Little Free Libraries around the world. They believed that books should be available to all people, no matter where they live or what their background is. To help achieve their goal, Bol and Rick created a website that provides information about the Little Free Libraries and how people can establish little libraries of their own.
Thanks to Bol and Rick, the Little Free Libraries are encouraging people to read more. They didn’t just provide books. They also helped build friendships and a sense of belonging among community members. As more and more people visited Bol’s little library, they began talking with one another. They shared thoughts, ideas, and stories. They got to know one another. Everyone loved the little library. After all, as Bol says, “It’s a magic box with books. People tell us all the time that they’ve met more people in a week than they have in a lifetime.”
Today there are more than 25,000 Little Free Libraries around the world, and they can be found on almost every continent.
1. From whom did Todd Bol get the idea of Little Free Libraries?| A．His mother. | B．His teacher. | C．His neighbours. | D．His friends. |
| A．make more money | B．establish online libraries |
| C．replace paper books with e-books | D．provide information and guidance |
| A．New buildings. | B．More visitors. |
| C．Friendly relationships. | D．Green environment. |
| A．Well begun, half done. | B．Don’t judge a book by its cover. |
| C．A friend in need is a friend indeed. | D．Little people can make a big difference. |
