1 . There is no doubt that human activity has an effect on the planet. We see the evidence (证据) of mankind’ s endeavors all around us. Overall, it seems that human activity harms the Earth more than benefits it makes. As is vividly (生动地) betrayed (背叛) in the photo above, due to over development, there is limited land being set aside for endangered animals.
Absolutely, we should reserve some land for the world’s animals for the following reasons. First, mankind’s need for land is constantly growing. If the demand is not checked controlled in some way, humans will eventually develop all of the earth’s available land. At that time, mankind will have no more room to grow, and all the wild animals will have disappeared, as well as other valuable resources. Second, humans are able to innovate (创新) and can use the land that they already possess in more efficient ways. Animals are unable to do this. Once their land is taken away from them, they will die. Third and last, endangered animals are an important part of the biodiversity of our planet. If they disappear, we cannot predict what the effect will be. Therefore, we should treat such animals as a valuable resource to be protected.
To sum up, the world’s endangered animals are an important resource and we should protect them by setting aside some land for them. Although mankind’s need for land continues to grow, people are intelligent and inventive enough to put the land into use properly. In this way, we can have enough land for farming, housing and industry,and preserve the biodiversity of the planet at the same time.
1. What are some of the reasons to keep some land for the world’s animals?| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
| A．We don’t see evidence of human effort all around us. |
| B．Human activities harm the planet more than good. |
| C．There is no constant growth in human demand for land. |
| D．Animal species are an important part of the planet’s biodiversity. |
| A．Journal of child science. | B．Environmental Protection News. |
| C．Global Business Times. | D．Industrial news. |
2 . Modern technology has had a great influence on people's entertainment choices, making them less creative. Do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
Bearing in mind the likely effects of the modern technology on entertainments on today's users are important, because it is an issue that is discussed daily nowadays by people in both the private and public sectors (公共部门). However, does the modern technology benefits all aspects of human society? Some people may answer to the contrary. As far as I can see, current technology is undermining modern people's creative ability by providing individuals sorted ways of relaxation.
The likely effects of modern technology on entertainment for people today are important, because it is an issue that is discussed daily in both the private and public sectors. However, does modern technology benefit all aspects of human society? Some people may answer in the negative. As far as I can see, modern technology undermines people's creative ability by providing individuals pre-digested forms of relaxation.
To begin with , it has been known from the latest resources that modern people prefer to enjoy high-tech ways of recreation. More and more people from all works feel so pressuarable that they turn to modern technology which is supposed to be there providing convenient, time-saving and fresh entertainment while fewer and fewer individuals choose to play jigsaws(拼图) or make some exquisite handicrafts (精美的手工艺品) which is the very things expand their imaginary world and make them more creative in their spare time.
Further more, modern people are more likely to count on current technology whether in physiological or psychological. What is meant by this is that plenty of people fully enjoy the entertaining products such as, TV, MP3 or internet games high-tech brings to them that they spend lots of time on them without doing anything else. Couch-potato syndrome(典型表现) is one such example. The more people rely on those modern entertaining items, the more possible that people form a negative habitual opinion that these high-tech can do everything for them, and the less likely people will be initiative and creative in their life.
It goes without saying that modern technology do bring us low-cost, efficient entertaining products, and these may initiate some individuals' inspiration occasionally. But that's very limited compared to the side effects they give rise to.
In conclusion, it is very important to know that it's the creative ability that make our human society prosperous and flourish. Modern technology is just a powerful tool in the charge of human to benefit our conduction.
1. What is the synonym of “undermining”?| A．supporting | B．weakening | C．strengthening | D．building |
| A．Playing jigsaws. |
| B．Making exquisite handicrafts. |
| C．Watching TV, listening to MP3 or playing online games. |
| D．Reading books. |
| A．By providing pre-digested forms of relaxation and reducing people's imagination. |
| B．By making people overly dependent on high-tech products and making them lazy. |
| C．By making people addicted to entertainment and having no time for creative activities. |
| D．All of the above. |
| A．Modern technology makes people's entertainment choices more diverse. |
| B．Modern technology has a positive impact on people's creativity. |
| C．Modern technology weakens people's creativity in some ways. |
| D．Modern technology has both advantages and disadvantages and needs to be treated correctly. |
3 . Animals are important living creatures on our planet. They play a significant role in maintaining the balance of nature. However, due to human activities like deforestation (采伐森林), poaching, pollution, and habitat destruction, many animal species have either become extinct or are on the verge of extinction.
Animals are the natural resources wasted by human beings in history. Animals were killed for their fur and feathers, for food, for sports, just because they hindered the disappearance of thousands of animals from the earth. Today, hundreds of animals are on the danger list, which are considered to be in danger in the United States alone.
Why should people care? Because we need animals, and because once they’re gone, there won’t be any more animals. They’re not just beautiful or interesting food. They’re not just a source of food.
Every animal has its place in the balance of nature. Destroying an animal can cause a lot of problems. For example, when farmers kill a lot of eagles, farmers’ corn and grain stores are destroyed by rats.
Why? Because eagles eat rats and mice. When there are no eagles to control their numbers, rats and mice reproduce very quickly. Fortunately, some people are trying to help save animals. Some groups raise funds to let people know about this problem.They are trying to get the government to protect animals in danger through laws. Quite a number of countries have passed laws that prohibit killing any animal or plant on the dangerous list. The number of some animals in danger is increasing.
As responsible citizens, it is our duty to take necessary steps to protect animals and their habitats. One way to do this is by creating awareness about the importance of conservation. We should educate people on the significance of wildlife and the role we play in protecting it. We should also urge governments to take action in preserving animal habitats and to enforce (实施) laws to prevent poaching and illegal trade of wildlife.
Another way to protect animals is by supporting organizations that work towards animal conservation. These organizations rescue, rehabilitate, and release animals back into their natural habitat. They also conduct research and raise awareness about endangered species.
In conclusion, protecting animals is not just a responsibility, but a necessity. We should take necessary steps to conserve wildlife and their habitats to ensure a healthy and sustainable environment for all living creatures on earth.
1. The author’s attitude towards animals is _____.| A．positive | B．negative | C．neutral | D．indifferent |
| A．They play a significant role in maintaining the balance of nature. |
| B．They are a source of food. |
| C．They are beautiful and interesting. |
| D．They are not related to human beings. |
| A．Because they are interested in animals. |
| B．Because they want to make money. |
| C．Because they realize the importance of animals. |
| D．Because they are ordered to do so by the government. |
| A．to describe the importance of animals |
| B．to criticize human activities that harm animals |
| C．to call on people to protect animals |
| D．to introduce some endangered animals |
4 . Health Is Better Than Wealth
It is widely known that health is of great significance. Leading a healthy life is crucial as being ill makes it hard to be happy.
To enjoy a happy and healthy life, we should take the following steps. Firstly, we need to have breakfast every day and take in proper amounts of vitamins and minerals while reducing fat and cholesterol intake.
In conclusion, by following these steps, we can lead a healthy life and stay away from diseases.
| A．And it can also enhance our immune system. |
| B．It also helps to regulate our emotions. |
| C．What’s more, it can improve our physical fitness. |
| D．Then, we should ensure a proper diet. |
| E．Also, it is very important to have a balanced diet. |
| F．This is very important for our overall well-being. |
| G．And proper sleep can make us more energetic. |
5 . With the rapidly developing of the society, culture have changed greatly. In the city, no one can escape from the fast pace. And as a result, the traditional culture are believed becoming lost. However, why the traditional culture are becoming lost? First, we eat the popularized fast food and enjoy the popularized “fast food” culture. Since we get used to such fast things that many traditional things have been ignored. Second, we have brought up many other cultures, those culture are more popular than our owe culture for the young people, they interest in the other cultures because those cultures are new things and the youngs are curious about new things. And young people stand for the future culture. So many people believe that the traditional culture will gradually be lost.
To some traditional cultures that are on decline, we have taken active measures to conserve them. Experts have come up with proper advice on protecting such cultures. Many volunteers have dedicated themselves to studying them. First and foremost, more and more people have discerned the importance of the traditional culture. Therefore, we are sure that our efforts will lead to a brilliant future.
If a culture wants to gain an eternal life, it should change itself to cater to the people in its age. So does our traditional culture. Traditional cultures adhering to modern means appear rigorous. For example, we make CDs for classic music so that it can not only meet modern needs but also spread further and more successfully in the modern world.The appearance of traditional culture changes, but the essence will never change and will be well accepted.
1. What is the main idea of the second paragraph?| A．The importance of traditional culture. |
| B．The reasons why traditional culture is becoming lost. |
| C．The measures that have been taken to protect traditional culture. |
| D．The benefits of learning other cultures. |
| A．People are too busy to pay attention to traditional culture. |
| B．Many traditional things have been ignored due to the popularity of fast food. |
| C．Young people are more interested in other cultures. |
| D．The government doesn’t pay enough attention to traditional culture. |
| A．Experts have provided advice on protecting traditional culture. |
| B．Many volunteers have devoted themselves to studying traditional culture. |
| C．The government has invested a lot of money in protecting traditional culture. |
| D．All of the above. |
| A．To make it more popular. |
| B．To make it more suitable for modern society. |
| C．To keep it alive. |
| D．To make it more interesting. |
6 . Do Animals Have Friends?
When you see little animals playing together around a tree, or a cat and dog sleeping together in the living room, do you ever think — are they friends? One expert, Mike, believes that many animals do have friends. If they’re in the same group, they greet one another, travel together, play together and even share food with each other.
Playing together helps animals keep them close to the group. Wild dogs who don’t play much are more likely to leave the group on their own.
Sharing is another important part of friendship. For all animals, finding food is a matter of life and death. For some bats in Central and South America, if they don’t get a blood meal every three days, they die of hunger.
But sometimes members of a group also compete for food and mates, which can lead to fights. So making up after fights is a key skill. Sometimes after two male monkeys have a fight, they will sit apart, avoiding each other.
| A．Each wants the other to make the first move. |
| B．Young animals often team up for protection. |
| C．But hungry bats don’t need to worry if they have friends. |
| D．And leaving the protection of the group can be dangerous. |
| E．These friendly behaviors can be important for an animal to survive. |
| F．The friend helps to find food and water, and avoid dangerous animals. |
| G．Bats take blood from sleeping animals, but they are surprisingly good friends. |
7 . On September 17, 2022, a father and son set out to begin the first of three legs of the Ironman competition in Oxford. David, 59, and his son, John, 28, weren’t the typical competitors. Despite difficulty in walking, John has his dream of being an athlete. His father would act as his arms and legs, carrying the weight of his son throughout the race.
To qualify as having finished, competitors must complete a hard 140 miles of swimming, bicycling and running in under 17 hours. David and John had participated together in five Ironman competitions, but they had yet to finish in the required time.
The race began with a 2.4-mile swim in the Choptank River. With one end of a rope tied to a belt around his back and the other end to a boat with his son inside, the father eased himself into the water. Swimming while carrying another person is tough enough — David also had to fight with jellyfish (水母).
The pair completed the swim in 90 minutes, and went through with the 112-mile bicycle ride in about nine hours, then set their sights on the final leg of the 26.2-mile marathon with David pushing John in the racing chair.
With minutes left and 200 feet to the finish line, his mom, on the sidelines, handed him the rolling walker. Not that long ago, John could hardly walk 23 steps. But after years of painful training, he increased his step count and was determined to finish the race on his own. He knew time was almost running out and worried they wouldn’t make the cutoff. “Not because I wouldn’t get my moment,” he says, “but because dad had worked so hard.”
After 16 hours, 55 minutes and 35 seconds — with just four minutes and 25 seconds to spare — father and son crossed the finish line together.
As the crowd flooded and cheered on John, the weary father kept a low profile. “He didn’t want his finish line moment,” says John. “He wanted it to be mine.”
1. How did David help his son in the swimming part?| A．By pulling a rope tied to a boat. | B．By swimming beside his son. |
| C．By pushing his son’s lifebelt. | D．By carrying his son on his back. |
| A．He wouldn’t get his moment. |
| B．His mom would be disappointed. |
| C．His father had put in lots of effort. |
| D．The audience had high expectations. |
| A．Responsible and selfless. | B．Brave and honest. |
| C．Committed and friendly. | D．Gentle and determined. |
8 . Young babies make many short and word-like sounds such as “ba” or “aga”. Those early sounds are later replaced with words and, eventually, sentences. While some of them are born to be more talkative than others, a new study confirms that male babies make more sounds than female babies in the first year.
While the research confirms earlier findings from a much smaller study by the same team, they still come as a surprise. That’s because there’s a common and long-held belief that females have an advantage over males in language.
In the study, Dr Kim and his team included more than 450,000 hours of all-day recordings of 5,899 babies, using a device about the size of an iPod. Those recordings were processed to count the number of words spoken by babies and adults across the first two years of life.
Generally, the data showed that male babies made 10% more sounds in the first year compared to females. In the second year, the difference turned directions, with female babies making about 7% more sounds than males. Those differences were observed even though the number of words spoken by adults caring for those babies was higher for female babies in both years compared to males.
Why, then, would male babies be more talkative than females in the first year and not later? “We think it may be because boys are more likely to die in the first year than girls. Given that so many male deaths happen in the first year, boys may have been under especially high selection pressure to produce fitness signals to express their wellness and improve their chances of surviving,” says Kim. By the second year of life, as death rates drop sharply across the board, he added, “the pressure on special fitness signaling is lower for both boys and girls.”
1. Why are the findings of the new study surprising?| A．They are similar to earlier ones. |
| B．They show males are more talkative. |
| C．They go against people’s common belief. |
| D．They show babies learn language differently |
| A．They received more language input. |
| B．They showed better language abilities. |
| C．They communicated more with adults. |
| D．They made less sounds than female babies. |
| A．Improved language skills. | B．Change in living environment. |
| C．Less need for fitness signaling. | D．Increase in social communication. |
9 . Every morning in graduate school, Christy would wave to the woman selling hot dogs outside her building. “If she wasn’t there on a given day, things didn’t feel right. I missed her,” says Christy, now a psychology (心理学) expert at a university in the U.K. “It was this huge source of comfort and safety, and it was with someone I never talked to.”
That connection satisfied a deep, bodily need for Christy, just like water relieves thirst. Humans are intensely social animals, and research increasingly suggests that losing our connections to others can negatively impact our health. A 2023 report called widespread loneliness in the U.S. a deadly health risk comparable to smoking up to15 cigarettes (香烟) a day. On the other hand, a Harvard study found that having strong relationships is key to living a long and happy life. The study also showed that people between 80 and 89 years old in happy marriages reported that their happiness remained stable even on days when they were in greater physical pain.
But close relationships aren’t the only social ties that matter. Chatting with a stranger, giving a smile of recognition to the waiter in your local coffee shop, or waving to the people you see every day at the park creates a much-needed sense of community. “We can’t achieve happiness by ourselves. We simply cannot survive or live well without feeling like we are accepted,” says Christy.
These “weak tie” relationships aren’t a replacement for the deeper, more meaningful connections we also need. But Christy says we should recognize and celebrate their importance, and push ourselves to engage in them because they’re so beneficial to our sense of well-being. “I am not outgoing,” she says. “And, at the same time, I love talking to strangers. I believe that anyone can do it.”
1. How did Christy feel when she couldn’t see the woman as usual?| A．Safe. | B．Disappointed. | C．Angry. | D．Satisfied. |
| A．Older adults feel happier in marriages. |
| B．Physical pain negatively affects happiness. |
| C．Close relationships lead to long-term well-being. |
| D．Happiness has little to do with social connections. |
| A．They contribute to our happiness. | B．They help us to be outgoing. |
| C．They replace close relationships. | D．They push us to communicate. |
| A．Advantages of Being Lonely | B．Influence of Meeting New People |
| C．Value of Strong Social Connections | D．Importance of “Weak Tie” Relationships |
10 . With video meetings, taking selfies (自拍) and posting on social media, it’s easier to see one’s own image online. And for some people, this can lead to feelings of appearance dissatisfaction. In the past few years, screen time has increased for both adults and children. What’s worse, recent research suggests that the video and photo images we see of ourselves are distorted (扭曲的).
One study found that those who spent more time comparing their appearance during a video call experienced lower appearance satisfaction. This study also found that people who used more photo-editing features in video chat were more likely to compare themselves with others and spend more time looking at themselves on video calls.
A 2023 study found that discomfort with one’s appearance during video meetings led to an increased attention to appearance, which in turn led to poor work performance. Researchers also suggest that appearance dissatisfaction is connected with boredom in online meetings. The research reports that this could be due to negative attention to oneself and worry about being looked at or being negatively treated based on appearance.
If you find yourself criticizing (批评) your appearance every time in a video call, it may be time to be intentional about paying more attention to what other people are saying instead of looking at your own face.
When it comes to helping others who have difficulty with appearance dissatisfaction, it is important to care more about the person’s qualities beyond appearance. When viewing yourself or your partners on video and social media, try viewing the person as a whole and not as parts of a body.
Reducing screen time can make a difference as well. Research shows that reducing social media use by 50% can improve appearance satisfaction in both teens and adults. When used in a right way, video chatting and social media are tools to connect us with others, which finally is a key piece in satisfaction and well-being.
1. Who is more likely to suffer from appearance dissatisfaction?| A．Children who like taking selfies. |
| B．Adults who often attend video meetings. |
| C．Teenagers who enjoy posting on social media. |
| D．People who always compare appearance in video chatting. |
| A．Less focus on one’s own image. |
| B．Harmful effects on work performance. |
| C．Anger about being looked at by others. |
| D．Boredom of looking at one’s own face. |
| A．By taking their words seriously. | B．By caring much about their faces. |
| C．By viewing them as parts of a body. | D．By placing importance on their qualities. |
| A．Unconcerned. | B．Positive. | C．Balanced. | D．Worried |
