1 . Plastic is everywhere, from the Arctic ice to vital organs in the human body. In fact, previous estimates suggest that the average person swallows a credit card-worth of microscopic plastic particles(颗粒) every week. But new research shows that this could actually be an understatement.

Microplastics are plastics smaller than 5 millimeters, found in industrial waste, beauty products, and formed during the degradation of larger plastic pieces. Over time, they break down into even smaller nanoplastics. These tiny particles can pass through our intestines and lungs into our bloodstreams, reaching vital organs like the heart and brain.

While the idea of eating plastic is unsettling in itself, the major concern here is that these plastic particles contain chemicals that can interrupt our body’s natural release of hormones, potentially increasing our risk of reproductive disorders and certain cancers. They can also carry toxins(毒素) on their surface like heavy metals.

In the past, researchers have shown bottled water can contain tens of thousands of identifiable plastic fragments in a single container. However, until recently, only the larger microplastics were detectable with available measuring tools, leaving the area of nanoplastics largely a mystery.

Using Raman microscopy (显微镜学), capable of detecting particles down to the size of a flu virus, the team measured an average of 240, 000 particles of plastic per liter of bottled water, 90 percent of which were nanoplastics, a revelation 10 to 100 times larger than previous estimates.

These plastics likely originate from the bottle material, filters used to “purify” the water, and the source water itself. “It is not totally unexpected to find so much of this stuff, ” the study’s lead author, Columbia graduate student Naixin Qian, said in a statement. His team hopes to expand their research into tap water and other water sources to better inform our exposure to these potentially dangerous particles. “The idea is that the smaller things get, the more of them I reveal, ” he added.

1. What is the primary focus of the new research?

A．The presence of plastic particles.	B．The use of plastic in everyday products.
C．The detection methods for microplastics.	D．The potential risks of nanoplastics to human.

2. What is the advantage of Raman microscopy?

A．Finding the source of plastic particles.	B．Helping to cure the deadly flu virus.
C．Detecting the smaller plastic particles.	D．Improving the quality of bottled water.

3. Why will the team expand their research into tap water?

A．To focus on areas with higher plastic pollution.

B．To be aware of the dangerous particles in daily life.

C．To further measure the types of particles in tap water.

D．To detect the smaller plastic particles in industrial areas.

4. What is Qian’s attitude towards his research?

A．Skeptical.

B．Objective.

C．Conservative.

D．Positive.

2 . It takes a lot of courage to make a painting or drawing. All your skills, or lack of them, are plain to see and open to praise or criticism. It’s hard and takes persistent courage to keep going when things are not going your way.

Everyone knows that it is a good thing to practice drawing and painting every day.     1     Daily drawing can easily become a repeated and boring activity that needs great effort it, it simply occupies the busy life without any reflection or sense of purpose. If you can practice frequently with an air of relaxation and small achievable goal, you will find it more rewarding and enjoyable.

If you produce frequent small-scale paintings, you will learn much faster.     2     Of course, when you are producing so much work, the odd failure doesn’t matter nearly as much either. Alongside developing your technical skills I would encourage you to study as much art as you can. Learn as much as you can about the paintings and artists that inspire you.     3    

It is likely that the paintings which inspire you will have qualities that you feel are lacking from your own.     4     All these make a difference to leading you forwards. This journey is never-ending and a large part of what makes it all so richly interesting.

    5     This helps in several ways:   firstly you’ll know better when the work is finished, secondly it helps you keep clarity of purpose and thirdly, you can judge its success against your original aim. Of course, wonderful and unexpected things will occur as you paint, but these can throw you off course too. Thus do keep your focus as you go.

A．However, how many of us actually do it?

B．Produce works that are in line with people’s taste.

C．It’s a good idea to start by defining a clear achievable goal.

D．In this way, you clearly know what you like and what you don’t.

E．Imagine how much more you can learn from ten paintings than one.

F．Drawing has many benefits and can improve our lives in a variety of ways.

G．Besides, while learning, you will naturally seek out new artists and artworks.

3 . ChatGPT is a prototype (原型) dialogue-based AI chatbot (聊天 机 器人 ) which can understand natural human language and creating impressively detailed human-like written text. The new AI was created by OpenAI, a research center founded by Elon Musk. Musk co-founded the new company with other bosses. The research centre aims to advance digital intelligence in a way that benefits humans.

ChatGPT works by being trained on a large amount of text from the Internet using AI and machine learning. The system is designed to provide information and answer questions through a traditional interface (界面) .

Early users have described the technology as a tool to replace to Google because it can provide descriptions, answers, and solutions to different kinds of questions. Real-world applications could include producing content for websites, answering customer questions, providing recommendations (推荐) , and creating automated (自动化的) chatbots. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the system is “an early model of what’s possible.” He hopes to produce helpful assistants that talk to users, answer questions, and give advice. In the future, these assistants could periorm tasks for users and even discover new knowledge.

There has been prediction that jobs dependent on content production, such as playwrights, protessors, programmers, and journalists, could be obsolete because of ChatGPT. However, at its current stage, the chatbot lacks slight differences, critical thinking skills, and ethical (道德的) decision-making ability which are necessary for successful journalism. In addition, its knowledge base ends in 2021, which means that some questions and searches are useless now. ChatGPT can also provide incorrect or misleading answers, because it is short of a source of truth in the data used to train the model.

In short, ChatGPT is a powerful AI chatbot and it may be used in various industries, but it is still in its early stages and has limitations. As AI technology continues to evolve, we can expect more advanced chatbots like ChatGPT in the future.

1. What is the purpose of OpenAI?

A．To produce content for giving advice.

B．To train ChatGPT as a super computer.

C．To use ChatGPT as a tool to replace Google.

D．To improve digital intelligence that can benefit humans.

2. How does ChatGPT work according to the text?

A．By answering questions for websites.

B．By being trained on a large amount of text.

C．By providing information and giving advice.

D．By producing detailed human-like written text.

3. Which of the following statements of future AI assistants will Sam Altman agree on?

A．They will only answer questions and give advice.

B．They will replace jobs dependent on content production.

C．They will have slight differences and critical thinking skills.

D．They will perform tasks for users and discover new knowledge.

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

A．Curious.

B．Responsible.

C．Outdated.

D．Humorous.

5. Where is the text probably taken from?

A．A health article.	B．A science fiction.
C．A nature magazine.	D．A science website.

4 . A badly-injured fox spent two weeks recovering in a garden tent after attaching itself to a family in Glasgow, Scotland.

Liz Wink said the fox followed her home before they noticed a bad wound on its side. “My son Andrew came running in and said ‘there’s a fox following me’,” Wink said. “We opened the door and it was just standing there.”

“I have three dogs and they were barking (吠叫)but it was still trying to come in —its nose was going through the letterbox. We noticed the wound. We put food in the back garden and it made the back garden its home. There was also a chair in the back.” The fox was fed food including cooked chicken. “We also bought a tent, with an old quit cover in it.”

Wink said antibiotics(抗生素)were given after contacting a vet, and the fox finally left their garden with the wound healed after a fortnight. “It was here day and night,” Wink said. “My daughter Lucy is good with animals and would pat it. It was so quiet.”

“Clearly, when foxes are injured they take a thing called a rescue nap(抢救性小睡)and I think that’s what it has done with us,” Wink said. “They nap for however long it takes , and it completely healed. Then it was up and away and we never saw that fox again. We still have foxes but that one was so friendly, the other ones do run away. Maybe it will come back with babies one day.”

Although it’s great that the fox appeared to make a full recovery, we wouldn’t advise members of the public to attempt to treat sick or injured wild animals themselves. If people find a wounded wild animal in trouble, they should call animal helpline.

1. Why did the fox follow the son Andrew to his home?

A．To make friends with Andrew.	B．To feed its babies.
C．To turned to the family for help.	D．To cure its injured back.

2. What can we learn about the family from paragraph 3?

A．They treated the fox carefully.	B．They fed the dog with chicken.
C．They thought the fox was noisy.	D．They put the fox into the letterbox.

3. What did the fox do for its own recovery?

A．It rested for as long as it would take.	B．It went for a vet to have a check-up.
C．It killed animals nearby for food.	D．It went into forests to heal itself.

4. What does the author suggest people do to help injured wild animals?

A．Treat them under the guidance of vets.

B．Search the wild and look for more of them.

C．Contact animal experts for advice and information.

D．Learn more about them. and offer proper treatment.

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

A．A Garden Tent and a Kind Fox	B．An Injured Fox and a Kind Family
C．A Badly-injured Fox and Its Travel	D．A Family Travel and an Injured Fox

5 . Here are some of the best shopping malls in the world.

Mall of America (Minnesota, the United States)

It isn’t just a shopping center; it’s a destination. There are more than 520 stores,50 restaurants, more than 30 specialty (特产) food stores, 14 movie screens, a park, an aquarium, and other unique attractions like the LEGO Imagination Center. The mall is so large that it has its own Visitor’s Guide.

West Edmonton Mall (Alberta, Canada)

The mall describes itself as “the greatest indoor show on earth”. With over 800 stores, over 100 restaurants, an amusement park with roller coasters, a water park, a skating court, themed attractions, and hotels, you can spend your entire vacation within its walls. Shoppers at the West Edmonton Mall can enjoy everything from educational displays to dance parties.

Ala Moana (Hawaii, the United States)

Located in Honolulu, Hawaii, the mall owns a variety of unique features. It is the largest open-air mall. Swinging palm trees (棕桐树) and beautiful Hawaiian sun add to the atmosphere. Creating a Hawaiian experience seems to be part of its appeal because it offers a variety of events including daily classes, Hula shows, live Hawaiian music, and more. While you’re there, also make sure to check out the Art Walk — a multi-million dollar collection of art.

Galleria Vittorio Emmanuel(Milan, Italy)

If antique (古老的) and period art is your thing, the Galleria Vitoria Emmanuele is a not-to-be-missed stop on your journey. Topped with glass round roofs, this masterpiece in architecture has interesting and significant history. Thought as one of the world’s best shopping destinations, it is definitely known mostly for its ancient and splendid architecture, brand name stores, and historical significance.

1. What do Mall of America and West Edmonton Mall have in common?

A．They are both indoor shopping centers.	B．They both own a number of restaurants.
C．They both have their own Visitor’s Guide.	D．They are both located in the United States.

2. Compared with other malls, what can you enjoy more in Ala Moana?

A．A collection of modern art.	B．A variety of special cuisines.
C．Large amounts of sunshine.	D．Lots of different music styles.

3. What makes Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele special?

A．Its unique location.	B．Its warm weather.
C．Its historic buildings.	D．Its attractive scenery.

6 . When 62-year-old fisherman Kpana Charlie finished the day’s catch, he liked to settle into a wooden chair, thinking about his childhood. Back then, his life on Sierra Leone’s Nyangai Island seemed excellent. He spent endless hours playing with his friends on the island’s white beaches. Whenever he wanted to avoid having to do his housework, he could simply disappear into the forest that covered much of the island. He remembers as recently as ten years ago, it still measured some 2, 300 feet from end to end.

Today, Nyangai is disappearing before his very eyes, covered by the endless sea. The forests are gone. And the land on which Charlie’s family home once stood, has long since disappeared beneath the waves.

In fact, the local government has responded to the sharp increase of sea level by building a concrete (混凝土制的) seawall along the length of the town. But in the many smaller coastal towns and villages in the area, there simply aren’t the resources. Then, the government made a project to protect some of the settlements by planting trees, but this has had limited success. With the population relying on woods for building and smoking-fish, few trees lived longer than the project, which ended in 2021.

Sierra Leone has been identified as one of the world’s most weak countries to the effects of climate change, despite having little influence on global CO₂ emissions (排放). “Weak countries should be getting some support from wealthy nations to strengthen their climate defenses (防御),” says Gabriel Kpaka, the head of the country’s Meteorological Agency. “But we’re not really seeing that.”

With global sea level expected to rise by anywhere between 1 and 3 feet by the end of the century, along with an increase in extreme weather events, the experience of this West African island offers an understanding of the possible future of countless other low-lying areas around the world.

1. Why does the author tell Charlie’s story in paragraph 1?

A．To describe his wonderful life at present.	B．To offer-readers-background information
C．To call on local people to protect the seen	D．To attract more visitors to Nyangai Island.

2. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．The reasons for the changes on the island.	B．The rich natural species in coastal areas.
C．The measures taken to deal with rising sea level.	D．The way to build a concrete seawall on the island.

3. What can be done to help Nyangai Island according to Kpaka?

A．Local government should build a stronger seawall.

B．Local people on the island limit their CO2 emissions.

C．Countries in low-lying areas work together for their rights.

D．Rich countries should offer support about climate defenses.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards the future of other low-lying areas?

A．Concerned.

B．Doubtful.

C．Uncertain.

D．Positive.

7 . The Healing Power of Humor

As a heart doctor, I have to deliver a lot of bad news. Humor is a wonderful tool. Not only can it help lift patients’ spirits up, but it actually helps them recover faster. There is tons of scientific evidence that patients who are depressed after heart operations have a higher death rate, and optimistic patients have significantly fewer wound infections.     1    

It relaxes patients.

Medical operations usually make patients feel nervous. Some may sweat, have chest pain and feel unusually strong or irregular heartbeats.     2     When people use humor, the nervous system just tones down a bit, and that allows the heart to relax.

    3    

People are scared of their bodies. Humor can crack through the ice and take the fear away. For example, I have to tell patients about the risk of cognitive impairment (认知损伤) after operations. They’re terrified, fearing the worst.     4     I tell them in a humorous way that it’s usually just like forgetting second grade. People understand what that means, and it doesn’t seem quite as frightening.

It eases worries.

After open-heart operation, a patient might say, “Doctor, my chest really hurts.” And I’ll smile and say, “Oh, does it feel like someone opened you up, cut the bone and operated in there?” That tells them the pain is normal and they are going to be fine. So they take their minds off their troubles and worry less.

It helps doctors.

    5     When we give the news, we are supposed to help patients in a human way. A good sense of humor is just like a weapon, and it can beat the difficult situation. As a matter of fact, humor benefits doctors as well. Plus, it is a better way to enjoy life.

A．It calms fear.

B．It reduces risk.

C．So, recovering cognition is important.

D．However, humor can be a healing power.

E．Breaking bad news is never a pleasant task.

F．Others may even feel like they are choking.

G．Humor truly is the best medicine in many ways.

8 . Attention! We need to put a stop to parents doing harm to youth sports. It has gotten out of hand.

A recent study showed 26 million American children took part in non-school sports. By the age of 13, about 18.2 million quit.

No wonder kids are quitting. Many parents show no sportsmanship. They often shout happily at an injury if the injured player is on the other team. My brother Mario Widdowson got hit in the face during a soccer game. The parents from the other team were shouting gladly at his pain. All of the players were down on one knee waiting for Mario to get up, out of respect and it was the right thing to do. The kids did much better than these parents.

There are different types of parents. In the book “Parenting with Love and Logic” the authors describe two different types of parents. The first is helicopter parents, who don’t allow their kid to succeed or fail on their own. The other type is lawnmower parents, who clear anything in their child’s path to make life as easy as possible.

I have observed helicopter parents. When my brother was playing club soccer, one of his teammate’s parents shouted at their son. “Shoot the ball”. It was from about half field. He did it and the coach stopped him from playing and asked him to leave the field.

The parents are trying to coach their kids. The players on the field follow blindly and many mistakes happen. It’s not good for kids’ confidence. What is the purpose of youth sports anyway?

Problems happen in youth sports all over the United States. Parents need to behave themselves. Then the number of students who quit at the age of 13 will drop greatly.

1. What does the author want to show by using numbers in Paragraph 2?

A．American kids are sports lovers.

B．Parents can’t behave themselves.

C．Most kids give up sports half-way.

D．Non-school sports are popular among teens.

2. What did some parents do when Mario got injured?

A．They lent a helping hand.	B．They cheered at his injury.
C．They waited for him to get up.	D．They kept shouting at their kids.

3. Why was the boy asked to leave the field?

A．He made a mistake.

B．He missed his goal.

C．He turned to the coach again.

D．He didn’t want to go on with the sport.

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

A．Parents Should Respect Sports.	B．Non-school Sports Is Popular.
C．Encouragement Is Important for Kids.	D．Kids Need to Love Sports.

9 . At 8 years old, Danay Ferguson is the youngest business owner in Fresno, California, where the literacy (识字) rate is shockingly low when compared to the rest of the United States.

“I wanted to share my enthusiasm for reading with other kids, so I asked my daddy if I could open up my business,” Danay says, adding that her father, Dwayne Ferguson, asked her to prove she was serious about taking on such a major project. “He said I had to invite all of his friends on Facebook to the fan page he made for me,” she says. “It took me two days to invite my dad’s 4,000 friends to ‘like’ my page, one by one.”

With the help of her family and team of over 40 volunteers (mostly consisting of kids), Danay strengthened her literacy support in 2014 with her very own no-profit (非营利的) organization named Reading Heart. Danay has worked hard to raise awareness of her organization’s task by giving talks at schools, meeting with city officials and hosting board meetings.

“Her main line is ‘How about you get a book and read it and then share the book with somebody else, and do it again?’ instead of, ‘I give you a book and keep it,’ says Dwayne. “She’s starting a movement on ‘I will give everybody books, but you have to read and share them.’ And she’s trying to do this worldwide.”

And Danay also hopes to break the Guinness World Record for most books collected in a 24-hour period. Danay has a goal of beating the existing record (set at 274,325) with 500,000 donated books, which she is now making possible with a speaking tour that covers 130 schools encouraging kids to read. So far, Reading Heart has collected 90,000 books and given out over 20,000 books, having gifted used and new books to kids in schools, hospitals and in poor areas. “It is the most amazing thing to be a part of,” Dwayne tells us. “My wife and I have to remember that we are her parents because we have great respect for her.”

1. What is Reading Heart intended for?

A．Collect books.	B．Encourage reading.
C．Break world records.	D．Make friends.

2. Why does the author list some data of Reading Heart?

A．To show its achievements and aims.	B．To explain why it is successful.
C．To voice Danays’s views on books.	D．To discuss its future.

3. Which of the following statements is correct?

A．Danay’s fan page on Facebook has few followers.	B．Reading Heart offers books to readers for a fee.
C．Danay has broken the Guinness World Record.	D．Danay’s parents gave her great support.

4. Which of the following can best describe Danay?

A．Outgoing and selfish.	B．Warm-hearted and traditional.
C．Smart and self-centered.	D．Strong-minded and tireless.

10 . New research from the University of Portsmouth has shown a marked increase in shipping in the North East Atlantic. Scientists now warn that more monitoring is required to help protect sea life.

Researchers at the University of Ponsmouth have discovered that rates (率) of shipping in the North East Atlantic area rose by 34 per cent in a five-year period. The research is the first detailed survey of shipping activity in the North East Atlantic. Researchers used data from over 530 million vessel (船) positions recorded by Automatic Identification System(AIS). They looked at the change in shipping between 2013 and 2017 across ten different vessel types. In total the study area covered 1.1 million km², including waters off Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany,Iceland, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal. Spain, and the UK.

Lead author, James Robbins said: “This change is likely to put more pressure on the marine (海洋的) environment, and may influence the protection of at-risk species. Renewed monitoring effort is needed to make sure that protective measures are enough to save species under threat in a changing environment.”

Some of the greatest shipping increases were found in areas close to the Spanish coast. The Espacio Marino de la Costa da Morte saw a rise of 413 percent in vessel activity. It is an area used to protect seabirds.

Dr. Sarah Marley, Visiting Researcher at the University of Portsmouth, said: “Shipping is the most widespread human activity in our oceans, carrying a set of threats-from unnoticeable effects like underwater noise pollution to serious results when ships hit whales.”

Professor Alex Ford. from the University’s Institute of Marine Sciences, said: “Given the well-documented effects that shipping can have on the marine environment, it is necessary that this situation continues to be monitored-particularly in areas used to protect vulnerable (脆弱的) species which may already be under pressure.”

1. What can we say about the new research?

A．It started in 2013.	B．It is the first of its kind.
C．It was carried out by AIS.	D．It covers the whole Atlantic.

2. What do the underlined words “This change” in paragraph 3 refer to ?

A．Rapid population growth.

B．Rising global temperatures.

C．The huge increase in shipping.

D．The disappearance of marine life.

3. What does Dr. Sarah Marley want to tell us in paragraph 5?

A．Shipping plays an important role in the local economy.

B．Shipping can be a danger to the marine environment.

C．Noise pollution is closely related to human activity.

D．Marine areas should be monitored more carefully.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．New waterways across the Atlantic

B．The shipping industry in the North East Atlantic

C．New research opens windows into life under the water

D．Sea life needs better protection from an increase in shipping