1 . An apology tells someone that we’re sorry for the hurt we caused — even if we didn’t do it on purpose. It’s a way of saying we’re aware of what we did and we’ll try to do better in future.

    1    . Sometimes we hurt people’s feelings without wanting to. Sometimes, we do it on purpose and feel bad later on. So we apologize.

Apologies are one of the tools that we use to get along better with other people. Saying that you’re sorry is more than just words.     2    . Apologizing shows you can understand the other person’s feelings as if they were your own. What’s more, after apologizing, you might feel a little better. The other person probably will, too.     3    , you can feel good because you are trying to make things right again.

Everyone needs to apologize when they do something wrong. For example, if someone is irritated because of something you did, you need to apologize. If you say something that hurts someone, even if you don’t mean it, then you should apologize.     4    .

When someone apologizes to you, you may welcome it and be ready to forgive.     5    . If a person keeps hurting you and apologizing without making an effort to change, you might not want to hang out with that person anymore. However, it’s always good to accept an apology.

A．When you apologize in a caring way

B．When you accept an apology in a desirable way

C．It’s difficult to mend a relationship if we don’t apologize

D．Or you might not feel like being friendly again right away

E．It isn’t always easy for us to get along well with everyone all the time

F．If you lose or break something belonging to someone else, you should say sorry

G．You’re also saying that you respect and care about the other person’s feelings

2 . Every Thursday afternoon, the food pantry (食品储藏室) at the local high school opens up to provide fresh food bags for families who can hardly make both ends meet to get their meals to last through the weekend. Nearly a hundred families rely on the extra food. Some are between jobs, some got hit hard with medical bills for a few months, and some are new to the neighborhood, placed there by refugee services.

On one breezy afternoon, two young mothers walked in together, each accompanied by a young child. There was nothing different about their dress, but their manner revealed a shyness that they struggled to overcome. When they spoke, it was clear why: Their accents were thick, even though they were trying hard to make their English sound American. They were uncertain of being understood. But the pantry is run by grandmothers who are never pressed for time when it comes to conversations. So they sat for a moment and told their story while the little ones were held in arms so very familiar with children.

The two lived in apartments in the basement of the Methodist Church. They had been in the United States for one month. Their husbands were well-educated but working labor jobs to pay for food and save for more typical apartments.

Both had fled the war in Eastern Europe, one family from Ukraine and one from Russia. They ended up in the same church basement and discovered that they needed each other. They became fast friends. Their children played together. They shared meals and navigated their new world together.

There were no bombs or soldiers or rations in their new neighborhood, only a chance to start over. Friendships are sometimes hard to come by, yet matter so much to each of us. A good friend gives us strength, love, laughter and the courage to keep trying.

These two families — worn down by uncertainty and war, thrown together in a new country, a new community with a new language — found so much in common. And isn’t that what we all need? A friend who faces the same life challenges, even if the forces above them have different political views. We are, after all, just mothers and fathers, friends and neighbors.

1. In the article, who primarily benefits from the services provided by the food pantry?

A．High school students.	B．People with disabilities.
C．Families with tight budgets.	D．Underpaid individuals.

2. What was the most noticeable characteristic of the two young mothers when they entered the food pantry?

A．Their clothing.	B．Their language.
C．Their children.	D．Their ID documents.

3. What is one of the reasons why these two families became friends?

A．They both live in the basement of the same church.

B．They met at the same restaurant.

C．They are from the same country.

D．They both have similar professions.

4. Which title best fits the article?

A．Challenges of Life and New Friendship	B．The Story of the Food Pantry
C．New Life in America	D．From War to Peace

3 .        BBC foreign correspondent Jeremy Bowen’s recent assignment — a three-part series on Radio 4 in which he made “a personal journey through Wales”, the country of his birth — must still have left him a little shocked. Bowen, born in Cardiff but living in England and a non-Welsh speaker, did the most dangerous thing — he attacked what he saw as the way the Weish-speaking minority in Wales dominates the cultural conversation. This argument has not gone down well in the land of his fathers.

The Welsh online media has suggested this is the view from Camberwell where Bowen lives, rather than Criccieth — a journalist’s whistle-stop tour of a country he last resided in more than 40 years ago. Fellow BBC journalist Welsh speaker Huw Edwards responded to that criticism: “We are all products of upbringing — this take is 1970s Cardiff.” Edwards was even ruder about an attack on Welsh by Jonathan Meades in The Critic. “So long as it’s a hobby language it is as harmless as a Sunday painter,” wrote Meades. “But in pockets of Snowdonia and mid-Wales it is a tool not only of communication but of identity and exclusivity, thus of self-harm.” To which Edwards responded: “Meades is a brilliant writer and I have enjoyed his work over many years. I can only assume he’s crazy. Nothing else can explain this rubbish.”

Bowen’s argument is that because bilingualism (双语) has become essential for many jobs in Welsh government and media, the English-speaking majority has been disadvantaged. Meades is more concerned with a project to create a million Welsh speakers (a third of the population) by 2050. At present, only a fifth of the population speaks Welsh regularly. Such views are, however, either outdated or exaggerated (夸张的).

Largely rural Welsh-speaking Wales was discovering new confidence, thanks to the start of the Welsh-language channel S4C in 1982 and the growth of Welsh-medium education. But Welsh-speaking Wales is not responsible for the difficulties of English-speaking Wales, and the two have to find a way to coexist. The survival of Welsh is a miracle, and every Welsh person, whether or not they speak it, should celebrate that fact.

1. Why was Bowen recently shocked?

A．He had a narrow escape in Wales.

B．He was refused entry into his fatherland.

C．He was assigned to do a series about Wales.

D．He was criticized for his Radio program about Wales.

2. What was Edwards’ attitude toward Meades’ comments?

A．Disapproving.

B．Supportive.

C．Tolerant.

D．Uncaring.

3. What put the English-speaking majority at a disadvantage?

A．They could not speak two languages.

B．They held outdated ideas about language.

C．A third of the Welsh could speak the native language.

D．The government attached less importance to English.

4. What does the author say about the survival of Welsh?

A．It establishes Welsh dominance.

B．It is unexpected and welcome.

C．It occurs at the cost of English-speaking Wales.

D．It owes to the efforts of Welsh-speaking Wales.

4 . Deserts could be the best places on Earth for harvesting solar power. They are spacious, relatively flat, and never short of sunlight. So researchers imagine it might be possible to transform the world’s largest desert, the Sahara, into a large solar farm, capable of meeting four times the world’s current energy demand.

While the black surfaces of solar panels absorb most of the sunlight that reaches them, only around 15% of that incoming energy gets turned into electricity. The rest is returned to the environment as heat, affecting the climate. If these effects were only local, they might not matter in a thinly populated desert. But the area of the installations in the Sahara would be vast, covering thousands of square miles. Heat released from an area this size will be redistributed by the flow of air in the atmosphere, having regional and even global effects on the climate.

A 2018 study used a climate model to assess the effects of building massive solar farms in the Sahara. The model revealed that when the size of the solar farm reaches 20% of the total area of the Sahara, the heat released by the darker solar panels creates a big temperature difference between the land and the surrounding oceans that ultimately lowers surface air pressure and causes wet air to rise and condense (凝结) into raindrops. With more rainfall, plants grow and the desert reflects less of the sun’s energy since vegetation absorbs light better than sand and soil. With more plants present, more water is evaporated (蒸发), creating a better environment that causes vegetation to spread.

So, a large solar farm could generate enough energy and at the same time turn one of the most abominable environments on Earth into a habitable place. Sounds perfect, right? Not quite. In a recent study, we used an advanced Earth system model to closely examine how Saharan solar farms interact with the climate. It showed there could be unintended effects in remote parts of the land and ocean.

We are only beginning to understand the potential consequences of establishing massive solar farms in deserts. Solutions like this may help society reduce the use of fossil energy, but Earth system studies like ours underscore the importance of considering the numerous coupled responses of the atmosphere, oceans, and land surface when examining their benefits and risks.

1. What can be learned about solar farms?

A．They are mainly located in deserts.

B．They can affect the local and even global climate.

C．They can make the best use of incoming energy.

D．They satisfy the world’s current energy demand.

2. What will happen if 20% of the Sahara is covered with solar panels according to the 2018 study?

A．It might become greener.

B．It might reflect more sunlight.

C．Its surface air pressure will increase.

D．Its temperature difference between day and night will decrease.

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

A．Addictive.

B．Dynamic.

C．Sensitive.

D．Unpleasant.

4. What does the author think of turning the Sahara into a solar farm?

A．It is an impossible task.

B．It will do more good than harm.

C．It calls for more consideration.

D．It might be the solution to fossil fuel pollution.

5 . Li Jing, 29, currently serves as the director assistant to the village secretary of Maotianping Village Committee in Cuijiaba, a town in Hubei province. Li is a native of this village and was one of the first from her community to achieve higher education. She studied hotel management and tourism. After graduation, she started a career in the hotel industry in Wuhan. However, she made a decision last year to return to her village. She wants to be an essential part of her hometown’s development, realizing her own personal value.

When Li returned to her hometown, she received unconditional support from her family, despite some villagers’ questioning her decision. She resolved to prove herself through determination and action.

Her job involves extensive communication with the villagers, with over half of her workload about promoting potato production, the main business of the village. Li and the villagers regularly hold meetings in the village square, where they share insights on potato planting techniques, sales channels, market trends, and more. These gatherings provide her with opportunities to equip the villagers with planting tools and offer a window for them to voice their concerns and experiences.

In her spare time, Li remains closely connected with the villagers through regular conversations. She admits that it demands a considerable investment of time and energy, but it’s all worthwhile.

Li has very fond memories of an incident from last year when one villager had a poor potato crop. Although her potatoes were unimpressive in terms of size and quality, she held faith in Li and worked tirelessly and enthusiastically. Li never forgets the smiles on the villagers’ faces at harvest time, which is the ultimate reward for her.

In the near future, Li hopes to continue helping her fellow villagers raise their potato production and increase their income. Her long-term vision is to promote urban-rural integration (整合).

1. Why did Li Jing desire to start a career in her hometown?

A．She received higher education.	B．What she has learned could help her.
C．She intended to live her dream.	D．She failed to start her own business in Wuhan.

2. Which words can best describe Li Jing?

A．Passionate and hardworking.	B．Strong-willed and competent.
C．Warm-hearted and easy-going.	D．Selfless and thoughtful.

3. Why the incident is mentioned in paragraph 5?

A．To show Li Jing’s inability in potato planting.

B．To prove Li Jing’s success in gaining villagers trust.

C．To put emphasis on the hardship of potato planting.

D．To give evidence of Li Jing’s efforts.

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

A．No Pain, No Gain	B．East or West, Home Is Best
C．Graduates, Welcome Home	D．From the Village, for the Village

6 . A pickup game is a game of some kind that is not part of a regularly scheduled season of competition or a championship series.    1    . There are no repercussions (负面影响) beyond the final score in terms of standings or future commitment.

    2    . But the types of games that use the term have expanded today. It is now used to refer to casually scheduled games of softball, volleyball, tennis, and even chess.

Pickup games are spontaneous (自发的) and informal.     3    . An all-men’s pickup game may be played as “Shirts vs No Shirts”; it is an easy way to identify teammates and distinguish them from the competitors. “Inside Shirts vs Out Shirts” “White Shirts vs Colored Shirts” and “Men vs Women” are other teams created with the goal of knowing who is who.

Recently, attempts have been made to use the Internet to schedule pickup games. This is a way of helping players connect with other players in their local area and allowing them to have complete teams whenever possible.     4    .   For example, gender, game choice, age, location, and how far they are willing to travel to a game. The main draw of pickup games is that they are meant to be a fun way to practice or show off skills with friends. If a player makes a mistake, he won’t be taken out of the game and worried about losing his playing time.     5    .

A．You could play pickup football, baseball, etc.

B．He can laugh it off and continue on with the game.

C．This method makes the game much more competitive.

D．Potential players are asked to provide their information.

E．The term “pick up game” often refers to basketball games.

F．Instead, it is a game with teams often made up on the spot.

G．But people have a variety of methods to pick teams and identify them.

7 . Floating homes, luxury living and smart home technology aren’t necessarily things that tend to go hand in hand. But Ocean Builders, a Panama-based company that specializes in marine technology, is to unveil a fleet of “living pods” that manage to bring all the three together. They are currently under construction in the Linton Bay Marina of Panama.

Named SeaPod, the pod was conceptualized by Rudiger Koch, Head of Engineering at Ocean Builders, along with Chief Executive Officer Grant Romundt, as a solution to the lack of space in popular beach destinations. It provides77 m² of living space, including a bedroom, a living room, a kitchen and a bathroom. With room for two people, the unit utilizes over 47 m³ of hollow steel tubes to float 2.2 meters over the waves, and features big windows and 360-degree ocean views.

       Romundt hopes the design will challenge perceptions of homes and allow residents to live on the water without having to make sacrifices when it comes to the comforts of living on land. “Normally when you live on the water, it's on a boat, which has a living situation that is unacceptable to most people,” says Romundt. And the pods are to equipped with advanced technology, along with applications that tailor the design and function to suit those inside. Meanwhile, special “smart rings” worn by residents will enable them to unlock doors and switch their music on at the wave of a hand.
       As a long-time advocate for oceanfront living, Romundt previously lived in a floating home in Toronto, and says it's lifestyle that's hard to match. "It's very peaceful and beautiful. Most people spend all year dreaming of their two-week vacation where they go to a tropical island hanging out, relaxing, regenerating and restoring themselves." So why not just live like that all year round?

   While those who opt to live in one of these particular units will likely need to have a sense of adventure, as well as a fondness for water, Romundt says the team don’t necessarily have a specific type of customer in mind. In fact, he’s confident that the majority of those who get to experience the SeaPod for just a few minutes will jump at the chance of owning one.

1. Which of the following can best describe the SeaPod？

A．Sustainable.	B．Innovative.
C．Temporary.	D．Profitable.

2. What can replace “utilizes” underlined in paragraph 2？

A．Gets rid of.	B．Puts up with.
C．Makes use of.	D．Ends up with.

3. What can we learn about the SeaPod in paragraph 3？

A．It can be controlled widely.

B．It redefines what a perfect home is.

C．It will make residents feel they are on a boat.

D．It will give residents a land-like living experience.

4. Why does the text mention Romundt’s life in Toronto?

A．To call on people to take a long vacation

B．To promote his company’s floating homes.

C．To show that people long for a peaceful lifestyle.

D．To introduce a new understanding of the floating home.

8 . A funeral or an obituary (讣告）is traditionally how we honor those who have died. But the way we remember loved ones is changing, as thousands of families turn to one project using TikTok and a surfboard.

Since the death of his father Randy Mendioroz, Tony Mendioroz dreamed of reuniting him with the place that he loved most—the ocean. Randy’s life revolved around water. He was a specialist in building water parks, wave machines and swimming pools, and Tony once worked for him for a while. The Mendioroz family were also regulars at the coast and spent wonderful time from some of San Diego’s best beaches.

Randy passed away from liver cancer in 2013. Feeling lost, Tony began to search for ways to feel a connection with his dad again. He found comfort in the sea and surfing, but always felt it was an experience he should have shared with his father. So, when he came across a video of a man offering to grant Randy “one last wave”, he jumped at the chance.

The man behind the video was surfer Dan Fischer. He, too, had lost his father Karl Fischer to cancer and had turned to the ocean to feel closer to him. After one unforgettable trip into the waves off the coast of Newport, with his father’s name written on his surfboard, Dan realized the potential healing power this simple activity could have when dealing with loss.

“Through surfing, I took him out there because he always loved the ocean, and he and I were adventure buddies,” Dan says.

When he got back to the shore, Dan posted a TikTok video, encouraging others dealing with grief to reach out and have the names of their lost loved ones written on his surfboard.

The Mendioroz family were one of thousands of those who got in touch from around the world, sparking the beginning of the “One Last Wave Project”.

The project prompted Dan to document each of his trips to the beach as names continued to cover his board. It has been a powerful force in creating a global community and support network for those going through loss.

1. What do we know about Tony and his father?

A．They had a tough relationship.

B．They all grew up near the ocean.

C．They never went surfing together.

D．They once built a water park together.

2. Dan turned to the ocean to feel closer to his father because of ________？

A．his father’s love for the ocean.

B．his father’s interest in surfing.

C．his father’s adventurous spirit

D．his father’s working experience

3. What inspired Dan to do the “One Last Wave Project”?

A．One of his trips to Newport.

B．The Mendioroz family’s request.

C．Encouragement from his family.

D．Worldwide attention to his video.

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

A．A journey of overcoming loss

B．The healing power of a surfboard

C．Seeking comfort from TikTok videos

D．Remembering loved ones at the seaside

9 . The need for new learning opportunities throughout life is recognized throughout society. An initial period of higher education is not always enough in times of rapid social, economic and technological changes. Oxford University’s Department for Continuing Education is known worldwide as a leading provider of extended learning programs for personal and professional development.

Day and weekend events

More than 150 day and weekend courses are offered each year. These one or two-day classes on a single topic are designed to bring you the most up-to-date thinking on a wide range of subjects. You can discuss them with lecturers and speakers who are noted authorities in their field of research. Day-long events usually take place on a Saturday, between 9:45 am and 5:00 pm. Weekend events usually start on a Friday evening or Saturday and run until Sunday lunchtime.

For more information, visit https://www. ox.ac. uk/weekly-classes.

Online courses

Structured as weekly online meetings, our online courses take place in a virtual learning environment. Class sizes are kept small (usually 32 students, or 20 for creative writing)to maximize interaction between students and the tutor. Courses are normally 5-10 or 20 weeks in duration.

For more information, visit https:// www. ox. ac. uk/online-courses.

Professional development

Working with academic experts across the university, we offer around 200 professionally oriented courses in videos, from archaeology through medicine to zoology. They are popular among professional learners from over 120 countries and regions.

For more information, visit https:// www. ox. ac. uk/professional development.

Summer schools

Accredited and non-accredited summer courses of between one and four weeks’ duration for adult learners are held at Rewley House and at Oxford’s historic colleges. There are over 100 summer courses offered each year.

For more information, visit https:// www. ox. ac. uk/summerschools.
1. What programme offers a chance to have a face-to -face talk with top experts?

A．Online courses.	B．Day and weekend events.
C．Summer schools.	D．Professional development.

2. What is a feature of the department’s online courses?

A．They usually take place on weekends.

B．They aim to improve students’ writing skills.

C．They offer degree certificates to their students.

D．They have a limitation on the number of students.

3. Which website is useful for foreign students majoring in medicine?

A．https://www. ox.ac. uk/weekly-classes.

B．https:// www. ox. ac. uk/online-courses.

C．https:// www. ox. ac. uk/professional development

D．https:// www. ox. ac. uk/summerschools.

10 . Dr. Tatiana Erukhimova is a physics professor at Texas A&M who aims to show her students, especially the young women, that there are no limits.

Only 25% of physics undergraduate students are female. Perhaps it is because boys grow up playing with machines and making drawings of fast cars and rocket explosions. But girls are just as curious about the way the world works — they just haven’t jumped into the culture of chemical reactions, energy and magnetic force with as much enthusiasm. That is, until they see one of Tatiana’s videos showing the science behind real life’s magic. Tatiana is really one of the few living female examples they could follow.

Her videos get millions of views. She is a ball of energy with a short haircut, a Russian accent and a lively personality that makes physics accessible to the younger audience. Young girls are attracted to Tatiana’s attractive demonstrations the way they flock to pop concerts. This is real. This is science they can participate in. This is an open door to endless possibilities.

“These short clips are the spark that inspires,” Tatiana says with so much excitement that it lights up the room. Everything she does involves students. She believes the magic in learning is when your peers are part of the demonstration, when you are part of the teaching process.

“She wants everything to be a celebration of science,” says one of Tatiana’s former students. And indeed, the classroom is in a party atmosphere, with students cheering when amazed by Newton’s law of motion, demonstrated by a spinning bicycle wheel held upright by the professor. It’s hard to tell who is more delighted, Tatiana or her students. She is an attraction for female students who are graduating college and working in the sciences in higher numbers than ever before.

Dr. Tatiana’s story began in Russia and her parents were both physicists. After the breakup of the Soviet Union, Tatiana moved to Texas with her husband, also a physicist. They both teach at Texas A&M, and when Tatiana isn’t in the classroom, she is doing outreach with schoolchildren, amazing them with spinning lights that soon form words, liquid oxygen that shrinks objects and chemical reactions that expand matter to 10 times its size. But most importantly, she is expanding the audience of female physicists.

1. According to the passage, why do girls sometimes hesitate to jump into the culture of physics?

A．Lack of interest in chemical reactions.

B．Cultural differences in curiosity.

C．Absence of female role models.

D．Fear of liquid oxygen demonstrations.

2. Which of the following is TRUE about the videos mentioned in the passage?

A．They were made by a female physician.

B．They feature engaging demonstrations.

C．They are meant for Tatiana’s homeland.

D．They have received millions of likes online.

3. What is the primary focus of Dr. Tatiana’s outreach activities with schoolchildren?

A．Appealing to students with fascinating demonstrations.

B．Teaching students some difficult physics concepts.

C．Explaining the history of Newton’s law of motion.

D．Encouraging girls to attend parties and pop concerts.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．Female Professor Rejecting Gender Barrier

B．Russian Physicist and Female Scientists

C．Physics Professor Stimulating Girls’ Passion

D．The Significance of Online Short Videos