1 . Last week, four speakers shared, at the Skoll World Forum, why they find themselves smiling in spite of everything.

Ava Duvernay

I don’t believe that all of the problems are happening to us. I believe they’re happening for us. Lonnie Holley is a wonderful artist who uses waste material to create artworks. He says we shouldn’t think of it as garbage. Rather, it can be turned into something new.

Mahali Hlasa

I love my family. I was brought up in a very close family. Of course we fight, but we also laugh together. We share all the joys and the pains and find comfort in that. When I want to be happy, my family is always there for me. With these people who I love, I know that I am safe.

Rodrigo Paris Rojas

I find optimism in villages and slums (贫民窟). That’s because despite the difficult environment around them, they still come together and celebrate at different times of year.   They bring so many smiles and so much joy. When I see that, I say, “I have more money and more education than them, but they’re way happier than me. ”So I find optimism in those ways of celebrating life and building community.

Edgard Gouveia Jr.

I’ve found optimism among kids — Black, white, poor, rich. They play. They enjoy life. They connect. It’s only later that they learn about differences and start to behave differently. But when I see how they interact as children, it’s all about playfulness. Even during war times or in very poor neighborhoods, I see kids finding ways to create joy among themselves.

1. What is Lonnie Holley?

A．An artist.

B．A consultant.

C．A teacher.

D．A waste collector.

2. What did Mahali Hlasa stress in the speech at the Skoll World Forum?

A．Charity and voluntary work.

B．Positive thinking and creativity.

C．Money and comfortable life.

D．Family life and close relationship.

3. What did Edgard Gouveia Jr. most likely mean?

A．Don’t send children to schools.

B．Try to grow up as slowly as possible.

C．Being playful is still important in adult life.

D．It is necessary to help kids affected by wars.

2 . Four unique European music traditions that are protected by UNESCO

Inuit drum dancing, Greenland

In 2021, UNESCO(United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) recognised Greenland’s Inuit drum dancing and singing as an intangible cultural heritage (非物质文化遗产) of humanity. The drum dance typical of the tradition can be performed by one dancer alone or accompanied by a group of people singing songs about love, humour and hunting.

Uilleann piping, Ireland

Uilleann piping was included in the UNESCO’s list in 2017. It involves playing Irish music on a particular type of bagpipe (风笛) known as the “uilleann”. It is a highly developed and complex instrument, with some functions that cannot be found elsewhere. It often accompanies music played at weddings and parties, and it’s been passed on through several generations of Irish musicians.

Kaustinen folk music, Finland

In 2019, UNESCO added to its list Finland’s Kaustinen folk music, a tradition where the violin, with or without accompanying instruments, is played by ear. The style is characterised by rhythms or accents that make it easy to dance to. The 250-year-old tradition is played during wedding parties, public concerts and at music festivals in the small village of Kaustinen.

Fado, Portugal

Fado music, which originated in Portugal in the early 19th century, is now a symbol of Portuguese culture and tradition. It combines poetry and music to create a sometimes sorrowful, and always passionate melody, usually performed by a solo singer accompanied by guitars. It was included in the UNESCO’s list in2011.

1. What is a feature of the uilleann?

A．It is easy to play.	B．It is played by ear.
C．It is highly developed.	D．Its functions are common.

2. Which of the following was added to the UNESCO’s list earliest?

A．Fado.

B．Uilleann piping.

C．Inuit drum dancing.

D．Kaustinen folk music.

3. Where is this text most likely from?

A．An instrument ad.	B．A culture website.
C．A history textbook.	D．A music festival poster.

3 . Sometimes it seems hard to try to make an impact on this world of ours. Often, students and their communities can begin by focusing on environmental changes. By making pretty simple changes schools can impact the earth in a positive way.     1    

Use Less Paper

    2     Many students and teachers already frequently use Chromebooks and Google Classroom instead of paper for instruction. Additionally, schools can allow parents to sign all forms online instead of filling out a large amount of paperwork.

Start a Recycling Club

Encourage students who are enthusiastic about environmental causes to take the lead in your school by starting a recycling club. This group can be in charge of making sure each classroom has a recycling bin and helping collect the recyclables on a weekly basis.     3     If the students feel motivated to do so, they can even raise money to support earth-friendly organizations they are enthusiastic about.

Make Eco-Friendly Purchases (购买)

Schools can encourage students to make purchases unharmful to the earth.     4     Switching from pencils to pens can make a huge difference as well. Making plentiful buying decisions that are aimed at reducing waste helps make the environment cleaner and safer.

Students are looking for a way to be a positive force in this world.     5     When schools encourage and support positive environmental efforts, everyone wins — students, teachers, parents, community members, and our world.

A．Schools can easily save trees by finding ways to use less paper.

B．Districts can also offer students access to online textbooks and workbooks.

C．Here are a few ways to inspire your school to help protect our environment.

D．This group can also help sort cafeteria packaging so more of it can be recycled.

E．With minor changes as mentioned above, schools can help students achieve that.

F．Removing as many plastic school supplies as possible can have a massive impact.

G．Then students and teachers can expand this greenery by working together to build a garden.

4 . For millions of years, sea turtles (海龟) have been making the great journey from Costa Rican beaches to the ocean.

Female sea turtles come to shore to nest (筑巢) on the same beach where they were born. Scientists are not sure how sea turtles remember where they were born, but they believe that sea turtles can use the Earth’s magnetic field (磁场) to help them find their way back. Mother sea turtles usually nest every two to three years, but they might lay two or three nests in one year.

Unlike most animals, the temperature inside the nest determines whether the turtles will be male or female. Warmer nests produce more female turtles. It can take from six weeks to two months for baby turtles to appear from the nest. Once they sense cooler nighttime temperatures, they will begin their perilous journey towards the sea. The little turtles’ journey to the ocean isn’t a leisurely walk on the beach. In fact,on some beaches, only 10 percent of them make it to the ocean.

Natural hunters are not the only threat to sea turtles. Humans and their activities have also severely reduced the number of sea turtles in the oceans. Fishing activities, boat traffic, artificial (人工的) lighting, and pollution are making the trip from beach to ocean difficult. Due to a variety of these threats, six out of seven sea turtle species worldwide are considered endangered or threatened.

While sea turtles may face several threats to their survival, there are many opportunities for humans to help them. For example, avoid fishing in waters that are known to have sea turtles. If you do accidentally hook (钓) a turtle, do not remove the hook. Instead, call local wildlife authorities to help with removal. Lights draw baby turtles away from the ocean. Turn off your lights at night when you are near a sea turtle nesting area. Another way to help sea turtles is to reduce your plastic use. Plastic litter is among the number one causes of deaths of sea turtles. Last, get involved with sea turtle protection efforts.

1. Which of the following are scientists unsure about?

A．How often a sea turtle nests.	B．What makes sea turtles male.
C．How sea turtles find their birthplace.	D．Whether male sea turtles outnumber female ones.

2. What does the underlined word “perilous” in paragraph 3mean?

A．Short.

B．Emotional.

C．Dangerous.

D．Comfortable.

3. What can we infer about sea turtles from paragraph4?

A．They are threatened to die out.	B．They are primarily influenced by fishing.
C．They are well adapted to human activities.	D．They are getting a lot of public attention.

4. What does the author suggest people do about sea turtle protection?

A．Reduce plastic use effortfully.	B．Light sea turtles’ way to the ocean.
C．Help baby sea turtles find their mothers.	D．Remove any turtle they hook as soon as possible.

5 . These days, more people in Denmark are surviving serious heart attacks. Some of that good news is thanks to a smartphone app called Heartrunner.

Many heart attacks happen when people are not near doctors. The most serious type of heart attack is when the heart stops. In Denmark, the survival rate for people whose heart had stopped when they were not near doctors used to be 4%. In the past 20 years, it has risen to 16%. Denmark has seen a dramatic change in survival from heart attacks after it began recruiting (招募) volunteers and arming some of them with smartphone technology.

Denmark’s emergency number is 112. Call center workers can use Heartrunner to contact up to 20 volunteers within 1.1 miles of an emergency. Workers also send out an ambulance. They often tell the caller how to start CPR. Heartrunner sends an alert (警报) to volunteers. It asks, “Can you run?” If a person says yes, the app sends the address. If there is an AED nearby, the app tells volunteers where to find it.

More than 100,000 people in Denmark volunteer for Heartrunner. About 75% of them are not health care workers. That’s OK, said expert Freddy Lippert. “The patient is dead, and if you don’t do anything, nine out of 10 will be dead forever. The faster CPR begins, the better the chance of restarting the heart. In Denmark, everyday people responded faster than professionals to more than four in 10 heart attacks.”

Erik Kaxe, 81, lives in a small Danish town. Recently, his heart stopped. His wife called 112. The ambulance was sent. And the Heartrunner alert went out. Within minutes, 10 strangers who lived nearby showed up at their house. The ambulance came 17 minutes after the call. So many helpers showed up that they were able to do far more than just CPR. When the ambulance showed up, Kaxe was breathing again. He lived and is now back at home.

“Dying wasn’t difficult” he said. “But waking up is.”

1. What do the numbers mentioned in paragraph 2 show?

A．Heartrunner has raised a lot of concern.

B．Heartrunner has made a big difference in Denmark.

C．An increasing number of people have suffered heart attacks.

D．Danish doctors have successfully improved heart attack survival rates.

2. How does Heartrunner work?

A．It calls 112 immediately.	B．It contacts an ambulance.
C．It sends helpers to victims.	D．It sends alerts to AED owners.

3. What can we infer from Freddy Lippert’s words?

A．Every minute counts for victims.	B．Ambulances respond slowly in Denmark.
C．There is a serious lack of health care workers.	D．Volunteers for Heartrunner should be professionals.

4. Why does the author mention Kaxe?

A．To tell a touching story.	B．To remind us to value life.
C．To show how Heartrunner saves lives.	D．To teach us how to use the life-saving app.

6 . Reflecting on your day is something most of you feel too busy to do. Yet, without it, you’re left continuing to feel at a loss and unable to live intentionally.     1     ? The following are some practical tips.

Create a Plan

    2     . Get out your calendar and schedule enough time to reflect. It can be as little as 10 minutes and as much as an hour. When you schedule it and make it part of your routine, you'll actually do it.

Show up Consistently

It means that you regularly reflect on your day — not just randomly, when you remember or aren’t busy. Daily reflection can become a habit if you do it enough in the beginning. Sit down every day for 10-50 minutes and reflect.     3    .

Do a Brain Dump (清空)

Think about your room you need to clean: you start by taking everything out of the room and putting it into another room; then you decide what to add back, item by item.     4     . Write down what you’re thinking and feeling about the day, as well as what you did during the day, which is enough to create awareness around what you're thinking about, feeling, acting and creating in your life.

Separate out the Facts From Your Thoughts

Write out all your facts on one side and all your thoughts on the other side. Separating out facts from thoughts shows you what you’re thinking about.     5     . You can see they’re choices and these choices lead to your results in your life. Changing your thoughts and choosing them on purpose is hard work, but it’s 100% worth the effort.

A．All your thoughts are optional

B．The same is true for your brain

C．What am I thinking about today

D．You should express your thoughts

E．Deciding to start reflecting isn’t enough

F．Before you know it, it’ll be a habit for you

G．How can you get the most out of your day by reflecting on it

7 . Social media can lead to mental exhaustion (疲惫). And when mentally exhausted, you are more likely to be influenced by a high number of likes on posts—even to the point of clicking on ads for products you don't need or want.

As a professor of advertising, I have studied social media behaviors for years. In late 2022, my colleague Eric Haley and I conducted three online studies on Americans aged 18—65 to test how people under various mental loads respond to ads differently.

The control group in each study were given no introductory task—we just had them look at an ad. A second group had to memorize a nine-digit number and then look at the ad. The third group looked through the Internet for 30 seconds and then looked at the ad. Participants randomly saw an ad with a few hundred likes or tens of thousands of likes. After viewing the ad, each participant rated how willing they would be to buy the product, and how much mental effort it took to think about the information.

The group that used the Internet first were the most likely to want to buy the featured product when there were lots of likes or comments, and they also reported using the most mental effort to assess the ad. Researchers refer to this mentally exhausted state as “cognitive (认知的) overload”. Using social media puts them in this state because they are constantly evaluating different types of texts, photos and video posts from so many different people. In the span of several seconds, they can see a text from their husband or wife, a photo from a co-worker, a video from a celebrity and an emoji from their brother. All of this evaluating leaves them feeling frazzled.

Imagine asking your roommate if they want to go get pizza. Under normal conditions, the roommate might consider several factors such as cost, hunger, timing or their schedule. Now imagine asking your roommate the same question while they are on the phone with a sick relative. They no longer have the mental energy to logically consider whether pizza for dinner is a good idea.

By understanding how social media influences them, consumers can be more thoughtful in regulating their use—and hopefully not buy yet another water bottle they don’t need.

1. Why did the author conduct three online studies on Americans aged 18-65?

A．To investigate their online habits.

B．To test their reactions to advertisements.

C．To research what kind of advertising is effective.

D．To discover why people suffer great mental stress.

2. What docs paragraph 3 mainly tell us about the study?

A．Its purpose.

B．Its process.

C．Its finding.

D．Its significance.

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

A．Interested.

B．Depressed.

C．Annoyed.

D．Tired.

4. Why does the author mention “your roommate” in paragraph 5?

A．To further explain cognitive overload.

B．To stress the importance of. relationships.

C．To strongly call on people to eat healthily.

D．To remind people not to rely on mobile phones.

8 . When wildfire smoke from huge fires in Canada blanketed the US in the summer of 2023, emergency rooms saw an increase in admissions for lung problems, heart attacks and other health issues.

Burning fossil fuels has driven climate change, and now climate change is costing people their health and increasingly their lives, says a new report from the medical journal The Lancet. The eighth annual Lancet Countdown, an international analysis that tracks nearly 50 different health-focused issues affected by climate change, calls for an immediate wind-down of fossil fuel use.

Those with the least historical responsibility for causing climate change are feeling the worst effects. Pakistan—a country responsible for roughly 0.3% of all climate-change-causing carbon emissions, suffered huge floods in 2022 that displaced more than 30 million people and killed at least 1,700. However, wealthier countries cannot be spared. In the US, wildfire smoke this summer sent people to the emergency room from New York to Georgia. In Europe, a 2022 summer heat wave resulted in over 60,000 deaths.

About one fifth of all US residents work outdoors; the percentages are even higher in many other countries. When it gets too hot, it gets harder and harder to work. Last year, the report says, outdoor workers lost more than 140 hours each — or several weeks of pay — because of the intense heat.

The human and economic costs are forecast to grow with every tenth of a degree hotter the planet gets. Heat-related deaths, for example, could increase by nearly five times by the middle of the century, if without immediate reductions to carbon emissions.

“I have a young patient who presents with uncontrollable asthma. She lives right next to a highway and is breathing in harmful air from cars burning gas,” Renee Salas, a doctor at Harvard’s Chan School of Public Health says. “So the treatment she needs is electric vehicles, home weatherization and air purification. These are prescriptions I can’t write.”

1. What can be learned from paragraph 3?

A．The wildfire has burned large areas of forest.	B．Pakistan is largely responsible for climate change.
C．Climate change has caused a lot of human deaths.	D．People in wealthier countries have good health care.

2. Which statement will the author probably agree with?

A．American residents worked very hard last year.

B．There is nothing people can do about climate change.

C．The economy has also been affected by climate change.

D．Heat-related deaths will double by the middle of the century.

3. What docs Renee Salas imply in the last paragraph?

A．She advocates green lifestyle.	B．She prefers to drive an electric car to work.
C．Young people are more likely to get asthma.	D．Hospitals are short of medicines to treat asthma.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．The advantage of living in the US.	B．The cause of climate change.
C．The stress of working outdoors.	D．The harm of climate change.

9 . Adaptive clothing brand Befree was founded by Nikki Puzzo and Joanne DiCamillo, two Massachusetts mothers who saw a need for clothing for individuals with disabilities. The inspiration for the brand came from Puzzo’s daughter, Stella. She is an eighth-grader and leads an active lifestyle, participating in activities like swimming, gymnastics, and working out with a trainer.

When Stella had a surgery at the age of 5, she was left with casts on both legs and a bar between them, making it impossible for her to wear traditional pants. Stella had to wear dresses or long T-shirts during her three month recovery period, which was unbearable for her. Wanting to find a solution that would allow her daughter to wear pants, Puzzo took apart a pair of brightly colored pajama bottoms and sewed them in Velcro. This simple fix turned out to be a “game changer” for Stella.

Impressed by the pants, the doctor at Boston Children’s Hospital encouraged Puzzo to mass-produce them, as many parents often struggle with dressing their children with disabilities. This feedback from the doctor motivated Puzzo and DiCamillo to start Befree.

Their goal is for adaptive clothes to be commonly found in stores and sold alongside traditional clothing within the next five years. While Befree did raise funds through a crowdfunding campaign, the company is primarily self-funded. They have not sought outside investment yet.

DiCamillo emphasized that the market for adaptive clothing extended beyond children with disabilities and includes adults with disabilities and individuals recovering from surgeries. The team is currently working on expanding their product range to include leggings, shorts, joggers and even jeans. They have already received numerous requests for adult sizes.

Overall, Befree is a company founded by mothers who saw a need for adaptive clothing and took action to meet this demand. Their determination and innovation have resulted in a brand that aims to make dressing easier and more inclusive for individuals with disabilities. With their focus on expanding their product range and making adaptive clothing mainstream, Befree is prepared to have a significant impact on the fashion industry.

1. What happened to 5-year-old Stella?

A．She quarrelled with her trainer.	B．She went through an operation.
C．She choked while learning to swim.	D．She got hurt when doing gymnastics.

2. What’s the doctor’s attitude toward Stella’s new pants?

A．Favorable.

B．Doubtful.

C．Unconcerned.

D．Unclear.

3. What can we learn about Befree from paragraph 5?

A．Its target customers are children.	B．It is totally self-funded.
C．Its products are in great demand.	D．It was founded by two doctors.

4. What is the best title for the text!

A．Joanne DiCamillo: A Great Partner	B．Nikki Puzzo: A Wonderful Mother
C．Stella: A Girl Suffering From an illness	D．Befree: A Company Making Adaptive Clothing

10 . Four Top Ski Resorts (旅游胜地) in Michigan, USA

Ski Brule

In Michigan’s Upper Peninsula region sits Ski Brule, a family-friendly mountain resort offering skiing and snowboarding for all ages and abilities. The resort offers 17 ski runs and 11 lifts; the property sees 150 inches of snow each year, with snowmaking abilities as well. Ski Brule typically opens for the season in late November and remains open as long as there are good snow conditions (typically until mid-April).

Mount Bohemia

Mount Bohemia is a Michigan ski resort reserved for advanced skiers only, with steep slopes (斜坡) and exposed rock formations. There are 585 skiable acres (英亩), featuring two chairlifts and a 900-foot drop. The Keweenaw Peninsula region receives an average of 273 inches of snow each year due to the area’s lake effect.

Marquette Mountain Resort

Marquette Mountain is a four-season day resort with views of Lake Superior. Unusual for a ski resort is its focus on art, demonstrated through installations like the “Guardians of the Hill”: giant sculptures positioned at the base of the mountain, made from old railroad parts and collectively weighing in at 5 tons.

Shanty Creek Resort

Set across 5,500 acres, Shanty Creek Resort includes four distinct villages open year-round for enjoyment in northern Michigan. If you’re competitive, Schuss Mountain hosts a variety of annual ski race events; Shanty Creek also hosts the White Pine Stampede, Michigan’s oldest and longest cross-country skiing race. Past guests say that the slopes are well maintained regardless of the weather and that lift operators and staff are friendly.

1. When do skiers most probably go to Ski Brule?

A．In June.

B．In July.

C．In October.

D．In December.

2. What can skiers do at Marquette Mountain Resort?

A．Watch huge artworks.	B．Admire two famous lakes.
C．Meet warm-hearted villagers.	D．Participate in the White Pine Stampede.

3. Which resort will skiers choose to join in Michigan’s skiing race?

A．Ski Brule.	B．Mount Bohemia.
C．Shanty Creek Resort.	D．Marquette Mountain Resort.