2 . We are all creatures of habit. We tend to wake up at the same time each day, brush our teeth, have morning coffee and travel to work, following the same patterns every day.     1    

Behavioral scientists who study habit formation say that many of us try to create healthy habits the wrong way.     2     Here are two tips, backed by research, for forming new healthy habits.

    3     For many of us, our morning routine is the strongest, so that’s a great place to build a new habit. While brushing your teeth, you might stand on one foot to practice balance. Many of us fall into end-of-the-day patterns as well. Do you tend to sink into the sofa after work and turn on the TV? That might be a good time to do a single daily yoga pose.

    4     Wendy Wood, a research psychologist, calls the forces that get in the way of good habits “friction”. In one study, researchers changed the turning of lift doors so that workers had to wait nearly half a minute for the doors to close.     5     Many people are therefore convinced that taking the stairs was easier than waiting for the lift. It shows how sensitive we are to small friction in our environment. Just slowing down the lift got people to take the stairs, and they stuck with it even after the lift went back to normal timing.

A．It was just enough of a delay.

B．Why do we stop doing what’s good for us?

C．But why is it so hard to form new healthy habits?

D．We probably form new habits when we clear away the barriers.

E．The better way to form a new habit is to tie it to an existing habit.

F．It explains why friction prevents the progress of forming good habits.

G．For example, we set big goals to lose weight without taking proper steps.

3 . “Good morning, passengers! Welcome aboard Bus No. 38.” At 6:30 AM, the cool morning breeze blows as Feng Zhiliang, a 43-year-old driver with 15 years’ experience at Handan Public Transport, greets the first passengers. Seated in the driver’s cab, he fastens his seatbelt, ready to set off.

Feng’s recent viral video comes from his bilingual (双语的) stop announcements in Chinese and English, captivating netizens. Some remark, “It’s like a luxurious flight for just two yuan!”, praising Handan’s harmonious combination of tradition and modernity.

This transformation started when Feng greeted a group of foreign passengers with “Hello. Happy New Year!” during the Spring Festival. Encouraged by their positive feedback, he saw an opportunity to serve the many foreigners riding his bus. Determined to improve communication, Feng started an English learning journey.

Starting from zero, he was buried in online courses, sought English materials, and used translation software to enhance his skills. Today, his bilingual announcements reflect his dedication and Handan’s cultural charm.

Each evening, after dropping off his last passengers, Feng returned home around 9:00 pm, exhausted but determined. Despite his tiredness, he’d continue studying for an hour, even making the best of his 20-minute break.

Inspired by his colleagues and after three years of unstopped preparation, Feng boldly tried bilingual announcements during peak hours in early 2023. Initially nervous, he received overwhelming encouragement from passengers, strengthening his resolve to make bilingual announcements an essential part.

“Taking that first step was discouraging, but the positive feedback fueled my passion,” Feng recalled. “It’s become a goal and a cherished wish.”

Now, over a year and a half later, Feng’s bilingual announcements have gathered a devoted fan base. Passengers eagerly board the No. 38 bus to immerse themselves in his enriching language experience, while parents bring their children along for the educational ride. Feng’s dedication has transformed his routine bus rides into linguistic adventures, captivating hearts and minds alike.

1. What does the underlined sentence imply in Para. 2?

A．Feng’s oral English is perfect.

B．Feng drives the bus as fast as a plane.

C．Feng’s bus offers the same luxury and comfort as a plane.

D．Feng’s bus provides a bilingual atmosphere similar to that of plane.

2. What inspired Feng initially to announce the stops bilingually?

A．Enhancing his oral English.

B．Attracting more passengers to board his bus.

C．Reflecting Handan’s cultural charm to the passengers.

D．Better serving foreigners on his bus after their thumbs-up.

3. Which of the following can best describe Feng?

A．Brave and patriotic.	B．Strong-willed and diligent.
C．Devoted and patient.	D．Considerate and frank.

4. What can we learn from the passage?

A．All roads lead to Rome.	B．It is never too old to learn.
C．Where there is will, there is a way.	D．A man can do no more than he can.

4 . People perceive happiness differently, with some seeing the glass half full while others half empty. Sonja Lyubomirsky, a social psychologist, explained that happiness comprises positive emotions and life satisfaction.     1     Can you change your set range to be a happier person? She believes that we can change how we think and how we behave and also we can change our habits or develop a new habit. Happy people tend to have such certain habits.

Go with the “flow”. Be absorbed in what you do. “When you’re so fully engaged in what you’re doing that you don’t notice the passage of time, you are in a state called ‘flow’, which is associated with joy,” Lyubomirsky explained. “    2     On the contrary, try something as casual and relaxing as completing a group project at the office or enjoying a hobby with your partner.”

    3     When it comes to your happiness level, personal relationships have a bigger impact than money, a job title or even your health. “Spending more quality time with your partner, spouse, or kids, or reconnecting with old friends, are sure-fire ways to increase your own and others’ average levels of joy.” Lyubomirsky said “pick a relationship in need of strengthening, and invest time and energy in healing, cultivating and enjoying it.”     4    

Practice random acts of kindness and express gratitude. Take a moment to do nice things for others. “Being kind to other people brings on a lot of positive results. It makes you feel generous and capable, leads you to feel grateful about your own situation, and gives you a greater sense of interconnectedness with the world,” Lyubomirsky said. “    5     And, in turn, the benefit helps nurture your own self- esteem and help get you through the rest of the day or week.”

We hope these three tips help you elevate your happiness game.

A．Manage your circles.

B．Celebrate good news.

C．This small investment may go a long way.

D．It also gives joy to other people and leads them to like you more.

E．Researchers measure those components by asking people such questions.

F．The question for researchers returns to that glass half-full or half-empty issue.

G．You don’t have to compete in a high- risk game of tennis or climb Mount Everest.

6 . Forgetting is a fact of life that many people find frustrating. But growing evidence pushes back at the belief that a slip or escape in our recollection is evidently bad. Indeed, forgetting can sometimes help people cope psychologically or let go of useless knowledge.

In a new study, neuroscientist Tomas Ryan of Trinity College Dubli and his colleagues have examined the fundamental biology underlying a form of forgetting we experience every day. Their work suggests that when we can’t recall an old phone number or a high school teacher’s name, those details are not necessarily lost.

As Ryan explained to Mind Matters editor Daisy Yuhas, forgetting may be an active process that the brain uses to support learning. He also discussed how dementia (痴呆) may ultimately effect disordered forgetting more than lost memories.

You study an idea that some people may find counter-intuitive (反直觉的): forgetting can be part of learning. How so? We often think of forgetting as a loss of the brain power or a limitation. Memory loss from dementia or brain injury, for example, can be devastating. But we also experience “everyday forgetting” as we go about our lives because there’s just so much going on. We’re expected to learn and retain many things in order to function in modern society. Some are quite arbitrary, such as having to memorize facts you’ll never need again for school exams. Others are not so arbitrary but are still quite demanding, such as the knowledge you build to become a practicing doctor.

Although we may think of forgetting as a trouble, and it often is, it could be a feature of the brain rather than a bug. A growing body of research in neuroscience is studying the idea that forgetting is adaptive rather than limiting. So forgetting comes in many forms?

There are different kinds that people generally consider distinct. We may use the word amnesia (健忘症) for a kind of forgetting that most people would agree is neither adaptive nor beneficial. Some forms of amnesia make it difficult to form new memories while others make it difficult to recall memories formed before an injury.

1. How does the author introduce the topic of the passage?

A．By defining a concept.	B．By presenting a study result.
C．By making comparison.	D．By giving an example.

2. What does the author agree in the passage?

A．Dementia mainly results in lost memories.

B．Forgetting means imperfection of the brain.

C．It’s terrible that the best friend’s name escapes me.

D．The knowledge you need to be a teacher is not arbitrary.

3. What can be learned from the last two paragraphs?

A．Scientists think forgetting limits our life.

B．Neuroscientists are researching the adaptive role of forgetting.

C．People would agree that amnesia is harmful in most condition.

D．Amnesia definitely makes it challenging to recollect memories.

4. What is the purpose of the passage?

A．To explain the reasons of forgetting.	B．To present the process of forgetting.
C．To emphasize the benefits of forgetting.	D．To clarify the misunderstanding of forgetting.

7 . The Paris 2024 Olympic Games boasts a diverse range of sporting events, among which innovative additions are sure to captivate audiences worldwide.

Breakdance

Description: Breakdance, AKA breaking or B-boying, is an urban dance style that combines acrobatic moves, complex footwork, and a distinctive DJ and MC presence.

Events: Men’s and Women’s singles, with 16 athletes each competing in 1VS1 battles.

Key Elements: Athletes perform combinations of moves such as the 6- step, and freezes, judged on execution, creativity, and style.

Skateboarding

Description: A street-inspired sport where male and female athletes perform a variety of tricks on skateboards, featuring two venues: Park and Street.

Events: Park (a concave course with curves and ramps) and Street (a straight course with stairs, rails, and other obstacles mimicking (模拟) urban environments), awarding four gold medals.

Key Elements: Tricks, and Grabs are judged on execution, creativity, and flow.

Sport Climbing

Description: Sport Climbing is a modern sport that requires athletes to navigate various heights and angles of artificial rock walls, performing moves like turns, pull-ups, jumps, and more.

Events: Bouldering, Lead Climbing, and Speed Climbing, with men’s and women’s events in Speed and Combined.

Key Elements: Athletes are judged on speed, accuracy, and power in Speed Climbing, and on route completion, difficulty, and style in Bouldering and Lead Climbing.

Surfing

Description: Surfing involves riding waves using a surfboard, showcasing athletes’ skill, balance, and courage in the sea.

Events: Men’s and Women’s Shortboard events, where athletes perform technical maneuvers on waves.

Key Elements: Judges evaluate athletes based on the difficulty, variety, and execution of their maneuvers, as well as their speed and fluidity.

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games offer innovative new additions with unique twists, which promise to deliver a thrilling and memorable experience. And return to home page to find more about Unique Aspects of Traditional Sports.

1. What can be learned about Breakdance?

A．Athletes need to perform with high speed.

B．The game is popular both in cities and rural areas.

C．Men and women can battle 1VS1 in the same game.

D．Athletes who perform creatively may get high scores.

2. What do the four sporting events have in common?

A．They are all performed outdoors.

B．Their venues must meet strict requirements.

C．They give fair opportunities to men and women.

D．They are all easily influenced by bad weather.

3. Where is the text most probably taken from?

A．A poster.

B．A website.

C．A brochure.

D．A magazine.

8 . In November 1996, the National Art Museum of China received a donation of 117 paintings, sculptures and installations made after 1970 by European and US artists. Featured artists include important figures of modern and contemporary art, such as Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, Gerhard Richter and David Hockney.

The donation was made by German collectors Irene and Peter Ludwig. The couple traveled in many Chinese cities in the 1980s and 1990s, witnessing what was happening following the country’s reform and opening-up. Peter Ludwig, an industrialist who held a PhD in art history, initialed a donation agreement with the museum in May 1996 but died two months later. His widow Irene Ludwig attended the donation ceremony and exhibition.

Yang Lizhou, then the museum’s vice director, recalled that when Peter Ludwig visited China to discuss about donation, he was not very determined but said “YES” after Yang told him that one quarter of the world’s population would support and remember him for his generosity.

The museum has toured the Ludwig collection in many cities over the past two decades, broadening people’s vision of fine arts. Many Chinese artists and art researchers had their first look at a real Picasso and also, got to know about the scope and depth of contemporary art. And now it exhibits 50 works from the collection to again mark the importance of the couple’s contribution to Chinese art circles and art education.

This portrait of Peter Ludwig shows a highly recognizable style of pop art figure Andy Warhol. Warhol portrayed many celebrities of various fields, including art, literature, movie, music and politics, in the 1970s, such as Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley. Sketchy lines and a combination of bright colors highlight the subject’s distinctive personality, and bring him closer to the audience.

The Ludwig donated another three Picasso paintings, in which Man and Woman by a Flower Vase was completed three years before he died. The painting expressed fascinations of love and the burden it brings by merging the images of a woman and a man, where they seem physically independent while bound by scarfs reluctantly which made the man look dejected. This painting is distinctive from other masterpieces of Picasso.

1. What made Peter finally decide to donate his collections?

A．Yang’s encouragement.	B．His passion for fine arts.
C．China’s reform and opening-up.	D．His wealth and a PhD in art history.

2. What is the influence of the couple’s donation?

A．Making the museum more splendid.

B．Laying a solid foundation for Chinese art circle.

C．Widening Chinese people’s horizon of elegant arts.

D．Deepening people’s understanding of traditional art.

3. What does the underlined word “dejected” in Para 6 mean?

A．Depressed.

B．Delighted.

C．Dedicated.

D．Deserted.

4. What is a suitable title for the text?

A．The important figures of modern art.

B．A German couple’s shining achievements.

C．A generous gift package from a German couple.

D．The significance of a German couple’s donation.

10 . The estimated number of monarch butterflies migrating (迁徙) to Mexico for winter has reached its second - lowest level ever for the 2023 to 2024 overwintering season. The estimate, based on the size of the butterflies’ hibernating forest area, has dropped by about 59% from the previous year, according to officials.

Experts are pointing to extensive heat and drought as well as climate change for the major decline. Now monarch butterflies face three primary threats, including habitat loss for their breeding and overwintering; the use of pesticides, which can be toxic (有毒的) to the butterflies or can kill their food source, milkweed; and climate change, which can shift their migratory patterns. By the 2022 to 2023 overwintering season, World Wildlife Fund reported a 22% drop in the amount of overwintering monarch butterflies in Mexico.

According to WWF, monarch butterflies once covered about 45 acres of forested land in Mexico during their 1996 to 1997 overwintering season. Last year, they covered 5.5 acres. With the 59% decline, the 2023 overwintering season saw the butterflies covering just 2.2 acres, The Associated Press reported. The lowest coverage ever recorded was 1.65 acres from 2013 to 2014. The largest amount of butterflies observed for the current overwintering season were around the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve.

“This is not the first time we’ve observed changes in the locations of the largest monarch colonies,” Jorge Rickards, general director of WWF Mexico, said in a statement. “It’s telling us that we need to strengthen conservation and restoration measures not only in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, but also outside of it.” According to the Center for Biological Diversity, monarch butterflies have declined by 85% in the past 20 years. The eastern monarch butterflies migrate from Canada and the U. S. to Mexico for overwintering. Western monarchs, which overwinter in California, have declined 99% in the past two decades.

In 2020, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service noted that these butterflies do warrant protections under the Endangered Species Act, but there were higher-priority species to consider for listing. Biologist Ryan Drum, who works with the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, told The Associated Press that the latest count would be considered this year when officials consider whether to list migratory monarch butterflies as threatened or even endangered.

1. What can we learn from the first two paragraphs?

A．More butterflies are migrating to Mexico.

B．The number of butterflies is getting larger.

C．The size of forest area is decreasing faster.

D．Monarch butterflies are facing survival crisis.

2. How does the author show us the gravity of the problem concerning monarch butterflies?

A．By listing concrete numbers.

B．By describing typical scenes.

C．By interviewing some scientists.

D．By making reasonable predictions.

3. What does Jorge Rickards suggest people do?

A．Increase the number of the butterfly reserves.

B．Observe the changing number of the butterflies.

C．Take more actions to protect the butterflies.

D．Distinguish eastern butterflies from western ones.

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

A．Resist.

B．Need.

C．Support.

D．Provide.