1 . Music is known to have a great deal of mental and physical benefits on humans. From helping to treat physical medical problems to relieving stress, music can be extremely beneficial in helping to improve health.     1    

Animals may have a great deal of stress.     2     Dogs and cats may be stressed when around men because they were badly treated by a man, and they may never forget that. A dog who was attacked by another dog while on a walk may be always afraid to go on walks, or even be afraid to leave the house.

    3     Cats, dogs and horses will not all have the exact same stressors (压力源), so you just have to pay close attention to your animal and what makes them unique, such as changes in eating habits, too much sleep and too little sleep, just to name a few.

Music can be extremely beneficial for animals in high stress situations.     4     In the atmosphere, they feel calm, safe and well protected. Music can be specifically helpful when played at veterinary (兽医的) clinics for animals who are afraid of the vet. This helps calm the owners of the animals and the staff at the office besides the animals.     5     That’s why it is being taken up at a variety of veterinary clinics around the world.

A．It can create a space for them.

B．The same goes for our furry friends, too.

C．They could be stressed for a variety of reasons.

D．It would be a beneficial practice for all parties.

E．Another place where music can be helpful is in car rides.

F．There are ways that you can identify stress in your animals.

G．It’s no wonder loud noises can cause dogs and cats so much stress.

2 . Music is present in any part of the world, and it is appreciated and felt everywhere. Without its presence, life could be boring. Studies show that music is good for your body and mind.     1    

Music can increase pain management. Listening to music can help increase your pain tolerance (耐痛性).     2     Listening to music can help you gain a sense of control over your ability to deal with pains. If you have a certain pain, for example, listening to music that you enjoy can help reduce the pain that you experience.

●    3     Listening to certain types of music, such as relaxing music, can naturally reduce both your heartbeat rate and breathing rate. Additionally, music has shown promising results as a treatment for heart disease. Whether it involves listening to music or composing music, the calming effect that music produces further improves your heart’s health by supporting it throughout the healing process.

●Music can reduce anxiety and depression     4     When it comes to anxiety and depression, music treatment can help to reduce the amount of stress hormones. For example, listening to music that you enjoy can naturally decrease the amount of cortisol (皮质醇) that your body releases.

●Music can improve self-expression and communication. Self-expression and communication are an important part of the human experience, especially when it comes to basic emotional and mental health needs.     5     By listening and singing along to music, kids who struggle to interact and communicate with others can practice using the very skills needed to do so.

A．Music can improve heart health.

B．Music can increase your heartbeat rate.

C．Here are some benefits of music treatment.

D．They are two common pains in your daily life.

E．It has been proved to be helpful for anxious and depressed people.

F．Listening to music can also help decrease the strength of your pains.

G．For kids weak in both areas, music treatment can help develop their relative skills.

3 . Music is part of our life.    1     It is the best tool to use when you’ve had a hard day. There are some other great uses for your collection of slow tracks.

Pregnancy (孕期)

    2    Since fetal (胎儿) brain development begins in the fifth week, it might be a great idea to try to get your baby in a relaxed state early on. Some mothers do this by putting earphones over their bellies.

High Stress Tasks

    3     The tendency of relaxing sounds to slow you down may really be good for you even if you are trying to push yourself to meet a deadline. Slowing down means you have a better chance at working more carefully and preventing big mistakes.

    4    

Going to see the doctor or the dentist can be somewhat scary experiences. You might therefore want to request some calming music.     5     If yours doesn’t, you might want to bring your own sounds stored in a device so you can have a more personal experience listening to them with earphones.

A．Medical Appointments

B．Important Interviews

C．Most people tend to use calming music.

D．Many doctors actually already provide this.

E．Parents hope their babies can grow under calming music.

F．Science has proven that musical tones affect the brain waves.

G．Gentle tunes can help you deal with stressful work well.

4 . On a freezing day, one motivated and ambitious 8-year-old boy, named Tristan Regini, stayed outside to make sure his neighbour stayed warm. Tristan Regini braved the cold Saturday by selling hot cocoa in his front yard to raise money for Children’s Hospital.

“It’s really cold,” he said while shivering. He owed all he did to doctors there for helping his best friend, Cade, who was fighting against cancer, so he wanted to pay them back. “I was thinking of doing a lemonade stand, but I figured that I could not do it in winter,” Tristan said. “Children’s Hospital saved his life, so now I’m trying to sponsor it even more.” The price of the hot cocoa is $1 a cup,$2 with marshmallows(棉花糖).You can watch the video above to learn how much money Tristan raised.

Tristan’s dad, Steve, said he was proud of his son, who came up with the idea all on his own. “You know what? He’s a warm-hearted little boy and it’s just awesome to see him want to do it,” he said. “It’s ambition and it’s also caring because of his friend, so it’s nice to see him do both, you know?” At one point, Steve said he wasn’t sure whether Tristan would actually go through with the sale, considering the temperature. “I wasn’t surprised, you know? That’s pretty much Tristan. That’s the way he is,” he said.

But Tristan proved him wrong, and planned to donate the money on Sunday. “If he had done this with me, he would have been very excited,” he said.

1. Why did Tristan Regini choose to sell hot cocoa on a freezing day?

A．To have fun.

B．To raise money.

C．To excite his father.

D．To help poor people.

2. Tristan Regini didn’t make a lemonade because ________.

A．it was too cold to sell out	B．it was not popular to people
C．it was not enjoyed by everyone	D．it was too cheap to raise enough money

3. What’s the attitude of Steve to Tristan’s behaviour?

A．Neutral.

B．Disappointed.

C．Approval.

D．Aggressive.

5 . We all know that leading a healthy lifestyle is essential, but sometimes it’s hard to stick to good habits. If you’re looking to make some changes and improve your health, this blog post is for you!     1    

Get moving

It’s no secret that exercise is good for you. Not only does it help to improve your overall health, but it can also boost your mood and increase your energy levels.     2     This could include going for a brisk walk, riding your bike, or taking a fitness class. There’s no need to go all out. Even moderate activity around your house, such as working in your garden, can benefit significantly.

Reduce or get rid of sugar

Sugar can cause inflammation (发炎) and worsen existing health conditions like diabetes and heart disease.     3     When you cut sugar out of your diet, you’ll likely notice an improvement in your energy levels, mental clarity, and overall sense of well-being. You may even drop a few pounds.

Drink more water

Your body comprises about 60% water. It helps flush toxins from your body, carry nutrients to your cells, and keep your skin healthy. It helps improve your mood and energy levels and helps you lose weight.     4     Also, it may surprise you how much better you feel.

Get enough sleep

A good night’s sleep is one of the best things you can do for your health and wellness. When you sleep enough, your body has adequate time to recharge and heal from the day’s activities, which also helps to improve focus and concentration, and help boost your mood.     5    

A．It can also lead to weight gain and make you feel exhausted.

B．You may have heard the advice to drink eight glasses of water a day.

C．These tips can help you get the restful sleep you need to feel your best.

D．Here are some simple tips that can help you turn things around within 30 days.

E．So next time you’re feeling tired, reach for a glass of water instead of a cup of coffee.

F．One way to make exercising easier is to set a daily goal of 30 minutes of physical activity.

G．However, when you don’t get enough rest, you’re more likely to have trouble concentrating.

6 . Brazilian artist Néle Azevedo is best known for big public art pieces. The artist carves hundreds of 20 -centimeter-tall ice figures seated with their ankles crossed and places them atop outdoor steps and puts them in city squares all over the world, where they quickly melt. The faceless sculptures drip and pool into small puddles as time passes. Her works have been adopted by environmentalists as a kind of activist art against climate change.

But is it? Yes and (mostly) no.

The mass of melting bodies makes a natural connection to the threat humankind faces due to rising global temperatures. “Its close link with that subject is evident,” said the artist. In addition to the threat of global warming itself, the sheer number of sculptures sitting together also calls attention to the fact that we humans are all in it together. “Such kind of threats also finally put man in his place, his fate is along with the destiny of the planet, and he is not the ‘king’ of nature, but an essential element of it,” continues Azevedo on her website.

“I took every characteristic of traditional monuments and made the opposite,” she says. “I made small figures that sit on the floor. It doesn’t honor anybody. It does honor the unknown.”

Azevedo explains, “In a few-minute action, the rules of the monument are inverted: in the place of the hero, the unknown; in the place of the solidity of the stone, the momentary process of the ice; in the place of the monument size, the minimum size of the perishable (易毁坏的) bodies.” Originally Azevedo wanted her art to get people thinking about impermanence, and the sight of ice transforming into a puddle of water certainly does that brilliantly.

1. What can we learn about Néle Azevedo’s artworks?

A．They are put in public places for artists to appreciate.

B．They are adopted as a way of showing artistic talents.

C．They are linked with the threat of climate change.

D．They are considered as a symbol of unity.

2. Which of the following can best replace the word “inverted” in paragraph 5 ?

A．kept track of	B．turned upside down
C．laid emphasis on	D．taken into account

3. What can be inferred about the square show from the last paragraph?

A．It is permanent by nature.

B．It lacks practical influence.

C．It takes long to see the results.

D．It conveys the artist’s exact intention.

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

A．Public Interest in Contemporary Art

B．Ice Figures Transforming into Water

C．Responsibility Demanded of Activist Artists

D．Mini Sculptures Echoing the Climate Crisis

7 . Scientists have solved a puzzle about modern humans, after research showed that a famous skull of a human ancestor found in South Africa is a million years older than experts thought. This discovery has changed what we know of human history.

The skull, which scientists have named “Mrs Ples”, is from an ape-like human relative from a species called Australopithecus africanus (南方古猿). It was found near Johannesburg in 1947 and, based on evidence from its surroundings, was thought to be between 2. 1 and 2. 6 million years old. This puzzled scientists, because although Mrs Ples looks like a possible early ancestor of early humans, the first true humans had already evolved by the time she apparently lived. For this reason, scientists had decided that Australopithecus afarensis, a similar species from East Africa that lived about 3.5 million years ago, was our most likely ancestor instead.

To get a more accurate age for Mrs Ples, a team led by Professor Darryl Granger of Purdue University in Indiana, US, used a new method to date the sandy rocks where the skull lay. They measured the amount of certain chemicals in rocks, which form at a steady rate when they are exposed to cosmic rays (宇宙射线) on Earth’s surface. Once rocks are buried, these chemicals stop forming and slowly disappear;the surviving amount reveals how much time has passed since the rock (or bones) were on the surface.

The new study shows that Mrs Ples and other australopithecine bones nearby are between 3.4 and 3.7 million years old. This means they lived at the same time as their East African relatives, so that either group could have given rise to modern humans. However, team member Dr Laurent Bruxelles pointed out that over millions of years, at only 2,500 miles away, these groups had plenty of time to travel and to breed with each other. In other words, the groups could quite easily have met, had children together and both been part of the history of modern humans.

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

A．It is a skull found in East Africa.

B．It is the most possible ancestor of humans.

C．It is a million years older than scientists expected.

D．It is proved to live between 2.1 and 2.6 million years ago.

2. How did scientists get the accurate age of “Mrs Ples”?

A．By studying the effect of cosmic rays.

B．By calculating the forming rate of chemicals.

C．By locating the sandy rocks where the skull lay.

D．By measuring the surviving amount of chemicals.

3. What can we infer from the new study?

A．Modern humans came into being in East Africa.

B．Mrs Ples travelled and had children with East African relatives.

C．The history of modern humans might begin 3.5 million years ago.

D．Ape-like species from Africa could have interacted with each other.

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

A．Historical Puzzle Unsolved	B．Ancestor Mystery Solved
C．Mrs Ples: The Earliest Human Being	D．Mrs Ples: A Famous Skull

8 . My new teacher is cool. Her name is Paula so we call her Miss Paula.

The first time we met her she said we are going to be good friends and that good friends are always nice to each other.

Miss Paula has been teaching us a lot of things. Some of us used to get in trouble for talking in the hallway (过道). Miss Paula says she can’t change the rule that we can’t make noise in the hallway but we can still talk to each other. She is teaching us sign language. I already know how to say “hello” and “how are you” with my hands. Now we love it when we have to walk somewhere and we are always quiet except for a laugh or two.

Miss Paula likes everybody even Sam and nobody likes Sam. He never does what he’s told but now he is doing better. Miss Paula says every single one of us is perfect and beautiful just the way we are. I guess that includes Sam.

This week at school was really the best ever. I didn’t even get in trouble when I thought I would because I spilled (洒) milk on my homework and had to hand it in when it was still wet. Miss Paula just smiled and asked “What’s this?” So I told her what happened. Miss Paula put it near the window to make it dry. She said the sun had been waiting for such an important job as this and would be happy to help us.

Well I have to go and get ready for bed now. I have school in the morning and I want to wake up early so I will have time to pick Miss Paula some flowers.

1. From the passage we know that Miss Paula ________.

A．is strict with the writer	B．changed the school rules
C．is very kind to her students	D．uses sign language in class

2. From Paragraph 4 what do we learn about Sam?

A．Sam dislikes his new teacher.	B．Sam has made some progress.
C．Sam is often praised by Miss Paula.	D．Sam is one of the writer’s best friends.

3. How did the writer probably feel when he handed in his homework?

A．Bored.

B．Excited.

C．Relaxed.

D．Worried.

4. We can learn from the passage that the writer ________.

A．loves and respects her new teacher	B．is a bit afraid of her new teacher
C．always picks her teacher some flowers	D．wrote this article in the morning

9 . Surprise is the error signal our brains produce when something unexpected happens. It is a dopamine (多巴胺) trigger, producing the neurotransmitter (神经递质) that drives attention and motivation.     1     It makes us stop, notice, and learn.

In his book The Power of Surprise, Rousell presents his finding from decades of his research:     2     They form our self-concept.

    3     Samantha felt her shyness was a weakness, until her swim coach surprised her by naming her captain. He said, “She may be quiet, but when this girl says something, you’re going to want to listen.” The surprise left her feeling quietly powerful. The change in her beliefs and behaviors was instant and lasting.

Not all surprising moments are created equal. Rousell illustrates some research-backed steps to use surprise well.

Spot a self-criticism you’d like to help someone revise. For example, perhaps your student sees himself as a slow learner, or your employee believes he lacks creativity.     4     Maybe the student who thinks he learns slowly is also very thorough. The employee who thinks he lacks creativity is highly logical. Make your message quick and to the point. The more you delay on the topic or dress it up as flowery praise, the less surprising it will be.     5    

A．Point out his weakness.

B．It was an essential adaptation for humans.

C．Identify the opposite side of the same coin.

D．Also, it will make less difference to one’s mind.

E．Here is an example the author shares in his book.

F．To put it simply, surprise is a big deal to our brains.

G．Surprise brings the experiences shaping who we believe we are.

10 . For nearly a decade now, Merebeth has been a self-employed pet transport specialist. Her pet transport job was born of the financial crisis(危机)in the late 2000s. The downturn hit the real estate (房地产)firm where she had worked for ten years as an office manager. The firm went broke and left her looking for a new job. One day, while driving near her home, she saw a dog wandering on the road, clearly lost. She took it home, and her sister in Denver agreed to take it. This was a loving home for sure, but 1, 600 miles away. It didn’t take long for Merebeth to decide to drive the dog there herself. It was her first road trip to her new job.

Merebeth’s pet delivery service also satisfies her wanderlust. It has taken her to every state in the US except Montana, Washington and Oregon, she says proudly. If she wants to visit a new place, she will simply find a pet with transport needs there. She travels in all weathers. She has driven through 55 mph winds in Wyoming, heavy flooding and storms in Alabama and total whiteout conditions in Kansas.

This wanderlust is inherited from her father, she says. She moved their family from Canada to California when she was one year old, because he wanted them to explore a new place together. As soon as she graduated from high school she left home to live on Catalina Island off the Californian coast, away from her parents, where she enjoyed a life of sailing and off-road biking.

It turns out that pet transporting pays quite well at about $30, 000 per year before tax. She doesn’t work in summer, as it would be unpleasantly hot for the animals in the car, even with air conditioning. As autumn comes, she gets restless—the same old wanderlust returning. It’s a call she must heed alone, though. Merebeth says, “When I am on the road, I’m just in my own world. I’ve always been independent-spirited and I just feel strongly that I must help animals.”

1. Why did Merebeth changed her job?

A．She wanted to work near her home.

B．She was tired of working in the office.

C．Her sister asked her to move to Denver.

D．Her former employer was out of business.

2. The word “wanderlust” in paragraph 2 means a desire to _________?

A．make money.	B．try various jobs.
C．be close to nature.	D．travel to different places.

3. What can we learn about Merebeth in her new job?

A．She has chances to see rare animals.

B．She works hard throughout the year.

C．She relies on herself the whole time.

D．She earns a basic and tax-free salary.