1 . Throughout my 41 years at General Electric, I’ve experienced a lot. In the media, I’ve gone from prince to pig and back again. And I’ve been called many things.
In the early days, some called me a crazy, wild man. When I became CEO two decades ago, Wall Street asked, “Jack who?”
When I tried to make GE more competitive by cutting back our workforce in the early 1980s, the media called me “Neutron Jack.” When they learned we were focused on values and culture at GE, people asked if “Jack has gone soft. ” I’ve been No. 1 or No. 2 Jack, Services Jack, Global Jack, and, in more recent years. Six Sigma Jack and e-Business Jack.
When we made an effort to acquire Honeywell in October 2000, and I agreed to stay on through the transition (过渡期), some thought of me as the Long-in-the-Tooth Jack hanging on by his fingertips to his CEO job.
Those characterizations said less about me and a lot more about the stage our company went through. Truth is, down deep, I’ve never really changed much from the boy my mother raised in Salem, Massachusetts.
When I started on this journey in 1981, standing before Wall Street analysts for the first time at New York’s Pierre Hotel, I said I wanted GE to become “the most competitive enterprise on earth.” My objective was to put a small-company spirit in a big-company body, to build an organization out of an old-line industrial company that would be more high-spirited, more adaptable, and more flexible than companies that are one-fiftieth our size. I said then that I wanted to create a company “where people dare to try new things, where people know that only the limits of their creativity and drive, their own standards of personal excellence, will be the ceiling on how far and how fast they move. ”
I’ve put my mind, my heart, and my courage into that journey every day of the 40-plus years I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of GE.
1. According to the first two paragraphs, the author ______.| A．had many ups and downs | B．had a poor image in public |
| C．became CEO of GE 41 years ago | D．suffered from some mental illnesses |
| A．his company’s different stages of development | B．the various opinions of different journalists |
| C．the change of his character with the time | D．his popularity among his friends and relatives |
| A．was a big company with a small-company’s spirit | B．was the most competitive company in the world |
| C．differed from many old-line industrial companies | D．should seek broader space for development |
| A．Seeking a higher position in GE | B．Travelling from home to office |
| C．Taking GE to a new height | D．Growing from a baby into an adult |
2 . Common Mistakes New Runners Make
Running is a great way to get in shape and just about everyone can do it. However, many make a number of common mistakes, which can interfere (妨碍) with training or lead to injury.
·Doing too much too soon
One of the biggest mistakes new runners make is doing too much too soon. Slowly easing into a training program will help reduce the risk of injury, so you can continue on with your new running routine
·
Beginners might think they need to run every day (or nearly every day) to meet their fitness or weight-loss goals, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Running is a high-impact activity which can be really hard on your body. So it’s important to give your body a rest between workouts.
·Not wearing the right equipment
•Running through pain
| A．Not taking rest days |
| B．If you’re just starting out |
| C．Comparing yourself to others |
| D．Running can be uncomfortable at times |
| E．It’s important not to use the same muscles |
| F．While it may be true that you don’t need expensive equipment to take up running |
| G．Experts suggest increasing your running distance by no more than 10% each week |
3 . A new study suggests that science role-playing may help tighten the gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and math(STEM)education and careers for women simply by improving their identity as scientists.
Frustrated by the gender gap in STEM, in which some fields employ at least three times more men than women, Cornell graduate student Reut Shachnai wanted to do something about it. Reut said the idea to help foster young girls’ interest in science came to her during a lecture in a class she was taking on Psychology of Imagination.
Reut designed an experiment to test if assuming the role of a successful scientist would improve girls’ persistence in a “sink or float” science game. The game itself was simple yet challenging: a computer screen projected a slide with an object in the center above a pool of water. Kids then had to predict whether the object would sink or float.
She studied 240 four -to -seven -year -olds, because this is around the time kids first develop their sense of identity and capabilities. They were divided into two groups. Children in the “story” group learned about the successes and struggles of a gender -matched scientist before playing the game. Boys heard about Isaac Newton and girls were told about Marie Curie. Children in the “pretend” group were told to assume the identity of the scientist they just learned about.
All kids played at least one round of the game. No matter what group they were in, girls got the answers right just as often as boys -nearly 70% of the time. Boys, however, didn’t really benefit from the stories or make-believe. Besides, girls pretending to be Dr. Marie persisted twice as long at the sink-or-float game, playing just as much as the boys did.
Reut’s teacher Tamar Kushnir said, “Rather than merely hearing about role models, children may benefit from actively performing the type of actions they see role models perform. In other words, taking a few steps in the role model’s shoes, instead of merely observing her walk.”
1. Why did Reut design a “sink or float” science game?| A．To handle the gender gap in STEM. | B．To attach importance to STEM. |
| C．To draw kids’ attention to STEM. | D．To compare boys’ and girls’ persistence. |
| A．Kids enjoyed listening to scientists’ stories. | B．Boys avoided playing make-believe games. |
| C．Girls performed as well as boys in science. | D．Children followed Dr. Marie to explore science. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Doubtful. | C．Indifferent. | D．Negative. |
| A．Girls should get recognition like boys | B．A fine example has boundless power for kids |
| C．Girls can work on more science games | D．Make-believe exercises benefit girls in STEM |
4 . Here are four books for teens to read before they turn 18, including a mix of classics, young adult fiction and non-fiction. Parents may even want to re-read.
The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas
This may be one of the most powerful books of the decade, which deals with themes of race and community in a moving way that will speak to any teen. This book is an award winner and one for both parents and their children.
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
This book is a series of short writings surrounding the experiences of Esperanza Cordero, a Latina girl living in Chicago. It will take readers along a coming-of-age story that explores happiness, heartbreak and everything in between.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
This novel centers around a boy with autism (自闭症) and a mystery that the readers get to experience from the viewpoint of Christopher John Francis Boone. He doesn’t understand human emotion, and living this mystery through this angle is a thoughtful way for teens to understand the ways in which people can differ yet also be the same.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’ Engle
Though this book recently became popular again due to the release of the movie version, the movie is not a substitute for this beautiful story about family and the process of embracing who you truly are through the angle of space and time exploration.
1. What do we know about The House on Mango Street?| A．It consists of short writings. | B．It reflects the happiness of a girl. |
| C．It mainly deals with race conflicts. | D．It is a description of Latina children. |
| A．A reader. | B．A hero. | C．A writer. | D．A publisher. |
| A．The Hate You Give. | B．A Wrinkle in Time. |
| C．The House on Mango Street. | D．The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. |
5 . Bumble bees (大黄蜂) play, according to new research led by Queen Mary University of London. It is the first time that object play behaviour has been shown in an insect, adding to evidence that bees may experience positive feelings.
The researchers set up numerous experiments to test this, which showed bumble bees went out of their way to roll wooden balls repeatedly despite there being no apparent motivation for doing so. The study also found that younger bees rolled more balls than older bees and that male bees rolled them for longer than their female ones.
The study followed 45 bumble bees. Individual bees rolled balls between 1 and, impressively, 117 times over the experiment. The repeated behaviour suggested that ball-rolling was rewarding. This was supported by a further experiment where another 42 bees were given access to two coloured rooms, one always containing movable balls and one without any object. When tested and given a choice between the two rooms, neither containing balls, bees showed a preference for the colour of the room previously associated with the wooden balls.
The experiments removed any idea that the bees were moving the balls for any greater purpose other than play. Rolling balls did not contribute to survival strategies and was done under stress-free conditions.
The research was based on previous experiments, which showed that bumble bees could be taught to score a goal by rolling a ball to a target in exchange for a sugary food reward. The new research showed the bees rolling balls repeatedly without being trained and without receiving any food for doing so — it was spontaneous.
Professor Lars Chittka said, “Play is thought to contribute to the healthy development and maintenance of an animal’s cognitive (认知) and motor abilities, which may make for their searching for food and is considered an important aspect of animal welfare. The finding shows insect minds are far more complex than we expect. We need to do all we can to protect insects.”
1. What do we know about female bumble bees compared with male ones?| A．They rolled far more balls. |
| B．They spent less time playing rolls. |
| C．They had bigger motivation to roll balls. |
| D．They preferred to play in the colorful rooms. |
| A．Rolling balls is what bumble bees are expert in. |
| B．Rolling balls helps reduce bumble bees’ pressure. |
| C．Rolling balls develops bumble bees’ survival skills. |
| D．Rolling balls is done without any purpose for bumble bees. |
| A．Voluntary. | B．Rewarding. | C．Forced. | D．Conscious |
| A．Play makes a difference to animals’ life. | B．Humans find it hard to figure out insect minds. |
| C．Many insects are faced with dying out. | D．Play can ensure insects to find food successfully. |
6 . “Yard sale” is appealing to bargain hunters, antique seekers and so on. It may seem simple.
Plan in advance. Have you decided you’re going to have a yard sale? Great!
Get help. You probably don’t want to do this all alone since your attention will be spread pretty thin during busy sale periods. Ask a couple of friends, neighbors or family members to help you out with set-up, running the register or clean-up -or better yet, to add their own things to the sale.
Be safe.
| A．Make it look appealing. |
| B．Put your stuff on the table individually. |
| C．The following tips can give you a hand. |
| D．Now give yourself at least one month to pull it together. |
| E．Multi-family or neighborhood-wide sales draw more buyers. |
| F．But a yard sale does require some knowledge and effort to be a success. |
| G．Remember, there are some strangers simply coming over to browse your goods. |
7 . While most teenagers are simply hoping to get their driver’s license, 17-year-old Mack Rutherford has had far higher goals. The ambitious teen sought to become the youngest person to fly solo around the world. After five months and a day, Rutherford successfully achieved the incredible feat.
In March 2022, 16-year-old Rutherford took off on his adventure. He flew a Shark, a high-performance ultralight (超轻型的) aircraft. His journey around the world tested him in the skies through monsoons (季风) and extreme temperatures. Rutherford’s longest flight on this journey was from Japan to the U. S., which took him 10 hours over water. The highest altitude he had to face was 12, 500 feet over Mexico. He flew across four continents, 30 countries.
After everything, Rutherford landed safely in Sofia on August 24. He arrived home to discover he’d broken two Guinness world records: he is the youngest person ever to fly around the world solo, and also the youngest person to do it in an ultralight aircraft. But he surprised the world by becoming the youngest pilot ever at age 15, when he received his microlight pilot’s license.
This incredible achievement at such a young age is certainly worth celebrating and his family might be the perfect people to fully appreciate it. Rutherford’s father is a professional pilot. This sparked an interest in aviation (飞行) for the young Rutherford since he was 11. And Rutherford’s sister, Zara Rutherford, recently completed a similar solo journey and holds her own world record as the youngest female pilot to complete a solo flight around the world.
“I’m very happy to complete my five-month journey around the world,” Rutherford said. “It took a bit longer than it was supposed to, but everything is fine. I’m trying to show that young people can do something special and make a difference; just follow their dreams and they’ll eventually come true.”
1. Which word can best describe Rutherford’s flying journey?| A．Smooth. | B．Tough. | C．Tiresome. | D．Thrilling. |
| A．His ambition different from his peers. | B．His accomplishment of a solo journey. |
| C．His high-performance ultralight aircraft. | D．His microlight pilot’s license at age of 15. |
| A．Through his father’s influence. | B．From Zara Rutherford’s support. |
| C．By imitating most teenagers’ dreams. | D．Out of his talent for solo flights. |
| A．Learn to fly as early as possible. | B．Take heart to achieve their dreams. |
| C．Do special things to change the world. | D．Travel the world to enrich their experience. |
8 . Broadcom MASTERS awards $100, 000 in prizes, inspiring and rewarding the Nation’s next generation of scientists, engineers, and innovators. The competition took place in Washington, D. C.. It’s aimed to test participants’ 21st Century skills of critical thinking, communication, creativity and cooperation in each of the STEM areas.
Elizabeth Shen, 14, Cary, N. C., demonstrated both vision and promise as an innovator, in the spirit of radio inventor Guglielmo Marconi. Elizabeth drew inspiration from the way many flowers grow to design a system for better managing the wear on a computer’s memory. Over time, many heavily used cells within computers become damaged, and the memory must be replaced. Elizabeth’s system reduces the average number of times cells were accessed, compared to other options.
Rory Hu, 12, San Jose, Calif., demonstrated excellence in science, technology, engineering or math, along with the leadership and technical skills necessary in the 21st Century STEM workforce and built a better community for tomorrow. Rory’s research on honeybees suggests that feeding bees tea polyphenols (茶多酚) and caffeine could boost their ability to learn and remember.
Mina Fedor, 14, Berkeley, Calif., used electroencephalography (脑电图学), or EEG, to measure a certain type of brain activity as people did active and passive learning tasks. Mina’s research, which found that the brain doesn’t substantially differentiate between the two different kinds of learning, could impact the way educators teach.
Jeanelle Dao, 13, San Jose, Calif., created a promising solution to a real-world problem. She invented a foot-controlled welcome mat that wirelessly automatically unlocks a door when the user puts his/her feet on the correct code. The device could help people with arthritis (关节炎) and other hand problems become more self-sufficient.
1. What advantage does Elizabeth Shen’s system have?| A．Updating computers’ memory in time. | B．Changing the way many flowers grow. |
| C．Passing on Guglielmo Marconi’s spirit. | D．Extending the using life of the computer. |
| A．Elizabeth Shen. | B．Rory Hu. | C．Mina Fedor. | D．Elizabeth Shen. |
| A．It helps treat people with arthritis. | B．It requires users to press codes by hand. |
| C．It makes it convenient to open the door. | D．It was intended for ones with hand problems. |
9 . New research led by scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has revealed that the spiny pollen (带刺花粉) of plants in the sunflower family can reduce infection of a common bee parasite (寄生生物) by up to 94 percent. The sunflowers'spiny pollen can destroy a parasite called C. bombi (熊蜂短膜虫), which has been significantly reducing bumblebee populations.
To investigate how sunflowers help bumblebees resist C. bombi, the researchers separated the spiny outer shell of the pollen from the chemical metabolites (代谢物) in the pollen’s core. They then mixed the spiny pollen shells of sunflowers, with the chemistry removed, into the pollen fed to one group of bees.
Another group was fed wildflower pollen with sunflower metabolites and no sunflower shells. The researchers discovered that the bees that ate the spiny sunflower pollen shells had the same response as bees feeding on whole sunflower pollen. These bees had a markedly reduced risk of C. bombi infection compared to those fed sunflower metabolites.
Bumblebees, which are vital pollinators of crops and wildflowers, are experiencing a rapid decline in their populations worldwide. Habitat loss due to urbanization and agricultural intensification is the greatest threat to bumblebees. Climate change is also taking a toll on bumblebees. As temperatures rise, bumblebees are forced to move further north to cooler climates, which can affect their ability to find food and nesting sites. Pesticide use is another significant threat to bumblebees. These chemicals are harmful to them and can damage their navigation and immune systems, leading to reduced reproductive success. Bumblebees play a vital role in maintaining healthy and diverse ecosystems. Understanding how sunflowers protect bees from disease could help us identify other flowers that have similar protective properties. Through this, researchers can work towards developing new strategies to help conserve bumblebees.
1. How does the spiny pollen of sunflowers benefit bees?| A．It protects them from predators. | B．It improves their sense of smell. |
| C．It can be used for their nest building. | D．It helps them resist parasite infections. |
| A．By collecting data. | B．By making comparisons. |
| C．By referring to previous studies. | D．By surveying experienced farmers. |
| A．Habitat loss. | B．Climate change. | C．The use of pesticides. | D．Environmental pollution. |
| A．It offers a way to increase sunflower yield. |
| B．It draws public attention to the role of ecosystems. |
| C．It provides a new idea for protecting bumblebees. |
| D．It allows people to distinguish between different plants species. |
10 . On April 18—the International Day for Monuments and Sites, China Daily’s digital employee Yuanxi and Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes’ official virtual cartoon figure Jiayao together introduced an interactive digital platform that hosts a virtual copy of the Mogao Grottoes’ Library Cave(藏经洞) to the world.
The platform was developed jointly by the Dunhuang Academy and the Chinese tech firm Tencent. It uses gaming technologies to show the historical scenes of the Library Cave in the digital world.
The Library Cave in Mogao Grottoes was discovered in 1900, with more than 60,000 cultural relics dating from the 4th century to the 11th century unearthed. It was one of the most important archaeological discoveries in the 20th century.
On the platform, visitors can role-play and “time travel” to ancient dynasties and talk with eight historical figures. The public can enter the platform through the Digital Dunhuang website and its WeChat mini program.
In the digital age, the model of “culture+technology” has been introduced to promote the development of Chinese culture. The digitalization rate of China’s precious cultural relics is now over 70 percent, according to the 2022 China Digital Collection Industry Research Report released by iResearch.
Institutions such as the Palace Museum have also started online digital services of their own. Artificial intelligence (AI) technology allows the public to view the interior of the buildings through the Palace Museum’s WeChat mini program.
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has also encouraged the development and transformation of cultural intellectual property(知识产权) by digital means. China Central Television has created a series of digital collections with different Dunhuang themes, such as the Dunhuang divine deer(神鹿) Youyou. It was created based on the image of the nine-colored deer from Dunhuang murals(壁画). The public can see the divine deer on CCTV’s own digital platform.
Digital collections cater to the consumption habits of young people, who grow up in the information age. They not only protect the intellectual property of the collections but also bring the public closer to China’s “excellent traditional culture”, noted Dunhuang Art Institute.
Su Bomin, director of the Dunhuang Academy, told Xinhua that more efforts will be made to explore new forms for showing cultural relics and offer the public greater cultural experiences to develop Dunhuang culture.
1. What can visitors do on the interactive digital platform for the Mogao Grottoes’ Library Cave?| A．Play role-playing games set in ancient times. |
| B．Play video games featuring historical figures. |
| C．Talk to the designer of the digital Library Cave. |
| D．Design digital caves showing historical scenes. |
| A．To show the latest gaming technologies. |
| B．To help cultural institutions make a profit. |
| C．To promote the development of Chinese culture. |
| D．To encourage people to explore new forms of cultural relics. |
| A．To stress the importance of digital collections. |
| B．To describe its popularity among young people. |
| C．To present how digital collections are developed. |
| D．To introduce a successful example of digital collections. |
| A．Ignore. | B．Satisfy. |
| C．Challenge. | D．Change. |
