1 . Dog ownership may be associated with longer life, especially for heart attack and stroke (中风) suvivors who live alone, according to a new study.
Previous studies have shown that dog ownership alleviates social isolation (隔绝), improve physical activity and social bonds, even lowers blood pressure, leading researchers to believe dog owners could potentially have better health outcomes compared to non-owners. They sought to determine how dog ownership affected health outcomes.
Researchers compared the health outcomes of dog owners and non-owners after a heart attack or stroke using health data provided by the Swedish National Patient Register. Patients in the study were Swedish residents aged 40 to 85 who experienced a heart attack or stroke. Compared to people who did not own a dog, researchers found that for dog owners, the risk of death for heart attack patients living alone after hospitalization (住院) was 33% lower and 15% lower for those living with a partner or child. The risk of death for stroke patients living alone after hospitalization was 27% lower and 12% lower for those living with a partner or child.
The lower risk of death associated with dog ownership could be explained by an increase in physical activity and decreased depression and loneliness, both of which have been connected to dog ownership in previous studies.
While this study drew the conclusion from a large sample (样本), potential misclassifications (错误分类) of dog ownershipin couples living together, death of a dog and change of ownership could have affected the outcomes of the study.
The results of this study suggest positive effects of dog ownership for patients who have experienced a heart attack or stroke. However, more research is needed to confirm a cause-effect relationship. Moreover, from an animal welfare perspective (角度), dogs should only be owned by people who feel they have the ability and knowledge to give the pet a good life.
1. What does the underlined word “alleviates” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．reduces | B．increases | C．causes | D．shows |
| A．Healthy dog owners and those with illnesses. | B．Dog owners and non-owners in hospitalization. |
| C．40- to 85-year-old dog owners around the world. | D．Middle-aged and old heart attack or stroke survivors. |
| A．Dogs make people physically and mentally active. | B．Dogs give warning of heart attacks or strokes |
| C．Dogs encourage social participation. | D．Dogs save lives in emergencies. |
| A．Approving | B．Uncertain | C．Objective | D．Critical |
2 . Best Online Exercise Classes
Online exercise classes are changing the way we think about fitness, and here are some of the best apps for online exercise classes for you to select.
Daily Burn
Daily Burn offers a 30-day free trial, so you can get a feel for the classes and instructors before you make the decision. It provides over 1,000 classes ranging from choices for beginners to advanced athletes, all taught by expert trainers. There are classes that are 10 minutes and ones that are an hour, so you can do a workout that’s perfect for your schedule.
Alo Moves
Through this app, you’re given the chance to connect with encouraging coaches and other hard-working members, and take more than 2,500 different yoga classes of all styles and all difficulties. You can even take classes or practice yoga with any of your friends online. At a price point of $20 per month, it’s surely one of the reasonable at-home choices.
Booya Fitness
Classes offered include cardio (有氧运动) kickboxing, sports conditioning, dancing, and even more. Even if that sounds like you’ll need much expensive equipment, Booya Fitness promises that 75% of their workouts can be completed with just an exercise mat (垫子). Booya Fitness is also very selective (严格挑选的) in the music they play because they know a good song can make your cardio workout motivating. It’s a best choice for the middle and upper class.
Peloton
Peloton’s service is based on live classes intended for anyone who has a bike, and they require the Peloton branded equipment to join in. There are new classes every day, and thousands of classes to choose from. What’s more, there is also a treadmill users can purchase for running- and walking-based classes, and a TV app for strength classes. However, it will charge you more for the convenient service.
1. What can we know about Daily Burn?| A．It offers 30-day free trial classes freely. | B．It’s only suitable for advanced athletes. |
| C．Most classes are taught by experienced trainers. | D．It’s intended for anyone who has a bike. |
| A．Prices. | B．Sports facilities | C．Trainers | D．Music |
| A．Daily Burn. | B．Alo Moves. | C．Booya Fitness. | D．Peloton. |
3 . In the past, you may have had to carry a phrasebook with you when traveling to other countries. Nowadays, more and more people are using simple, free tools, not only to decode (译解 ) text but also to speak. Google Translate may be the best-known name in machine translation, but it often makes a blunder. However, DeepL Translate does better, offering various options, most of them along the correct lines.
Travel has long been a motivator for study-unless people start to feel AI tools offer a good-enough service. As AI translation becomes an even more popular labor-saving tool, people can be divided into two groups.There will be those who want to stretch their minds and immerse (使沉浸于) themselves in other cultures. This lot will still take on language study,often aided by technology. Others will look at learning a new language with a mix of admiration and puzzlement, and eventually give up trying to learn it.
As for the use of AI tools, some are concerned that apps are turning language learning into a downward trend. Douglas Hofstadter, a writer, has argued that something profound will disappear when people talk through machines. He describes giving a difficult speech in Mandarin, which requires a lot of work but offers a sense of accomplishment in the end. Who will take pride in taking a helicopter to the top of Mount Everest?
Others are less worried. Most people do not move abroad or have to be exposed to a foreign culture that requires them to put in the work to become fluent. Nor do most people learn languages for the purpose of humanising themselves or training their brains.
But a focus on the learner alone misses the basic social nature of language. When you try to ask directions in broken German, you are making direct contact with someone. When you speak a language well enough to tell a story with perfect timing, that connection is more profound.The best relationships do not require an intermediary (中间人).
1. What does the underlined word "blunder" in paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Mistake. | B．Choice. | C．Adjustment. | D．Decision. |
| A．They may not offer accurate translations. |
| B．They may make language learning less popular. |
| C．They may weaken people's interest in other cultures. |
| D．They may provide a limited service for language learning. |
| A．It provides people with new experience. |
| B．It can replace traditional language study methods. |
| C．It represents a new tendency to language learning. |
| D．It lessens the sense of achievement in language study. |
| A．It enables cultural exchanges. | B．It improves communication skills. |
| C．It strengthens connections with others. | D．It adds fun to the storytelling experience. |
4 . Four best thrift (节俭) stores in New York
Housing Works
•Address: NYC Multiple Locations
•Opening Hours: 11 am-7 pm Monday-Saturday; 12 pm-5 pm Sunday
Housing Works has locations offering many second-hand treasures all throughout the city, including the Upper East Side. It’s a great place for thrifters living in the area or visiting the neighborhood. Whether you’re looking for clothing, shoes, or even furniture, Housing Works is always worth the stop. The stores also support the unhoused and those living with HIV/AIDS, so you know you’re helping out a great cause by shopping there.
Chelsea Flea
•Address: 729 West 25th St, btw 6 Ave + B’ way•Opening Hours: 8 am-4 pm Saturday-Sunday
Open year round on Saturdays and Sundays, the Chelsea Flea market is truly a full weekend adventure! There are thrift shops selling everything from antiques to jewelry (珠宝), and even great food options. And of course, you’ll find many sellers offering some of the coolest and most unique vintage (老式的) clothing in all of NYC!
AuH20
•Address: 84 E 7th St, NY, NY 10003•Opening Hours: 12 pm-7 pm Tuesday-Sunday
This is definitely one of the best places to find a bargain on clothes. You can find tons of items priced between $5-$40, so you won’t blow your budget even if you pick out a few new pieces. This neighborhood store is a highlight of the East Village shopping scene, and should be on everyone’s list of the best thrift stores in NYC.
Celene’s Thrift Shop
•Address: 568 Grandview Ave, Queens, NY, 11385•Opening Hours: 9 am--7 pm Monday-Saturday; Closed Sunday
Definitely one of the friendliest thrift stores in New York, this is a small but crowded space that offers tons of cool and unique vintage clothes and items. It’s such a great environment to shop, and you can always find what you’re looking for or something you didn’t even know you needed!
1. What is special about Housing Works?| A．It is closed on holidays. | B．It supports charitable causes. |
| C．It is famous for its vintage treasures. | D．It is limited to a few specific places. |
| A．AuH20. | B．Chelsea Flea. | C．Housing Works. | D．Celene’s Thrift Shop. |
| A．They offer a friendly dining experience. | B．They are open every day all year round. |
| C．They have the same opening hours. | D．They sell special vintage clothing. |
5 . The scent of hot bread drifting from the shops along the Street of Flour was sweeter than any perfume Arya had ever smelled. She took a deep breath and stepped closer to the pigeon. It was a plump one, speckled brown, busily pecking at a crust that had fallen between two cobblestones, but when Arya’s shadow touched it, it took to the air.
Her stick sword whistled out and caught it two feet off the ground, and it went down in a flurry of brown feathers. She was on it in the blink of an eye, grabbing a wing as the pigeon flapped and fluttered. It pecked at her hand. She grabbed its neck and twisted until she felt the bone snap.
Compared with catching cats, pigeons were easy.
She tied the pigeon to her belt and started down the street. A man was pushing a load of tarts by on a two-wheeled cart; the smells sang of blueberries and lemons and apricots. Her stomach made a hollow rumbly noise. “Could I have one?” she heard herself say. “A lemon, or…or any kind.”
The pushcart man looked her up and down. Plainly he did not like what he saw. “Three coppers.”
Arya tapped her wooden sword against the side of her boot. “I’ll trade you a fat pigeon,” she said.
“The Others take your pigeon,” the pushcart man said.
The tarts were still warm from the oven. The smells were making her mouth water, but she did not have three coppers... or one. She gave the pushcart man a look, remembering what Syrio had told her about seeing. He was short, with a little round belly, and when he moved he seemed favor his left leg a little. She was just thinking that if she snatched a tart and ran he would never be able to catch her when he said, “You be keeping your filthy hands off. The gold cloaks know how to deal with thieving little gutter rats, that they do.”
Arya glanced warily behind her. Two of the City Watch were standing at the mouth of an alley. Their cloaks hung almost to the ground, the heavy wool dyed a rich gold; their mail and boots and gloves were black. One wore a long sword at his hip, the other an iron cudgel. With a last wistful glance at the tarts, Arya edged back from the cart and hurried off. The gold cloaks had not been paying her any special attention, but the sight of them tied her stomach in knots. Arya had been staying as far from the castle as she could get, yet even from a distance she could see the heads rotting atop the high red walls. Flocks of crows squabbled noisily over each head, thick as flies. The talk in Flea Bottom was that the gold cloaks had associated themselves with the Lannisters, their commander raised to a lord, with lands on the Trident and a seat on the king’s council.
1. The story is set in a place where ______.| A．people raised pigeons | B．only privileged people lived |
| C．people sold and bought food | D．the watchmen received training |
| A．metaphor | B．overstatement |
| C．personification (拟人) | D．rhetoric rhyme |
| A．Remembering people’s appearance so that you can recognize them. |
| B．Perceiving people’s intention so that you can properly talk to them. |
| C．Understanding people’s living conditions so that you can help them. |
| D．Knowing people’ strengths and weaknesses so that you can beat them |
| A．Arya was more hunger than terrified in the story. |
| B．The Lannisters was a big enemy of the gold cloaks. |
| C．The atmosphere of the castle was agreeable and welcome. |
| D．The authority treated the executed people’s dead bodies in a cruel way. |
6 . Here at The Literacy Site, we’re big believers in playtime. So is one school in Texas, following the tradition of many schools in Finland (芬兰). And now research is on board too.
Debbie Rhea, a researcher from Texas Christian University, designed the program now in place at Eagle Mountain Elementary, in which children have four 15-minute recess (课间休息) periods throughout the school day. She heard about the success of the Finnish school system and decided to take a trip there to study it. When she returned, she began working with schools here in the U.S. to do something similar.
At Eagle Mountain Elementary, students now get three times as much recess as they used to have; outdoor time has been swelled from 20 minutes to an hour each day. The program also focuses on helping kids develop character instead of just test-taking skills.
Since carrying out the program, teachers are noticing that their students are more attentive and less restless. They make more eye contact, have better test scores, and seem to be healthier and happier overall. They even need to sharpen their pencils less because they spend less time chewing (不停地啃) on them. Schools in three other states are starting a similar program after seeing this one perform so well.
In other areas of the country, however, schools have been cutting back on playtime to squeeze in (使挤入) longer lecture periods to prepare kids for standardized tests.
Cutting recess is, no doubt, a decision made with good purposes. But is the traditional lecture-and-test method really effective? Does reducing recess time make more learning happen? The results of recent research say no. A 2014 study showed that the benefits of high-quality recess programs include a drop in bullying and conflicts (冲突), and an increase in the amount of safety and happiness students feel. Children have even been shown to learn better immediately following a break like recess, according to research done by Robert Murray, an expert at Ohio State University.
“If you want a child to be attentive and stay on task, and also if you want them to understand the information you’re giving them, you’ve got to give them regular (经常的) breaks, he said.
1. What does the underlined word “swelled” in paragraph 3 mean?| A．Stressed. | B．Measured. | C．Increased. | D．Exchanged. |
| A．The goals of the program. | B．The benefits of the program. |
| C．Teachers’ advice on the program. | D．Other schools’ reactions to the program. |
| A．To explore why some schools like to cut recess. |
| B．To show how kids make use of their recess time. |
| C．To explain why cutting recess should be stopped. |
| D．To describe how hard it is to ensure kids’ recess time |
7 . Around the world, almost 50 million children are suffering from acute malnutrition(营养不良), which is the deadliest form of hunger. Sadly, 45% of children die before the age of 5 do so from malnutrition that is treatable and preventable.
Support organizations that distribute food. Food banks(救济食品发放中心)and charities need funding to stay open. They often rely on help from volunteers.
Take food directly to those in need.
Research to find out what type of help is needed. Solving a big problem like world hunger can feel overwhelming, but there are a lot of resources to help you get started. Learn more about agencies and nonprofits who are already helping people in need.
| A．Get your employer involved. |
| B．Donate food items to local organizations. |
| C．This will help you understand the best way for you to help. |
| D．Some measures can be taken to help world get rid of hunger. |
| E．Additionally, they can typically buy more food at a lower cost than you can. |
| F．You don’t need to wait for a food shelter to distribute food items to people in need. |
| G．This means these people will have more money to buy things like food for their families. |
8 . Teachers at an Atlanta elementary school hold a mirror up while students shout positive affirmations (肯定) to themselves. “We live in a tough neighborhood in Atlanta. It’s good to plant those seeds (种子) here,” a teacher said.
In a video that recently went viral (迅速传开), fourth-graders at Gideons Elementary School in Atlanta, Georgia lined up to shout positive affirmations to themselves in a mirror while their teachers cheered them on. “I am smart!” “I am a good person!”
“The idea came from something I practice with my 5-year-old daughter,” said Neffiteria Acker, the teacher seen in the video holding the mirror.“ When we’re on our way to school, I have her repeat affirmations to me, starting with, ‘I am.’ Usually, I just ask her to tell me something good about herself. She’ll say, ‘I’m a fast eater,’ or, ‘I’m a fast runner.’ Then I’ll add to it, ‘You’re also really brave.’”
“It lifts her confidence. So I thought, ‘Why not bring that to the classroom? ’ ” she added.
Cierra Levay Broadway, the teacher who filmed the video, said she was moved while watching the students shout their affirmations. “It was an amazing moment,” she said. “I was really astonished when I saw the kids and heard what they were saying. For a lot of them, it was the first time they’d ever done that.”
The teachers understand the importance of building self-confidence at a young age, especially for students who do not have such an opportunity at home.
“In our neighborhood the kids hear a lot of negative things about themselves. So a seed of self-love is the best seed to plant, and all Broadway and I have to do is water it,” Acker said.
1. Why did the teachers try to help their students?| A．The students dislike studying. |
| B．The students laugh at the gardeners. |
| C．The students are affected by their environment. |
| D．The students have difficulty getting on with each other. |
| A．Plan for their futures. | B．Cheer up their schoolmates. |
| C．Find other students’ strengths. | D．Say positive words about themselves. |
| A．Her daughter’s suggestions to her. | B．Her conversations with her daughter. |
| C．A video of a small girl. | D．A mirror in her school. |
9 . Developing a reading habit is an excellent way to improve your knowledge, expand your vocabulary and reduce stress.
One of the best ways to start a reading habit is to begin with short reading sessions. You can start by setting aside 10-15 minutes a day to read. Gradually increase the duration (持续时间) of your reading sessions.
Setting a reading goal is an excellent way to motivate you to read more and make reading a habit. You can set a goal of reading a certain number of books per month or per year. Additionally, you can set a goal of reading for a specific amount of time each day.
To make reading a habit, it is essential to choose books that interest you. If you don't enjoy the book you are reading, it will be difficult to stay motivated.
| A．Focus on the quality of your reading experience. |
| B．Find a quiet and comfortable space without disturbance. |
| C．To develop a reading habit, you need to make time for it. |
| D．Make sure you are passionate about the topics of the books. |
| E．However, it can be challenging if you seldom read regularly. |
| F．Whatever goal you choose, make sure it is realistic and achievable. |
| G．Starting small will make it easier to include reading in your daily routine. |
10 . Alice, age 9:"Mom, do I have to brush my hair today?"
Me: Um, yes, it would be great if you could brush your hair every day!
In Alice's world, brushing her hair was an inconvenient nuisance(令人讨厌的事).I knew back then that this feeling would not last forever. One day I would pry (撬开) her hairbrush out of her hand and tear her away from the mirror. Five years later, my prediction has come true.
At age 14, there is no such thing for Alice as a spur-of-the-moment(一时兴起的) trip outside of the house. She is, indeed, obsessed with her physical appearance. Hair has to be brushed, makeup applied, and clothes changed many times before she can even think about leaving the house.
We have spoken at length about how looks don't matter and that being a good, kind and compassionate person in this world is way more important than any aesthetic(审美观).Each time we have this conversation, Alice reminds me that she knows technically looks aren't important. But when she looks good on the outside, she feels more confident on the inside. In turn, that makes her a kinder, more compassionate and more understanding person.
So while I will never be happy to see my daughter try on many shirts only to pick the first one she tried, or spend an hour getting ready for an event when the rest of the family were ready in 10 minutes, I know this is something she needs to do. Creating an identity for herself as an individual outside of her family unit is a natural and necessary part of the teenage process.
And just as she learned over the years that hair-brushing is probably a good idea, so will she hopefully learn that sometimes it's okay to go out in a less-than-perfect outfit or without makeup. Somewhere deep down,her freewheeling 9-year-old self still knows that.
1. What was the author's prediction about Alice?| A．She would avoid looking in the mirror. |
| B．She would refuse to stay at home all the time. |
| C．She would be very concerned about her appearance. |
| D．She would forget to brush her hair before going out. |
| A．To impress others. | B．To make herself feel better. |
| C．To display her unique personality. | D．To attract kind people as friends. |
| A．Worried. | B．Indifferent. | C．Disappointed. | D．Understanding. |
| A．She cannot meet everyone's needs. |
| B．She should learn some makeup skills. |
| C．She needs to learn a lot as she grows up. |
| D．She doesn't always have to go out with a perfect image. |
