1 . Going to the bathroom while floating in space can be tricky. Gravity is very weak in space, meaning toilets cannot flush (冲刷) the same way that they do on Earth. In a new contest, NASA is asking inventors from around the world to develop a new space toilet. The space agency is looking for a design that would work both aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as well as on the moon. NASA plans to use this toilet aboard a future lunar lander as part of the Artemis program, which will send humans to the moon by 2024.

Anyone can apply to this challenge, and the winning design will receive a $20,000 prize. The second-place design will win $10,000, and the third-place winner will win $5,000. The contest includes a “junior” category in which anyone under the age of 18 can apply with their creative space toilet idea. Winners in the junior category will receive public recognition and NASA souvenirs.

Designs should also take up no more than 4.2 cubic feet of space. The toilet itself shouldn’t be louder than 60 decibels, which is about the same volume as a bathroom fan. The space toilet will have to be able to collect both urine (尿液) and fecest (粪便) at the same time. It should be able to hold at least a quarter gallon (1 liter) of liquid waste. It should also be able to hold 17.6 ounces (500 grams) of solid waste. The final requirements are that the system must be able to store or get rid of waste, and it should also be able to be cleaned and maintained in five minutes or less.

Hopefully, this toilet will be an improvement on previous systems for waste removal. A waste removal system is a method of disposing of urine and feces. If you are a creative inventor, come and join us!

1. Which aspect of the design is not required in the contest?

A．Its covering space.

B．Its volume.

C．Its time of cleaning.

D．Its weight.

2. What can you know about this contest?

A．It’s a toilet design contest held by ISS for the American inventors.

B．It has a total prize pool of 45,000 to be shared by winning teams.

C．For the contestants, there are no limits to your age and nationalities.

D．If you are the winner under the age of 18, you will win 5,000.

3. What does the underlined word “disposing” mean?

A．Giving away.

B．Putting off.

C．Getting rid of.

D．Picking out.

4. What is the purpose of writing this text?

A．To introduce a toilet design contest.	B．To attract inventors to take part in the contest.
C．To explain the necessity of a toilet in space.	D．To show the difficulty of living in space.

2 . The vicinity (地区), between southern Angola and northern Namibia, is home to a leafy green plant that can live up to 1,000 years. This “Immortal” plant’s lifespan encourages researchers wondering why, out of all climates the world has to offer, this plant finds itself to thrive in the harsh, dry, and quite unforgiving Namib Desert known to reach less than two inches of rainfall a year.

Welwitschia (千岁兰), meaning “two leaves that cannot die,” in Afrikaans, was discovered by biologists Charles Darwin and the botanist Friedrich Welwitsch, whom the plant was named after in 1859. Andrew Leitch, a plant geneticist at Queen Mary University of London, explains, “Generally speaking, this plant can live thousands of years. When it does stop growing, it’s dead.

Nature Communications, a study published in July, conducted research to discover and identify the magic within Welwitschia’s genetic makeup. Researchers were able to infer, “Approximately 86 million years ago, after a mistake in cell division, the entire Welwitschia genome (基因组) doubled during a time of increased and prolonged drought in the region.” Additional research concluded that repeated genes lost their defining purposes, allowing some to develop new functions. But because DNA reproduction consumes high levels of energy, repeated genes can at times cause more harm than good, especially in severe weather conditions.

This plant also has more magic coming out of its leaves. Unlike most plants, where the leaves grow from the ends of its stem and branches, the Welwitschia’s leaves grow from a “vulnerable” area called the basal meristem (分生组织), which supplies fresh cells to the growing plant. The combination of internal and external factors of the Welwitschia has allowed the plant to continue thriving in extreme temperature conditions. Researchers are hopeful that Welwitschia can also provide insight into the agricultural industry and how we can develop drought tolerant crops.

1. What does the underlined word “thrive” in paragraph 1 mean?

A．Grow well.

B．Fade away.

C．Rise up.

D．Break down.

2. What can we infer from the passage?

A．The Welwitschia must have a life span of several thousand years or more.

B．Copied genes can do more harm than good due to energy consumption.

C．Biologist Charles Darwin named the Welwitschia in 1859.

D．The Welwitschia’s leaves, like most plants, grow from the basal meristem.

3. What can Welwitschia do according to researchers in Paragraph 4?

A．Solve the crisis facing the agricultural industry.

B．Give a deeper understanding of the agricultural industry.

C．Be planted as drought tolerant crops in the future.

D．Not bear extreme temperature conditions.

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

A．Copied Genomes of a Long-lived Plant.

B．Two Leaves That Cannot Die.

C．The “Immortal” Plant Tells Its Tale.

D．Agricultural Development with Welwitschia.

3 . Many Americans suffer from chronic (慢性的) conditions connected to their diets.    1    .

If you are looking for a health super-hero, head to the grocery store.    2    . That is not an exaggeration (夸张). A study found that people of any age who started including healthy foods in their diets improved their chances of living longer. Replacing one serving of red meat a day with one serving of nuts, for instance, was related to an 8-17 percent reduced risk of early death.    3    .

Lentils (扁豆) contain the highest amount of protein of any plant. They also provide excellent amounts of iron, folate (叶酸), and magnesium.    4    . A quarter cup of dry lentils contains about 13 grams of fiber. A quarter cup of kidney beans has about half that. They are consumed in the Blue Zones, areas of the world famous for having the longest-living and healthiest people.

Salmon (鲑鱼) is rich in protein, omega-3s, B vitamins, vitamins D and A.     5    . Specifically, they help protect against age-related brain and eye diseases, reduce the risk of heart disease and depression and maintain healthy skin.

Blueberries have plenty of nutrition carried in such tiny berries!They have plenty of fiber to keep you full and make your colon moving. They have folate which helps make DNA. They also have Vitamins C to help create collagen in your skin and other nutrients which protect our cells from damage.

A．But how do you choose the best options for you?

B．These nutrients are important for good health．

C．However, some nutritious foods can make you healthier with every bite．

D．As a great source of fiber,t hey can also help control blood sugar levels．

E．Studies show that these nutrients in seafood improve babies’s brain development, including an IQ boost．

F．What’s more, belonging to the legume (豆类) family, they have more fiber than beans．

G．Some foods can fight diabetes, heart disease, or cancer-in other words, they can save your life．

4 . After two years of pandemic living, people are collectively ready for a vacation. No matter how much we might like to, though, it’s not always possible to take a vacation from COVID-19. The virus is still circulating widely, including in popular tourist destinations like the U.K., Germany, France, and Italy. That means getting sick while traveling is a real possibility — and one that can turn into an expensive and stressful logistical headache.

What happens if you get COVID-19 while traveling internationally? To enter the U.S., international travelers currently need either a negative COVID-19 test result obtained within one day of their flight or proof that they have recovered from COVID-19 in the last 90 days. (This policy applies to both U.S .citizens and non-citizens, but children younger than 2 are exempt.) Without one of those documents, you cannot board a U.S.-bound flight. If you test positive, you should isolate and delay travel for 10 days, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

But where do you stay if you need to quarantine (隔离) abroad?And who pays for extended accommodations and rescheduled flights?Specifics vary from country to country, but the short answer is that travelers are often on the hook. Exceptions to the test-to-return policy may be granted on an “extremely limited” basis, such as in the event of an emergency medical evacuation or humanitarian crisis, the CDC says-but the average vacationer won’t have many options beyond paying to extend their stay.

A spokesperson for the State Department Jeanna Smialek said travelers who must isolate should contact their hotels and airlines to arrange accommodations and re-book travel, and, if necessary, seek assistance from their nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. The spokesperson added that U.S. citizens traveling abroad are subject to local quarantine rules, which may differ from those of the U.S. CDC.

1. What do you need to enter the US if you get COVID-19 while traveling internationally?

A．A negative COVID-19 test result．

B．A certificate of health recovery in the last 90 days．

C．Two weeks’ travel delay．

D．Extended accommodations and rescheduled flights．

2. What does the underlined phrase “on the hook” in paragraph 3 refer to?

A．Should pay the money．	B．Be pleasant to stay longer．
C．Have no choice but to obey the rule．	D．Be not satisfied with the policy．

3. According to Jeanna Smialek, which one is not true?

A．Accommodations should be booked by travelers themselves．

B．American consulate is accessible to isolated travelers．

C．Travelers who must isolate have certain restrictions．

D．Travelers should obey both local and American quarantine rules．

4. What’s the passage mainly about?

A．How to isolate during the COVID-19．

B．What international travelers should do after test positive．

C．COVID-19 isolation spreads in popular tour destinations．

D．Isolation policies are different among countries．

5 . Puppet Festival Mississauga!

ABOUT THE EVENT

Puppet Festival Mississauga is an annual event for families taking place at March break all across the city of Mississauga.

Treat your family to quality theatre at Puppet Festival Mississauga this March Break. Puppet Festival Mississauga presents live theatre that encourages children to be curious about the world around them.

Featuring：

Choo.Choo.Whistle.Woof!A PUPPET SHOW FROM CZECHIA

A dog overcomes his fear of the unknown and ventures on a great train adventure!A Puppet Show for Kids at Mississauga Puppet Festival this March Break 2023. Great for Kids 2＋.

The Happy Prince-A PUPPET SHOW FROM MEXICO

An unforgettable puppet show filled with magic and friendship. Based on the classic children’s tale by Oscar Wilde. Watch This Puppet Show for Kids in Spanish and English. at Mississauga Puppet Festival this March Break 2023. Great for Ages 3＋.

And more!

Event Location

Maja Prentice Theatre is a 200-seat theatre located at the corner of Dixie and Burnamthorpe Road, which is home to live theatre shows, musicals, dance and community events, all year round.

1. Where is this text probably taken from?

A．A textbook.

B．A research plan.

C．A traveling guide.

D．A news site.

2. What are the puppet shows less likely to help kids?

A．Be dauntless(无畏的)and fearless.	B．Know more about friendship.
C．Get the Oscar statuette.	D．Be curious about the world.

3. What do you prefer to do to go to the Maja Prentice?

A．Have an adventure.	B．Buy a puppet.
C．Do community service.	D．Enjoy a music drama.

6 . When you have to cancel your Thanksgiving plans due to the spread of the COVID-19, you may find yourself craving companionship as much as that pumpkin pie. That’s because parts of the brain respond to loneliness much like they react to hunger, according to a study in Nature Neuroscience.

Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology scanned the brains of 40 healthy, social young adults after 10 hours of either fasting (禁食) or social isolation (隔离). They found that after being alone, participants’ neurological responses to social signals were similar to hungry people reacting to food — that is, certain areas of the brain linked to desire were turned on to start working.

For an isolated person, a picture of people laughing together caused the same areas of the brain to light up as when a hungry person looked at a big plate of pasta.

“Just like hunger is an unpleasant sensation that motivates us to seek out food and thirst motivates us to seek out water, loneliness is a biological need that motivates us to reconnect to others,” Holt-Lunstad told Insider.

Researchers were surprised to find that people who were prevented from socializing became much more focused on that need, and less reactive to hunger. As their loneliness increased, they became less responsive to images of food.

These latest findings suggest that the relationship between food and loneliness might be more complicated than we thought, despite the popular opinion of stress-eating to cope with social isolation. More research is needed to understand the complex ways people deal with loneliness.

Studies like this can help scientists understand how the brain processes loneliness, and possibly reduce the negative consequences. However, although loneliness may be similar to hunger, fixing it isn’t as easy as serving someone a hearty dinner because people are unique and they need varying levels of social interactions to meet their needs.

1. The underlined word “craving” in the first paragraph can be replaced by          .

A．avoiding

B．desiring

C．preferring

D．ignoring

2. Researchers scanned the brains of the young adults                        .

A．to find their brain responses to both loneliness and hunger

B．to provide explanations for their feeling lonely and hungry

C．to find how loneliness can have a negative impact on health

D．after they have been hungry and socially isolated for 10 hours

3. What conclusion can be drawn from what Holt-Lunstad said in Paragraph 4?

A．Hunger is an unpleasant sensation.

B．Hunger and thirst motivate us to feed ourselves.

C．Socializing is supposed to be basic human need as it is.

D．The effects of loneliness on health are comparable to other factors.

4. What does the last paragraph imply?

A．Loneliness may be fixed just as hunger is satisfied.

B．Situations of loneliness are complicated and hard to cope with.

C．Scientists have understood how the brain processes loneliness.

D．Loneliness is such a common and serious problem that we all have to suffer.

7 . Towards the end of the 1985 sci-fi classic Back to the Future, the inventor Doc Brown announces “where we’re going, we don’t need roads as the car lifts into the air”. While flying cars aren’t yet filling our skies, many are in development. In October the Chinese XPeng X2 successfully completed the first public test flight of its two-seater flying car in Dubai.

The XPeng X2 lifts vertically off the ground using eight propellers (螺旋桨), without the need for a runway, and is therefore suitable for built-up city areas. The vehicle, designed to carry two passengers, is fully electric and its makers say it can rise through the air at around two meters per second and then reach speeds of up to 80 miles per hour. The XPeng X2 is equipped with AI automation — it can be set to self-drive. It learns how to avoid traffic, buildings and people. It does not produce any carbon dioxide emissions during flight and is a step forward in the pursuit of urban green transportation. It is suitable for future low-altitude city flights and is perfect for short-distance city journeys such as sightseeing and medical transportation.

Although the test flight lasted just 90 seconds, according to Dr. Liu, chief aviation specialist at Xpeng Aeroht, the technology is close to being ready for public use, but regulations on flying cars are still some way off. Liu believes that people will be able to use flying cars within limited regulated spaces in just five years. This lines up pretty well with the Chinese government’s plan to put flying taxis on the market by 2025. The self-driving function presents further difficulties with regulation and also throws into question public acceptance. Many people are worried about the safety issues around self-driving cars on the ground, let alone vehicles that are flying around above their heads. However, Peng says it is safer for its flying car to be self-driving than to be driven by a human.

There are lots of flying cars in development now around the world and many of them actually fly, like Opener’s “BlackFly”, SkyDriver’s “SD-03’’and Klein Vision’s “AirCar” — which made a successful 35-minute test flight between two cities in Slovakia in 2021.

1. Why does the author mention the 1985 sci-fi classic Back to the Future?

A．To introduce the topic	B．To recommend the movie
C．To provide background information	D．To make a prediction

2. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．The popularity of XPeng X2.	B．The advantages of XPeng X2.
C．The limitation of XPeng X2.	D．The prospect of XPeng X2.

3. What can we learn from the text?

A．XPeng X2 can carry two passengers at a speed of 80miles per hour.

B．XPeng X2 is close to finishing the first public test fight.

C．XPeng X2 has already been launched on the market at present.

D．XPeng X2 has been widely accepted by the public now.

4. In which section of a website may this text appear?

A．Science fiction	B．Film review
C．Science & Technology	D．Historical events

8 . Music is one of the most powerful forces in our lives. It can bring us joy, sorrow, or even inspiration. It can evoke emotions and memories that we didn’t even know we had.     1    

Music can be a source of comfort. It can provide a refuge（避难所）from the troubles of the world and provide a sense of peace and solace.     2     It can also bring people together, helping to create a sense of community and shared experience.

    3     It can be an uplifting force in times of struggle, helping us to persevere and overcome obstacles. It can inspire us to take action and make positive changes in our lives.

Finally, music can be a source of joy and celebration.     4     It can be a way to express our love and gratitude for the people in our lives.

Music has the power to change our lives in ways we may never have imagined. It can provide us with strength, courage, comfort, and joy. It can help us to find our inner voice and express ourselves in unique and creative ways.     5    

A．Poor people can live a happy life with music.

B．Music can also give us strength and courage.

C．Music can associate people with each other around the world.

D．Music can change a person’s life in ways that nothing else can.

E．Listening to music can help to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.

F．It can bring us closer together, helping us to appreciate and celebrate the beauty of life.

G．Music can truly be a life-changing force, and one that should never be underestimated.

9 . Anger has a bad reputation.     1     We temporarily lose our judgment, regaining it only after our anger dies down — often when it’s too late. It’s as if anger destroys us, overwhelming our best intentions.

But what if anger is a valuable-friend, not an adversary (对手) to be defeated?     2     It provides us with information about the world around us. Anger is an internal signal that identifies our unmet needs and presents us with opportunities for course correction, healing, and growth. It motivates us to act toward meeting our needs and reaching our goals.

Anger has one main purpose — to secure our safety and survival. We respond with anger when we are threatened or when our boundaries are violated (侵犯).     3    

What we need is a willingness to experience anger without suppressing it or discharging it immediately. When we have the courage to remain present with our anger, we can look directly at it. We can investigate and come to understand it, and we can extract its wisdom.

    4     Rather than identify with anger’s urge to act, or with its feelings of frustration and powerlessness, you now relate to its message of worth and efficacy. This change, in turn, frees you to grow through your anger.

Anger, like a fire, is a force. Left unchecked, it can be destructive.     5    

A．Uncovering the wisdom of anger begins with feeling it fully.

B．It gives us energy and power to overcome threatening situations.

C．Yet when it is used wisely, it can be powerful beneficial instrument.

D．When you come to see anger as a friend, you change your relationship with it.

E．While anger sometimes involves aggressive tendencies, it also carries great wisdom.

F．When we have the courage to remain present with our anger, we can look directly at it.

G．When it bursts out, it can take control of our body, our thoughts, our senses, and our actions.

10 . You have a big exam coming up and just thinking about it causes you to tremble. You feel prepared, but when you get to class, you feel sick to your stomach.     1     Never fear: There are many things that you can do to treat it.

Be Prepared and Ready

If you study hard and feel secure with the content, you’ll have more confidence when you enter the classroom.     2     So it’s best to take enough time to study for the exam.

    3     Try testing yourself as part of the preparation. You can even ask your roommate to question you. Finally, avoid talking to classmates about the test material right before the exam. Any difference of opinion about the content will only make you feel more nervous.

Think about Positive Thoughts

You are likely to engage in negative self-talk like, “This is impossible” or “There’s no way I’ll learn all of this”. But if you reverse (转变) this mindset, you’ll be more successful. Positive self-talk will help you stay motivated and encouraged as you tackle tough subjects that nay seem impossible. If you tell yourself that anything is possible at the beginning of your study session or a test, you’ll start with a positive mental advantage.     4    

Stay Focused

    5     It is a good measure to arrive early for your exam and sit somewhere that is free from distractions (分心的事物). Close your eyes and breathe deeply for ten seconds right before the exam. Block out other activities in the room and only focus on your test. Remind ourself that you’re prepared and ready for the exam. If you face a difficult question, skip it and move on to the next one. Anytime that you feel your anxiety rising, take a break and for us on your breath and engage in positive self-talk.

A．Don’t just learn the test material.

B．You are experiencing test anxiety.

C．Don’t underestimate the power of imagination.

D．30% of students are never impacted by test anxiety.

E．Exam day calls for extra measures to ease test anxiety.

F．If you prepare for an exam hurriedly, you tend to have heightened anxiety.

G．So stop yourself from negative thoughts that block you from doing well on the test.