2 . Early fifth-century philosopher St. Augustine famously wrote that he knew what time was unless someone asked him. Albert Einstein added another wrinkle when he theorized that time varies depending on where you measure it. Today’s state-of-the-art atomic (原子的) clocks have proven Einstein right. Even advanced physics can’t decisively tell us what time is, because the answer depends on the question you’re asking.

Forget about time as an absolute. What if, instead of considering time in terms of astronomy, we related time to ecology? What if we allowed environmental conditions to set the tempo (节奏) of human life? We’re increasingly aware of the fact that we can’t control Earth systems with engineering alone, and realizing that we need to moderate (调节) our actions if we hope to live in balance. What if our definition of time reflected that?

Recently, I conceptualized a new approach to timekeeping that’s connected to circumstances on our planet，conditions that might change as a result of global warming. We’re now building a clock at the Anchorage Museum that reflects the total flow of several major Alaskan rivers, which are sensitive to local and global environmental changes. We’ve programmed it to match an atomic clock if the waterways continue to flow at their present rate. If the rivers run faster in the future on average, the clock will get ahead of standard time. If they run slower, you’ll see the opposite effect.

The clock registers both short-term irregularities and long-term trends in river dynamics. It’s a sort of observatory that reveals how the rivers are behaving from their own temporal frame (时间框架), and allows us to witness those changes on our smartwatches or phones. Anyone who opts to go on Alaska Mean River Time will live in harmony with the planet. Anyone who considers river time in relation to atomic time will encounter a major imbalance and may be motivated to counteract it by consuming less fuel or supporting greener policies.

Even if this method of timekeeping is novel in its particulars，early agricultural societies also connected time to natural phenomena. In pre-Classical Greece, for instance, people “corrected” official calendars by shifting dates forward or backward to reflect the change of season. Temporal connection to the environment was vital to their survival. Likewise, river time and other timekeeping systems we’re developing may encourage environmental awareness.

When St. Augustine admitted his inability to define time, he highlighted one of time’s most noticeable qualities: Time becomes meaningful only in a defined context. Any timekeeping system is valid, and each is as praiseworthy as its purpose.

The author raises three questions in Paragraph 2 mainly to________.

A．present an assumption	B．evaluate an argument
C．highlight an experiment	D．introduce an approach

5 . Hi! My name is Adam and I’m a freshman at senior high school. Going from junior high school to senior high school is a really big challenge. The first week was a little confusing.

First, I had to think very carefully about which courses I wanted to take. The school adviser (辅导员) helped me choose the suitable ones: maths, English, chemistry, world history, and Chinese. I know that Chinese is a very difficult language, but I hope to be fluent (流利的) when I graduate. My adviser recommended (建议) that I should sign up for advanced literature (文学) because I like English and I’m good at it.

I had to choose extra-curricular activities, too. I tried to join the school football team, but the coach told me that I didn’t play well enough. Obviously, I was unhappy, but I won’t quit (放弃). I’ll find a way to improve on my own so that I can make the team next year. I joined a volunteer club instead. Every Wednesday, we work at a soup kitchen (流动厨房) and hand out food to homeless people in the community.

I know I’ll have to study harder as a senior high school student and get used to being responsible for a lot more. I’m a bit worried about keeping up with the other students in my advanced course, and it’ll be quite difficult to get used to all the homework. Still, I’m happy to be here. Studying hard isn’t always fun, but I’ll be well prepared for university or whatever else comes in the future.

1. What level (水平) of school student is Adam?

A．He is still in a junior high school.

B．He is in his first year of senior high.

C．He is in his second year of senior high.

D．He is in his first year of a university.

2. What is the main feeling of Adam during his first week at school?

A．Happy.

B．Surprised.

C．Stressed.

D．Confused.

3. Which extra-curricular activity did Adam choose?

A．The English club.

B．The cooking club.

C．The volunteer club.

D．The school football team.

4. What does Adam think of his schoolmates?

A．They are diligent and intelligent.

B．They are responsible but worried.

C．They are unhappy and feel bored.

D．They are relaxing and always happy.

5. Which of the following words is NOT suitable to describe Adam?

A．Happy.

B．Responsible.

C．Pessimistic (悲观的).

D．diligent.

6. Does Adam think going from junior high school to senior high school is a really big challenge?
____________________________________________________________________________________________
7. Does Adam think Chinese is very difficult to learn?
____________________________________________________________________________________________
8. Why did Adam’s adviser recommend that he should sign up for advanced literature?
____________________________________________________________________________________________
9. What did the coach think of Adam’s football skill?
____________________________________________________________________________________________
10. Can you complete the following sentences to describe (描述) the reasons for your own mixed (混杂的) feelings about the freshman challenge? （至少补全2个句子，也可补全3个或全部回答。）
I feel happy because________________________________________________________________________
I feel unhappy because______________________________________________________________________
I feel confused because _____________________________________________________________________
I feel confident because ____________________________________________________________________