1 . 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.

2. What can we infer from the sink-or-float game?

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.

3. What is Tamar Kushnir’s attitude towards kids’ assuming identity as scientists?

A．Supportive.

B．Doubtful.

C．Indifferent.

D．Negative.

4. What would be the best title for the passage?

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

2 . 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.

2. Why did the researchers choose balls for bumble bees?

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.

3. What does the underlined word “spontaneous” in Paragraph 5 probably mean?

A．Voluntary.

B．Rewarding.

C．Forced.

D．Conscious

4. What can we infer according to Lars’ words?

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.

3 . “Yard sale” is appealing to bargain hunters, antique seekers and so on. It may seem simple.     1     Here, what you need to know, do and plan for in order to hold a great event.

Plan in advance. Have you decided you’re going to have a yard sale? Great!     2     In addition to gathering up and assessing your things, placing signs around the neighborhood, you also need to find out whether your city requires a permit and whether your other neighborhood organization has rules about yard sales.

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.     3    .

    4    If you’re going to the trouble of attempting to sell your stuff, make it look attractive so it actually sells well. Wipe down appliances, wash, iron and hang clothing, and lay everything out nice and neat on clean tables and shelves, not in piles.

Be safe.     5     Do not let people enter your house to try on clothes or use the bathroom, and keep your doors locked. Don’t take personal checks from strangers, and rather than a cash box anybody could grab, keep earnings on your person in a fanny-pack-type device or safely in your pocket. Take periodic trips inside to put the cash.

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.

4 . 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.

2. What Rutherford did made the world amazed at first?

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.

3. How did Rutherford fall in love with flying?

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.

4. What does Rutherford advise the young to do?

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.

5 . When she first looked for her wedding dress, Gwendolyn Stuglis had a budget or $1,000. After trying on several dresses, she was _______ a champagne-colored dress with long sleeves by the salesclerk. “I got _______ in my eyes because it was the dress I really wanted,” she admitted. The only _______: it was triple her budget. After some encouragement from her mother-in-law, Stulgis _______ it. She explained, “Although I hadn’t enough money, that dress was _______ made for me.” She wore the gown with _______ when she became a Stulgis.

As most brides do, she hung her wedding dress in her closet when the _______ was over. Realizing the dress would be _______ if it continued to sit there, she decided to give it away. Stulgis turned to Facebook to search a _______ bride. In the post, there were two ______________: the bride must have their ceremony within three months and the dress must be ______________ others. More than 70 messages ______________ into Stulgis’ mailbox immediately. Margaret Hyde had planned on making her own dress before she saw Stulgis’ Facebook ______________. She told her sister-in-law, Alycia Ashley, that she wanted to enter but was ______________. So, Ashley secretly emailed Stulgis, ______________ Hyde as the most selfless person she knew.

Stulgis was moved by Ashley’s ______________. On June 4, Hyde was told she was chosen. “It was unbelievable,” she said ______________. Hyde promised to follow the traveling dress requests. After her post, Stulgis ______________ a Facebook group called Shared Dream Dresses. Since June, 200 dresses have been given away. Stulgis’ community of bridal donations started with such a ______________ emotion. She shared, “I want people to feel like they are worth something. I want them to ______________ their dress dreams without worrying about buying one. A dressing shouldn’t be kept in the closet.”

1.

A．shown

B．donated

C．awarded

D．reminded

2.

A．lights

B．tears

C．fears

D．troubles

3.

A．price

B．drawback

C．catch

D．decision

4.

A．accepted

B．offered

C．purchased

D．abandoned

5.

A．seriously

B．fortunately

C．doubtfully

D．completely

6.

A．expectation

B．dignity

C．admiration

D．pride

7.

A．reception

B．trade

C．ceremony

D．bargain

8.

A．stored

B．wasted

C．ignored

D．treasured

9.

A．charming

B．suitable

C．selfless

D．kind

10.

A．requests

B．levels

C．plans

D．solutions

11.

A．passed onto

B．helped out

C．devoted to

D．handed over to

12.

A．gathered

B．happened

C．flooded

D．swelled

13.

A．account

B．application

C．comment

D．post

14.

A．busy

B．confident

C．outgoing

D．hesitant

15.

A．describing

B．treating

C．impressing

D．directing

16.

A．response

B．dream

C．reaction

D．message

17.

A．secretly

B．excitedly

C．desperately

D．eagerly

18.

A．sheltered

B．promoted

C．started

D．collected

19.

A．giving

B．surprising

C．refreshing

D．moving

20.

A．design

B．achieve

C．update

D．copy

6 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

China’s cargo spacecraft, Tianzhou-5, is ready for     1    (it) launch, according to the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, under the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, in China’s     2    (south) island province of Hainan. The launch of Tianzhou-5 will be     3     200th launch mission for the Xichang Satellite Launch Center this year, as well as the last one for the Wenchang launch site this year.

So far, the site     4    (conduct) the final preparation and rehearsal (彩排) for the launch, including fueling up the cargo craft     5     transferring the spacecraft-rocket combination to the launching area. All systems are     6     good condition, and the launch site is preparing to fuel up the rocket as     7    (schedule).

Zhong Wen’ an, chief engineer at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, said they had completed the most extensive rehearsal before launch,     8     is also the final joint rehearsal. The facilities are good and the weather forecast on the launch day meets the     9    (requirement), Zhong said.

The country will carry out three more missions -the launch of the Tianzhou-5 cargo craft and the Shenzhou-15 crewed spaceship, as well as bringing theShenzhou-14 crew back to Earth -before it     10    (complete) the in-orbit construction of the space station by the end of this year.

7 . 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.

2. Whose research is probably related to education?

A．Elizabeth Shen.

B．Rory Hu.

C．Mina Fedor.

D．Elizabeth Shen.

3. What do we know about Jeanelle Dao’s foot-controlled welcome mat?

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.

8 . I used to be extremely shy, so I wasn’t good at meeting new people. I was_______I’d do or say something wrong, so usually I just smiled and listened to other people’s_______. My teacher Mrs. Smith always_______me to communicate with others.

One day, she_______that our class was going to perform a play she’d written. “I_______someone to play the lead role. Anybody want to try?” she said. A few_______hands shot up—mine wasn’t one of them. Mrs. Smith walked up to me and said, “I think you’re_______for it. But you didn’t _______your hand when I asked who was interested in the part.”

Me, the lead? Was she_______? Mrs. Smith continued, “I had been in consideration of you for the role while writing the play! If you really don’t want to, though, I won’t force you. You’re your                           ________.” Suddenly, I realized it was time to________my shyness and show the world who I really was. I looked Mrs. Smith right in her eyes and said________, “OK, I’ll try.”

After five months of practicing, I was________nervous when the big day arrived My knees________. My heart beat like I’d just run a mile. “It doesn’t matter how you do tonight,” said Mrs. Smith, as if reading my________when she came backstage for a final________ “You’ve already shown yourself how wonderful you’re. That’s the most________thing.”

I smiled because I knew she was right. I proved I could take chances, be daring (大胆的), and have fun doing it! At the end of the play, when the audience stood and________, I knew they were not just ________for my performance that night, but for the performances they knew would come in later years because of my newly-found________.

1.

A．certain

B．afraid

C．ashamed

D．doubtful

2.

A．arguments

B．comments

C．analyses

D．conversations

3.

A．encouraged

B．attracted

C．forced

D．challenged

4.

A．realized

B．intended

C．announced

D．concluded

5.

A．advise

B．remind

C．appoint

D．need

6.

A．amused

B．excited

C．relaxed

D．satisfied

7.

A．perfect

B．responsible

C．famous

D．concerned

8.

A．wave

B．hang

C．show

D．raise

9.

A．strict

B．reliable

C．crazy

D．sensitive

10.

A．choice

B．duty

C．award

D．honor

11.

A．end with

B．make out

C．throw away

D．see through

12.

A．slowly

B．firmly

C．softly

D．warmly

13.

A．still

B．never

C．always

D．hardly

14.

A．bent

B．froze

C．broke

D．shook

15.

A．opinions

B．expressions

C．thoughts

D．impressions

16.

A．check

B．test

C．motivation

D．promotion

17.

A．interesting

B．important

C．personal

D．intelligent

18.

A．greeted

B．withdrew

C．whispered

D．applauded

19.

A．waiting

B．cheering

C．thanking

D．applying

20.

A．pride

B．dignity

C．confidence

D．achievement

9 . Chaplin was one of the famous clown-style actors of the silent time. It was through Charlie Chaplin that the Hollywood comedy movies became famous.

Then in the 1920s came another trend of animated cartoons. They were the most popular Hollywood comedy movies of the time. The several popular characters of that era were Felix the cat, Krazy Kat and Betty Boop. However, the popularity of these movies was blocked out due to lack of sound and color. The end of 1920s, the Hollywood comedy industry marked a change brought about by the introduction of sound into the movies. This has allowed the industry to create dramatic new film styles and use verbal humor. These films were soon replacing silent movies. These films used dialogue of comedians such as the W. C Fields and the Marx Brothers. Charlie Chaplin was the last comedian to have acted in the silent films.

When the United States entered into World War ll, Hollywood movies changed its course to themes related to the conflicts, and Hollywood comedy movies described more on military themes. The war time experienced a boom, where restrictions on the traveling made nearly a quarter of the money spent on attending movies.

In the 1950s, the interest shifted where the TV became popular. During this time the release of Hollywood comedy films declined(衰落). The 1960s saw an increasing number of broad, star-packed comedies. In 1970 Hollywood comedy movies reflected the anti-war sentiment, which was popular then.

In the 1980s the gag(笑料)based comedy Airplane was released, and Hollywood comedy movies paved its way for more of the same. The popular comedians of this time included Dudley－Moore, Tom Hanks, etc. Jim Carrey, the Canadian actor and a comedian, came into Hollywood comedy movies in the late 1980s where he won the role in such a comedy, Copper Mountain.The most popular Hollywood comedy movies were of John Hughes, which includes Ferris Buellers Day Off and Home Alone series of 1990s. The later films focused more on family audience. This was a revival in comedy movies. Comedy movies remain popular till date.

1. Why did Hollywood movies grow rapidly during World War ll?

A．People had more money at that time.

B．The government spent a lot of money on films

C．.People couldn’t travel freely.

D．People were made to see movies by the government.

2. The theme of the 1970s Hollywood comedies is________.

A．protests against wars

B．domestic violence

C．oversea military activities

D．desire for freedom

3. What does this passage mainly talk about?

A．Outstanding comedies made in Hollywood.

B．Famous comedians in Hollywood history.

C．Chaplin’s contribution to comedies.

D．Development of Hollywood comedy movies.

4. Which of the following shows the correct order of what happened to the Hollywood comedy movies?
a. Hollywood comedy movies focused on family audience.
b. Fewer and fewer Hollywood comedy films were released.
c. Animated cartoons of Hollywood comedy movies were popular.
d. Hollywood comedy movies once developed quickly during the war time.
e. The Hollywood comedy industry made a reform of applying sound to the movies.

A．cedba

B．decab

C．dabec

D．ecbda

10 . Dr. Harvey Gates, the noted scientist, might never have discovered the Kamron lizard (蜥蜴) in Blovia, if it had not been for a childhood accident. As a boy, he decided to become a baseball player, but when he broke his arm in practice at the age of fourteen and was forced to stay off the playing field for a while, he took notice of the natural world around him and liked what he saw.

After he had recovered from his injury, he caught a squirrel (松鼠) and raised it as a pet. Soon he was bringing home snakes and other creatures from the woods near his school.

In 1962, he entered Blakeford College and majored in biology. By 1966 he had received his Bachelor (学士) of Science degree and two years later at Drysdale University, he received his Doctor of Science degree. It was while he was doing field research for his doctoral studies in South America in 1967 that he discovered and named the Kamron lizard. This animal was different from others of its kind in that it had only four toes on its front feet. In other respects, it was similar to others of the same family. It could change its color and go for long periods without food.

1. Of the four statements, which one best indicates (表明) the author’s idea?

A．Dr. Gates is a scientist who can always attract the public attention to his research.

B．Dr. Gates is a very famous scientist, though he wanted to be a sportsman at first.

C．Dr. Gates is a scientist who always carries a notebook with him wherever he goes.

D．Dr. Gates is very popular for his determination to become a baseball player.

2. In the first paragraph of the passage, the phrase “in practice” means “________”

A．while doing some practical work

B．while studying animals

C．while making up his mind to become a baseball player

D．while playing baseball

3. In the second paragraph, the word “creatures” can best be replaced by “________”.

A．people

B．animals

C．things

D．living things

4. It was ________ that Dr. Gates discovered the Kamron lizard.

A．after he had graduated from Drysdale University

B．right after he had finished his study for the doctor’s degree

C．after he had received his highest degree

D．during the time when he was studying for the doctor’s degree