1 . Optimism (乐观) is probably not a surprise that optimistic thinkers tend to be happier than pessimistic thinkers.     1     Here is what may surprise you.

Optimists live longer.

Optimistic thinkers have lower rates of high blood pressure, heart disease, and even risk of cancer, as well as lower rates of mortality in general. These health factors may be influenced by optimists’ focus on taking care of themselves.     2     One large study published in 2022 determined that optimists have a life span 11% to 15% longer than average.     3    

Optimists are more successful.

Just as optimists tend to be more resilient (有复原力的) outside of the workplace, they are also resilient on the job. Even if their bosses don’t recognize that they’re doing a good job, optimists are able to bounce back and keep performing well. People who are more optimistic also seem to have better job security than less optimistic workers.     4     Plus, people who feel optimistic about their careers are more likely to both succeed at work and to feel satisfied with their jobs.

    5    

People with higher levels of subjective well-being — a mindset that can include optimism — have stronger immune systems and even experience faster wound healing than others with lower levels of well-being. People with positive experiences lowered their rates of depression, physical symptoms, and sleep complaints.

A．Optimists take fewer sick days.

B．Optimists pick themselves up faster.

C．But there are other benefits to being optimist.

D．They are more likely to live to age 85 or older.

E．Optimists are more likely to take steps to cope with it.

F．This improved security can even lead to increased optimism.

G．Optimists tend to exercise more, sleep better and eat healthier.

2 . Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly and rationally, understanding the logical connection between ideas. Critical thinking has been the subject of much debate and thought since the time of early Greek philosophers such as Plato and Socrates and has continued to be a subject of discussion into the modern age, for example the ability to recognise fake news.

Critical thinking might be described as the ability to engage in reflective and independent thinking. In nature, critical thinking requires you to use your ability to reason. It is about being an active learner rather than a passive recipient of information.

Critical thinkers rigorously (严厉地) question ideas and assumptions rather than accepting them at face value. They will always seek to determine whether the ideas, arguments and findings represent the entire picture and are open to finding that they do not.

One of the most important aspects of critical thinking is to decide what you are aiming to achieve and then make a decision based on a range of possibilities.

Once you have clarified that aim for yourself you should use it as the starting point in all future situations requiring thought and, possibly, further decision making. Where needed, make your workmates, family or those around you aware of your intention to pursue this goal. You must then discipline yourself to keep on track until changing circumstances mean you have to revisit the start of the decision-making process.

However, there are things that get in the way of simple decision making. We all carry with us a range of likes and dislikes, learnt behaviours and personal preferences developed throughout our lives; they are the hallmarks of being human. A major contribution to ensuring we think critically is to be aware of these personal characteristics, preferences and biases (偏见) and make allowance for them when considering possible next steps.

The more clearly, we are aware of ourselves, our strengths and weaknesses, the more likely our critical thinking will be productive.

1. What will you be by using critical thinking?

A．A creative philosopher.	B．A passive recipient of information.
C．An independent organizer.	D．An active learner.

2. Which of the followings belongs to critical thinking?

A．Setting up direct targets.	B．Coming up with imaginative ideas.
C．Analysing original reasons.	D．Making various possible decisions.

3. What can we infer from paragraph 6?

A．Personal preferences will change critical thinking.

B．Individual behaviours will stop you pursuing the goal.

C．Tastes and preferences vary from individual to individual.

D．Critical thinking gets in the way of simple decision making.

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

A．What is Critical Thinking?

B．How does Critical Thinking work?

C．How is Critical Thinking Productive?

D．What effect does Critical Thinking cause?

3 . There’s more to the jungle than just The Jungle Book. Let’s find out.

	Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs Tarzan of the Apes launched the legend of an orphaned (孤儿的) boy who is adopted by apes in the African jungle. Named Tarzan, the boy eventually has to prove himself on two fronts: the animal kingdom and the even more threatening world of humans.
	Hatchet by Gary Paulsen Brian Robeson is only 13 years old when his bush plane crashes in the forest. Now he must survive — with nothing but a hatchet (短柄小斧). This book won the 1987 Newberry Award and has since been published in four sequels (续集).
	The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling Rudyard Kipling published this book in 1894 as a collection of stories about a “man-cub” Mowgli who grows up with wolves in the forest. Here’s your chance to meet the original conceptions of these beloved characters yourself: from Baloo the bear to Bagheera the black panther and the infamous tiger She re Khan.
	The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle An expedition to an Amazon basin in South America to find prehistoric dinosaurs goes wrong in this 1912 novel by Sir Arthur Doyle. Sherlock Holmes is nowhere to be found, but this book does introduce the disreputable character of Professor Challenger, the founder of the mission.

1. Which book won Newberry Award?

A．Tarzan of the Apes.	B．Hatchet.
C．The Jungle Book.	D．The Lost World.

2. Who describes the story about a wolf-child?

A．Edgar Rice Burroughs.	B．Gary Paulsen.
C．Rudyard Kipling.	D．Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

3. Who is the main hero in The Lost World?

A．Brian Robeson.	B．Mowgli.
C．Sherlock Holmes.	D．Professor Challenger.

4 . Ever since Jaden Hunter was a little boy growing up in South Los Angeles, he’s always been focused on his education. This year he graduated at the top of his class from Crenshaw Arts Tech Charter High with 4.7 grade point average and was named co-valedictorian (致告别辞的最优秀毕业生).

“I felt good because my hard work paid off. All the long sleepless nights I took in, stuff like that, it finally paid off,” Hunter said. His accolades (嘉奖) and achievements don’t stop there. The 18-year-old is one of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s scholarship recipients. Also, he was accepted not just into one, two or even three universities. He was accepted to 39 schools and received $3.5 million in scholarships. Eventually, he got accepted into his childhood dream school, USC.

After weighing his options, Hunter made a decision and is set to start college this week.”Math has been my favorite subject. So that’s why I’ll be studying mechanical engineering at Berkeley,” he said.

His mother, Rodkeisha Polian, said her son’s schedule was always filled with a variety of activities.” I kept him in sports, I kept him in church and I kept him in community events,” Polian said. “I always kept him busy, so he didn’t have time to wander out in the streets and get into any trouble.”

Although Hunter was busy enough, he’s also launched his own clothing brand called The Legit Way. The young entrepreneur said he’s most inspired by his community and wants to give back.

“In my community, just all low-income communities, we don’t know what it is to build credit, how to buy a home, how to obtain a loan from the bank, anything in that sort. So I just want to teach the community that and empower my community, promote them, help us get further than where we were,” Jaden said.

He said the success he’s been able to achieve is just the beginning. Once he graduates from college, he said he wants to work for NASA or Space X.

1. What can we know about Hunter from the first paragraph?

A．He chose the major in education.

B．He was a little boy interested in Art.

C．He made a speech at the graduation ceremony.

D．He graduated from Crenshaw Arts Tech Charter College.

2. Why did Polian arrange a tight schedule for Hunter?

A．To keep away from quarrel.

B．To avoid causing unnecessary loss.

C．To prevent him making bad friends.

D．To make him have no energy to hang out.

3. What does the last paragraph mainly tell us about Hunter?

A．His ambition.

B．His hobby.

C．His achievement.

D．His career.

4. Where is this text most likely from?

A．A short novel.	B．A report.
C．A review.	D．A story introduction.

5 . Tech is awesome, but let’s be honest: Sometimes it gets a bit boring. Computers and smartphones change from year to year, software switches to subscriptions, and innovation, in general, isn’t so common. Every once in a while, though, a new tech development is actually surprising and exciting. That’s how I feel about this new AI, which will draw almost anything you throw at it.

The software is called DALL•E 2, developed by OpenAI, which uses machine learning to create new images based on a text description provider by the user. You can see examples of how this works on the website: The developers let you mix and match different subjects, actions, and settings to see how DALL•E 2 produces different images from those descriptions.

For example, “an astronaut riding a horse in a photorealistic style” produces images of exactly that, resulting in different “photos” of an astronaut on a horse in what look like MTV promote pictures. Switch “photorealistic style” for “pencil drawing,” and suddenly you’re looking at what appear to be multiple sketches (草图) of that spaceman on their horse, only nobody actually drew anything — it’s entirely produced by AI.

It goes way beyond these impressive tech demos (演示), though. From tests I’ve seen, the AI can accept the most detailed of requests, and produce images you might see hanging in a modern art museum. Director Karen X Chang showed this off, first asking DALL•E 2 to draw a girl walking up an infinity staircase, which it did with ease, then asking DALL•E 2 to draw a girl walking up a staircase without end in the clouds made of cookies, which it also did, with ease.

The project really started in January 2021 with DALL•E. The goal was the same as DALL•E 2, to create a program that could create new images from text. Since then, OpenAI has figured out how to greatly improve the image quality, reintroducing the software as DALL•E 2.

1. Which is the base of DALL•E 2 creating new images?

A．The user’s order.	B．A text description.
C．A design software.	D．The developer’s idea.

2. How does the author demonstrate DALL•E 2’s function?

A．By listing examples.	B．By making comparisons.
C．By providing data.	D．By asking questions.

3. What does the underlined word “infinity” mean in Paragraph 4?

A．Novel.

B．Smooth.

C．Rough.

D．Endless.

4. What’s the best title for the text?

A．AI Will Take the Artists’ Place

B．AI Will Make Lifestyle More Colorful

C．DALL•E 2 Will Improve Image Quality

D．DALL•E 2 Will Draw Whatever Is Requested

6 . Science labs are a place of great excitement and learning, but it is important to stay safe and alert at all times.     1    Listening to your teacher and following their instructions is an essential part of behavior in your school lab.

Know about all safety procedures.     2    All safety and emergency procedures should be discussed at the beginning of the school year. In addition, relevant safety measures should be reviewed before each experiment.

Report all spills (溢出), injuries, or broken equipment to your teacher. Immediately after a spill or breakage occurs, it must be reported to your teacher. Never try to clean up a chemical spill without consulting your teacher first.

Dress for lab work. Do not wear bulky (笨重的) clothing as this will be difficult to manage and may come into contact with a flame or chemicals.     3    Wear shoes that are closed-toe, low heeled, and cover your entire foot.

    4    When working in a science lab, you must always wear a lab coat, gloves, and protective eyewear. The lab coat will protect you from chemical spills and gloves will protect your hands when handling chemicals or bacteria.

Know where to find safety equipment. Familiarize yourself with the location of any and all safety equipment which may be available, including the fire extinguisher (灭火器), first aid kit, and the eyewash station.     5    

A．There are many dangers in a lab.

B．Wear proper protective equipment.

C．Listen carefully to your teacher at all times.

D．Roll up your sleeves and keep long hair tied back.

E．Listen to all instructions before beginning any experiments.

F．If an emergency does occur, you must know the correct way to act.

G．If you have access to an emergency shower, know where this is located.

7 . 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。

The Shoton Festival is one of    1    (important) festivals for ethnic Tibetans. “Sho” means yogurt and “Ton” banquet in the Tibetan language, so the Shoton Festival    2    (call) the “Yogurt Festival.” as well. The seven-day event occurs between the end of the sixth     3     the beginning of the seventh month of the Tibetan calendar.

Originating(起源) from the mid-11th century, the Shoton Festival used to be a religious activity. After 1642, the Drepung Monastery(寺庙),     4     the fifth Dalai Lama, leader of the Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism, lived became the     5    (politics), religious and cultural center of Xizang. Every year on the 30th day of the sixth month, thousands of people would crowd     6     the monastery to present yogurt to the fifth Dalai Lama and asked for     7    (bless). Local Tibetan Opera troupes would also come to perform for him at the monastery. Since then, the Shoton Festival     8    (become) a religious and cultural festival.

During the period of the eighth Dalai Lama    9    (live) in the mid-18th century, the main venue of the Shoton Festival was moved to Norbulingka and ordinary people were allowed     10    (enter) to watch Tibetan Opera performances. From then on, the Shoton Festival became a fixed festival.

8 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What is Mary looking for?

A．The Student Union building.

B．A student apartment.

C．The student dormitory.

2. What does Sam major in?

A．Psychology.

B．Medicine.

C．Business.

3. What can be inferred from the conversation?

A．Sam has just arrived in the States.

B．The speakers know each other well.

C．Mary lives outside the schoo1.

9 . Butterflies are the adult stage of an insect belonging to a group called Lepidoptera, which is a Greek word meaning “scaly wings.” The term is appropriate, as the wings of these insects have thousands of overlapping (重叠的) tiny scales. They give the butterfly its super appearance as the scales are set in colorful patterns unique to their species.Butterflies have the typical body of insects: head, thorax, abdomen, and six legs. They also have an exoskeleton (外骨骼) and two feelers.

The first stage of butterfly life is the egg. These shells are tiny and can be roundor oval. Females attach eggs to plant stems or leaves, which serve as food when the larvae (幼虫) hatch.

At the second stage, the larva/caterpillar hatches. The new animal may have a number of legs. Several pairs will be true legs but some will be false legs. The caterpillar has a greedy appetite and spends most of its life eating. It grows a lot during this phase, only the outer skin doesn’t grow along with the rest of its body. Outgrowing its skin, the caterpillar molts, ridding one exoskeleton and replacing it with another. Caterpillars may go through up to five molts.

The third stage is the chrysalis (虫茧). Caterpillars find a spray and make it home. (They may use a wall or other support.) The exoskeleton splits and reveals the chrysalis. The chrysalis shell hangs like a big bag. Inside the shell, the caterpillar breaks down. It rearranges its structure, growing a new body, legs, and wings. Unlike the caterpillar, the chrysalis doesn’t eat. It survives on energy from food eaten during the larval stage. This third step can last from several days to twelve months.

The final stage is the birth of the adult butterfly. The chrysalis splits, and the butterfly emerges.

Most adult butterflies live a week or two. Some species live as long as 18 months.

1. How does the author feel about Lepidoptera?

A．Significant.

B．Typical.

C．Adequate.

D．Specific.

2. What does the underlined word “molts” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Changes the old chrysalis into a new one.

B．Replaces the original skin with a new one.

C．Controls the false legs with the true ones.

D．Replaces the old exoskeleton with a new one.

3. Where does the food of the chrysalis come from?

A．The first stage of butterfly life.	B．The second stage of butterfly life.
C．The third stage of butterfly life.	D．The fourth stage of butterfly life.

4. How is the text mainly developed?

A．By process.

B．By example.

C．By comparison.

D．By classification.

10 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. When did the speaker buy his tickets?

A．Three months in advance.

B．Three weeks in advance.

C．Five to ten days in advance.

2. How much does a guide generally pay for a plane ticket?

A．One quarter of the regular fare.

B．Half of the regular fare.

C．Two-thirds of the regular fare.

3. Where can senior and youth passes be used?

A．In Europe.

B．In India.

C．In Japan.

4. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．How to buy train tickets.

B．How to travel for less.

C．How to travel on a plane.