1 . My kitchen may be the best kitchen on the planet. That is because when I look out of its window can see the west side of Grandeur Peak. Grandeur Peak is one of the most attractive mountains in central Wasatch, with its animals, trees, morning clouds, evening sunset, and the mountain’s paragliders (滑翔伞运动员).

The number of paragliders flying above Grandeur Peak has grown over the past 15 years, so much so that they have become part of the mountain. But during the past year they have largely disappeared. Some paragliders told me that the wind became too strong to fly in. The wind is too strong! Is this another character of our changing climate (气候)? Will paragliding be a sport affected by a warming planet? Utah has been much windier in the past few years. For me, a scientist who studies living things, it is easy to believe that our future will be windier. This year it’s getting super-hot, and the planet is warming faster than scientists expected. I can’t help but worry that the future of paragliding in Utah is not bright.

I’m writing to the brave people who fly from Grandeur Peak with beautiful wings. I want you to join Clean The Dam Air, a group that’ s working hard to fight climate change and air pollution — I’m part of it too. We are introducing a measure, which aims to remove the state sales tax (税) on grocery store food and put a carbon tax on fossil fuels (化石燃料) in its place: gas, electricity produced from fossil fuels, and natural gas. The goal isn’t to make taxes higher. The idea is to encourage everyone to reduce their use of fossil fuels. So, paragliders, join us. Now is the time to take care of our planet. If we succeed, then Utah can be an example to others in fighting climate change.

1. Why does the author mention his kitchen?

A．To share his love of cooking dishes.

B．To bring back his memories of paragliding.

C．To introduce Grandeur Peak’s paragliding.

D．To describe his adventures around Grandeur Peak.

2. What happened in the past year?

A．The author saw less paragliding.	B．Few people visited Grandeur Peak.
C．Air pollution became serious in Utah.	D．Strong winds stopped people going outside.

3. What is the author’s attitude towards the future of paragliding in Utah?

A．Uncaring.

B．Supportive.

C．Positive.

D．Worried.

4. What did the author call on paragliders to do?

A．Buy those foods that are taxed less.

B．Reduce flying with wings in Grandeur Peak.

C．Join him to support a program about taxing.

D．Join a group to improve their paragliding skills.

2 . On November 8th, a tornado, the most powerful in the past 70 years, hit Jersey, causing great damages to the area and leaving the residents in great panic.

“Suddenly, the windows of the waiting room exploded in and dragged everything inside. My cars have been completely destroyed by branches and fences, and my garden is completely gone. There’s no furniture, no fence; everything has been thrown everywhere. At first there was lightning but then a strange noise and strange darkness came over the whole house. It was like being in a scary scene in the movie The Wizard of Oz,” Ashleigh Quail-Charleston, a Jersey resident, told the Bailiwick Express after the tornado that struck overnight on November 1—2 during Storm Ciaran.

The consequence looked like a bomb had gone off: cars hit, roofs with holes, windows broken. “A huge tree leans drunkenly against a block of flats. Piles of branches are piled optionally and pavements are covered with pieces,” said Chris Stone at BBC Radio Jersey. The tornado was powerful and exceptionally rare, caused by a severe thunderstorm that had sent out intense lightning and huge hailstones described as “ice bombs”. The Tornado and Storm Research Organization (Torro) and Jersey Met Office revealed the tornado left a trail of damages 8 km long across the island, and rated its intensity as T6 on an international scale of tornado power.

According to Torro records, this was the most powerful tornado to strike anywhere in the British Isles or Channel Islands since December 7th, 1954 when a tornado struck west London, leaving tremendous devastation, with Gunnersbury railway station torn apart, roofs torn off houses and one car even thrown through the air.

Tornados during Storm Ciaran also hit Sompting in West Sussex and Loders in Dorset. One resident in Loders, Sophie van Hensbergen, described the moment, saying, “The tornado struck with a very, very powerful whistling sound and the windows looked as though we were in a car wash.”

1. Why is The Wizard of Oz mentioned in paragraph 2?

A．To summarize the consequence.	B．To introduce the topic.
C．To enrich the readers’ knowledge.	D．To help describe the tornado.

2. What does paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．How tornado was rated.

B．What caused the tornado.

C．How severe the tornado was.

D．What should be done to prevent the tornado.

3. What does the underlined word “devastation” mean in paragraph 4?

A．Marks.

B．Damages.

C．Memory.

D．Impression.

4. What is this text?

A．A news item.	B．A science report.
C．A movie reviewer.	D．A weather forcast.

3 . A gene variant (变体) that causes the “alcohol flush (脸红)” reaction increases the risk of heart disease by causing inflammation of blood vessels (脉管), especially in drinkers. Around 8 percent of the world’s populations has a gene variant called ALDH2*2 that impairs the body’s ability to break down alcohol and causes unpleasant symptoms such as flushing soon after people drink. Now, researchers have shown why this change also raises the risk of heart disease.

“We are trying to understand why ALDH2*2 is associated with a higher risk of coronary arte (冠状动脉) disease at a cellular (细胞的) level,” says Hongchao Guo at Stanford University in California.

The ALDH2*2 gene encodes one version of the enzyme (酵素) alcohol dehydrogenase (脱氢酶), which breaks down the toxic acetaldehydes (乙醛) produced when alcohol is metabolized (代谢), and also mops up other harmful substances known as free radicals.

The gene variant also impairs the growth of new blood vessels. “That means that when there is a heart attack, when there is a need of blood vessel growth, carriers have less ability to generate new blood vessels,” says Guo.

The team found that an existing diabetes (糖尿病) drug called empagliflozin may reduce these harmful effects in people with ALDH2*2 who drink a lot of alcohol. But for Wu, the take-home message is clear. “If you’re missing this enzyme, try not to drink,” he says. “If you drink consistently, you are at much higher risk of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and cancer.”

Given its many negative consequences, there has been debate about why this change spread and became common, today being found in more than a third of people of cast Asian origin.

“My only explanation is that if you are missing this enzyme, you tend to drink less and there’s therefore less chance of you becoming alcoholic,” says Wu.

1. Which of the following may be caused by “alcohol flush”?

A．Heart disease and high blood pressure.	B．A gene variant called ALDH2*2.
C．Inflammation of blood vessels.	D．Diabetes and cancer.

2. Which of the following statement may Wu support?

A．Exiting diabetes drug can help people witALDH2*2.

B．People with ALDH2*2 shouldn’t drink alcohol.

C．People with ALDH2*2 have less chance of becoming alcoholic.

D．Drinking alcohol can bring about diabetes and cancer.

3. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Diabetes drug can free people with ALDH2*2 of alcohol flush.

B．If you are missing this enzyme, you will easily become alcoholic.

C．People with ALDH2*2 tend to suffer from cancer.

D．More than a third of people of cast Asian origin may be affected by ALDH2*2.

4. What’s the purpose of the text?

A．To explain the impact of genetic variant causing the “alcohol flush”.

B．To introduce ways to stop drinking alcohol.

C．To introduce dangers of drinking alcohol.

D．To persuade people to get rid of drinking alcohol.

4 . In September 2005, the ground suddenly sank 10 feet in a certain area in northern Ethiopia, rapidly separated on both sides, with large holes that could engulf several camels and several goats. In the next three weeks, 160 earthquakes occurred in this area, forming a large crack 25 feet wide and approximately 0.34 miles long.

Tim Wright, a geophysicist at the University of Leeds in England, used satellite radar data to accurately piece together the formation process of this crack. When the African and Arab tectonic plates drift to both sides, the crust between the two plates weakens. Wright said: “The magma (岩浆) formed at the bottom of the crust will drop down regularly, just like the Lava lamp, forming a ‘balloon’, which will gradually expand. When the ‘balloon’ reaches the critical pressure, it will explode.”

According to Wright’s estimate, in the next 1 million years or so, the cracks will continue to expand, and the Horn of Africa will completely detach from the African continent, forming the eighth largest continent on Earth—East Africa. Wright said that this geological process always occurs, but ground separating usually only occur at the bottom of the sea, which is difficult for people to see. He said, “This is the first time we have directly observed this extremely important geological process using modern instruments.”

This discovery caused a shocking in the scientific community. In 2006, inspection teams from the UK, France, Italy, and the United States came to Afar one after another. After analysis and research, they predicted that a new continent would be formed in one million years, the Great Rift Valley in East Africa would be 10 times longer than it is today, and the Cape of Good Hope in East Africa would be separated from the African continent. In response, American geologist Cindy Ebinger said, “Many people believe that violent geological phenomena only occurred in distant ancient times, but we can now see them happening.”

What is the future of the Great Rift Valley? Perhaps our humans can only wait and see.

1. What is the purpose of the data in the first paragraph?

A．Describe economic losses	B．Illustrate the impact of sinking
C．Explain the research results	D．Number of participants named for the study

2. Why does the author take the Lava lamp as an example in the second paragraph?

A．To better explain plate splitting	B．Further increase research funny
C．Explain satellite radar data	D．Causing a shock in the scientific community

3. Which of the following may be the best explanation for the underlined word “detach”?

A．sink

B．destroy

C．contribute

D．divide

4. Which of the following statement is true according to the passage?

A．The ground in Ethiopia sank and swallowed 160 camels.

B．Ground cracking rarely occurs on the seabed.

C．Teams from four countries predict there will be eight continents in one million years.

D．Intense geological phenomena only occur in distant ancient times.

5 . 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。

A punctual person is in the habit of doing things at proper time in a     1     (plan) way and is always keeping his appointment. He knows     2     if he wants to succeed in his work and society he must observe regular or appointed time. The     3     (punctual) man, on the contrary, seldom does what he has to do at the set time. If he has made an appointment with someone, he never cares about the appointed time and is     4     (like) to be late for half an hour.

Unpunctuality is very harmful. Friends sometimes grow cold to wards each other, or even become     5     (enemy), because one of them has been remiss in keeping     6     (appoint). Imagine how it would be if those who are     7     (trust) with important tasks failed to be at their proper place at the appointed time. A man who is known to be habitually unpunctual is never trusted by his friends, his     8     (classmate) or colleagues.

There is a proverb which says, “There is a time     9     everything.” This is true. In fact time is life     10     (it), and the man who really has a great deal to do is very careful of his time and is no doubt fond of punctuality.

6 . The Past and Present Lives of Mineral Water

We are not unfamiliar with mineral water, but do you understand its origin?

In 1992, Zhuhai Jialin Co., Ltd. took the lead in producing the first barrel of bottled water in China: Jialin Mountain Barreled Water.     1    , creating a market and driving the industry’s great development.

    2    , such as the Zhuhai Film Festival, Zhuhai Air Show, Zhuhai Racing, National Games, and other major events and activities. Jialin Mountain is the designated only brand of drinking water. Subsequently, it became the official designated only drinking water for the Asian and Provincial Games, and after shouting at the Asian Games, “Give me a chance to return a miracle to the world,” its development became even more rapid, and its popularity was unmatched.

    3    . At that time, there was a saying that national drinking water enterprises looked at Guangdong, Guangdong drinking water enterprises looked at Zhuhai, and Zhuhai drinking water looked at Jialin Mountain. It can be seen how glorious Jialin Mountain was in the 1990s.

After 2005, the invasion of foreign brand water enterprises, such as Nongfu Spring and Yibao, formed the situation of a hundred flowers blooming in Zhuhai’s drinking water market.     4    .

Until May 2010, Jialin Mountain was 100% purchased by China Resources Beverage, which was once a famous enterprise in Guangdong Province, and then withdrew from the market, while Ipoh, who obtained the mining right of Jialin Mountain mineral water, jumped to the first place in Guangdong Province in drinking water.

    5    .

A．At this time, Jialin Mountain felt that its country had been seriously threatened

B．In 1993, Zhuhai held a series of events but all ended in failure

C．At that time, the selling price of bottled water was extremely high, with a barrel of water once selling at a maximum of 120 yuan

D．From 1992 to 2001, Jialin Mountain can be said to be a synonym for drinking water

E．At the beginning of the 21st century, competition in China’s mineral Fishery industry will continue to intensify

F．Until now, Yibao, Nongfu Spring and Wahaha are all the leaders in China’s mineral spring Fishery industry

G．In 1994, Zhuhai successively launched multiple major projects

7 . Metal self-healing refers to the ability of a metal material to recover its original structure and performance after being damaged or destroyed. This self-healing capability can reduce the cost of repairing and replacing metal materials, extend their service life, and improve the sustainability of materials.

In July 20, 2023, scientists have witnessed for the first time that metal fragments rupture without human intervention and then re-melt together. The team found that disappearing cracks are nano-sized, small but important. If the newly discovered phenomenon can be exploited, it may lead to an engineering revolution. In this revolution, self-healing engines, bridges, and aircraft can remove wear and tear damage, making it safer and more durable.

The Sandia National Laboratory and Texas A & M University team described the discovery in Nature on the 20th.

In the science fiction movie “The Terminator 2,” the robot T1000, made of liquid metal, left a deep impression because it could change its shape at will and repair itself after hitting. However, at the 2019 International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, the JSK Lab at the University of Tokyo showed a prototype of a robotic leg with a tendon “fuse” made of metal that can repair a fracture, and by automatically fusing and transforming into a single part, a movie is about to come true.

Insiders pointed out that if metal self-repairing can be utilized, it will improve the competitiveness of industrial products and promote the development of relevant industries, which is of great significance to achieve the two goals of sustainable human development, energy conservation and environmental protection.

In terms of transportation, the internal wear and fuel consumption rate of engines of vehicles and vessels powered by fuel increase gradually. Self-repair engines can reduce the wear of parts, improve the service life of engines, improve the operation rate, and save huge amounts of funds every year, thus improving the comprehensive benefits.

In addition, self-healing bridges and aircraft eliminate wear and tear damage, making them safer and more durable. The crowd said it was amazing!

1. Why does the second paragraph say that this discovery may cause the revolution?

A．Because the structure of metals is very complex.

B．Because human intervention makes healing easier.

C．Because this repair capability can reduce a lot of costs.

D．Because this is the first natural healing discovered.

2. We can learn from the fourth paragraph that the robots in the movie ________.

A．Learned metal self-healing	B．It is composed of liquids
C．It is highly likely to appear in reality	D．It was made by the University of Tokyo

3. According to industry insiders, what are the advantages of this technology?

A．Reduce costs and protect energy	B．Make movies come true
C．Improve product competitiveness	D．Triggering the Industrial Revolution

4. What is the public’s attitude towards this technology according to the passage?

A．Neutral

B．Approval

C．Dismissive

D．Unclear

8 . Should we hide in the “Triangle (三角) of Life” when the earthquake comes?

At 1:39 on June 15, a magnitude (里氏) 3.1 earthquake occurred in Qingpu District, Shanghai, with a focal depth of 8 kilometers. Earthquakes are one of the major natural disasters, so how to avoid danger and self rescue during earthquakes has become a topic of great concern.

There has always been a saying on the Internet that when an earthquake comes, collapsed objects and solid large objects will form a triangular space around them(the “Triangle of Life area”), and hiding in this area will have a greater probability of survival, which many people believe deeply.

In this regard, the China Earthquake Administration said that although observing the ruins after the earthquake, we can find that there are similar triangular spaces in some places.

However, when an earthquake occurs, people cannot know in advance the way of the earthquake, the direction of the collapse of buildings or objects, and it is difficult to know where there will be the so-called “Triangle of Life”.

The “Triangle of Life area” was proposed by an American disaster relief worker named Kupp, who believed that traditional self-help methods such as drilling tables were no longer suitable for people living in modern buildings. The collapsed floor structure would crush the tables or beds for refuge, and only hiding in the triangle area could survive.

Although the “Triangle of Life area” self-help method has been popular for more than ten years. However, the American Red Cross, the California State Emergency Service Office and earthquake experts have all pointed out the irrationality of the “Triangle of Life”. The Chinese Ministry of Emergency Management has also provided a refutation explanation.

In fact, after an earthquake, the internationally recognized most reliable method of self rescue is ‘lying on the ground, blocking, and holding onto your hands’. You should lie down, squat down, or sit down, try to lower the center of gravity of the body, and protect important parts such as the head, neck, eyes, and mouth and nose.

1. What information can we learn about the “Triangle of Life” in the first three paragraphs?

A．The Triangle of Life area is an official definition.

B．Many people believe in the “Triangle of Life”.

C．The earthquake in Shanghai has caused panic among the masses.

D．When an earthquake strikes, one should hide in the triangle area.

2. Why did disaster relief personnel propose the definition of a triangular area?

A．To protect himself	B．To overthrow the government
C．To avoid earthquakes	D．To attract attention

3. According to the passage, what are the unreasonable aspects of the triangle area?

A．Its unpredictability	B．Its out-of-date construction
C．Its instability	D．Its illegality

4. Where may this article be selected from?

A．Newspaper

B．Horror Book

C．History Book

D．Science Magazine

9 . Enrollment Regulations of Taiyuan University of Science and Technology in 2023

Welcome to apply to our school. In 2023, our school will mainly recruit students majoring in Machinery, Materials, and Computer Science. In addition, we will also recruit new students majoring in English, Engineering, Law, and more. The following is a brief introduction to our school’s characteristic majors.

Mechanical Design, Manufacturing and Automation

This major belongs to the School of Mechanical Engineering and is a characteristic specialty construction point of national higher education institutions. It includes six original major categories (类别) and two new professional directions. Its major courses are Advanced Mathematics, Mechanical Design, etc.

Material Science & Engineering

This major is a major that attaches importance to foundation and is a talent training and scientific research base for China’s heavy machinery industry. Its major courses are Advanced Mathematics, Theoretical Mechanics, etc.

Computer Science and Technology

This major is an advantageous specialty in Shanxi and admits doctoral students. It mainly cultivates (创造) senior specialized talents engaged in the research, design, development, application, and teaching of computer software, hardware, and application systems. The main courses include Advanced Mathematics, C Language, etc.

If you want to learn more, you can go to our school’s official website or call the admissions office for consultation.

1. If you want to study a major with Chinese characteristics, which major should you choose?

A．Mechanical.

B．Computer.

C．Material.

D．English.

2. According to the passage, which of the following ways cannot provide more information?

A．Go to school’s official website.	B．Browse the homepage of the official website.
C．Call the admissions office.	D．Send an e-mail to the school.

3. Which one is the incorrect description of this passage?

A．This school is located in Shanxi Province.	B．All majors study Advanced Mathematics.
C．This school mainly enrolls English.	D．This is an enrollment regulation.

10 . The art of living is to know when to hold fast and when to let go. Many people _______ it this way, “A man comes to this world with his fist clenched (紧握), but when he dies, his hand is _______.”

Surely we ought to hold fast to life, for it is _______, and full of a beauty that breaks through your own earth. Sometimes we recognize this _______ only in our backward glance when we suddenly realize that it is no more.

We remember a beauty that _______, a love that disappeared. But we remember with far greater pain that we did not see that beauty when it flowered, that we _______ to respond with love when it was tendered.

A recent experience re-taught me this truth. I was _______ following a severe heart attack and had been in intensive care for several days. It was not a pleasant place.

One morning, I had to have some additional tests. The required machines were located in a building at the opposite end of the hospital, so I had to be _______ across the courtyard on a gurney (轮床).

As we _______ from our unit, the sunlight hit me. That’s ________. And yet how beautiful it was — how warming, how sparkling, how brilliant!

I looked to see whether anyone else enjoyed the sun’s golden glow, but everyone was ________ to and fro, most with eyes fixed on the ground. Then I remembered how often we had been ________ to the beauty of each day, too preoccupied with chores. Life’s gifts are ________ — but we always pay no attention to them.

Never too busy for the wonder and the awe of life. Embrace each hour, ________ each golden minute. Hold fast to life… but not so fast that you can’t let go. We must ________ our losses, and learn how to let go.

1.

A．take

B．put

C．make

D．get

2.

A．closed

B．tight

C．open

D．smooth

3.

A．amazing

B．surprising

C．frightening

D．frustrating

4.

A．gossip

B．fact

C．message

D．truth

5.

A．faded

B．ran

C．escaped

D．jumped

6.

A．tackled

B．reflected

C．failed

D．succeeded

7.

A．hospitalized

B．transferred

C．exchanged

D．delivered

8.

A．rolled

B．wheeled

C．pushed

D．pulled

9.

A．jumped

B．turned

C．disappeared

D．emerged

10.

A．horrible

B．terrible

C．awesome

D．shocking

11.

A．smiling

B．hurrying

C．trembling

D．lying

12.

A．indifferent

B．patient

C．innocent

D．excellent

13.

A．useful

B．expensive

C．valueless

D．precious

14.

A．strike

B．hit

C．seize

D．use

15.

A．accept

B．give up

C．stick to

D．cope with