1. How much did disabled travelers spend in the US in 2018?
| A．About $45.8 billion. | B．About $58.7 billion. | C．About $81 billion. |
| A．It enables the disabled to live with dignity. |
| B．It offers the disabled accessible public transport. |
| C．Its tourist attractions are free for the disabled. |
| A．He spoke highly of the hotel rooms in Las Vegas. |
| B．He buys magazines 3 or 4 times a week. |
| C．He once lived in Sydney. |
| A．At a hotel. | B．In a travel agency. | C．In a publishing company. |
1. What is the man?
| A．A fresh graduate. | B．A software engineer. | C．A computer repairman. |
| A．He has great leadership skills. |
| B．He is a good team player. |
| C．He pays attention to detail. |
| A．Motivated. | B．Creative. | C．Industrious. |
| A．The employment situation. |
| B．The internal promotion. |
| C．The company culture. |
1. Who might the woman be?
| A．A hostess. | B．A director. | C．An actress. |
| A．It is her personal favorite. |
| B．It is worthy of the award. |
| C．It is terribly disappointing. |
| A．Call a meeting. | B．Watch a video. | C．Have a job interview. |
| A．Ecommerce is a doubleedged sword. |
| B．Local specialties should be exported. |
| C．Commercials are of no use. |
5 . The only science fiction that ever really caught my attention when I was growing up, besides Star Trek and Robert Heinlein’s Stranger in a Strange Land, was the novel Contact by Carl Sagan. When I was 15, I saw the 1997 film version of this. Later, as a 17-year-old adapting to my first semester (学期) at university, I read the book. Contact eventually became the gateway for me to try more popular science books.
One thing that interested me was the bitter fights the researchers got into with one another about their different ways of measuring the expansion rate of spacetime. On second thoughts, maybe this was a lesson I was supposed to draw from Contact, but, at the time, I didn’t regard such politics as a scientist problem. Instead, what caught my attention was the portrayal of Eleanor “Ellie” Arroway, a scientist who searched for alien intelligence. In the film version, Ellie is seen listening to space using a pair of headphones connected to the Very Large Array (VLA)—a real facility in New Mexico.
Astronomers don’t really do this for the purposes of actual research because there is rarely any point. This is the kind of detail that is unimportant for the film of Contact, but how it portrays radio astronomy is one of the inaccuracies I occasionally hear scientists complain about. I was lucky enough to observe the behaviour of some water molecules (分子) in the Orion nebula (猎户座星云) using the VLA for my thirdyear lab course. We didn’t listen to the data. Instead, we processed it so that we could look at it.
That was probably the only time I ever excelled in the lab, and I was so excited to be a reallife Ellie Arroway. Later, I was forced to think more about the human aspects of my working experience. I witnessed unnecessarily heated arguments between scientists, complete with shouting and chalkboard punching (用拳猛击). But, thankfully, Contact had not only introduced me to the idea of radio astronomy as a possible career path, it had also given me a road map for remaining calm in the confused conflict of astronomical wonder and human politics.
1. What can be learned about the author in his teenage years?| A．He watched Contact’s film version in his freshman year. |
| B．His interest in science was inspired by Contact. |
| C．He read a wide range of science fiction books. |
| D．His favourite science fiction author was Robert Heinlein. |
| A．Detecting the sound of space. | B．Searching for alien intelligence. |
| C．Communicating with nonexperts. | D．Visiting the VLA in New Mexico. |
| A．To demonstrate his strong interest in lab projects. |
| B．To explain why scientists sometimes make complaints. |
| C．To show his observations had achieved positive results. |
| D．To prove the film of Contact presented radio astronomy incorrectly. |
| A．How to grasp career opportunities. |
| B．How to get an excellent score on a lab course. |
| C．How to deal with conflicts between scientists. |
| D．How to explain the science of radio astronomy. |
6 . While they can’t pick out precise numbers, animals can comprehend that more is, well, more. From birds to bees and wolves to frogs, animals use numbers to hunt, find a mate, return to their home, and more. Researchers believe that this ability, known as numerical competence, plays an important role in how animals make these decisions. Andreas Nieder, a biologist at the University of Tübingen, explores the current literature on how different animals comprehend numbers.
Honeybees, for instance, can remember the number of landmarks they pass when searching for food in order to find their way back home. This ability can also be seen in animals choosing a larger amount of food over a smaller amount or in animals forming hunting groups. Wolves are more likely to hunt successfully if they have the right number of wolves in their pack for their prey (猎物) with prey like elk (驼鹿), only around six to eight wolves are needed, while hunting wild pigs requires a pack of nine to thirteen. Their prey also uses this concept to protect themselves—elk tend to live in small groups, which rarely have encounters with wolves, or gather in large groups to reduce the chance of any individual becoming prey. “They are assessing the number of individuals in their groups for their everyday life situations,” Nieder says.
Furthermore, numerical competence also plays a role in attracting a mate. For example, male frogs sing “advertisement” calls to attract females. The females, listening to their complicated calls, choose the males that sing the most “chucks” in their calls.
Now researchers do have some sense of the rules that govern numerical competence in animals. For example, they count approximately (大概) rather than specifically and two numbers need to be more different for them to tell them apart as those numbers get bigger. However, Nieder argues that more research needs to be done. “I hope I can encourage behavioral ecologists to specifically explore numerical competence in the wild, and, in doing so, also open new research fields,” he says.
1. What do the examples of wolves and elk suggest about numerical competence?| A．It gives animals a reproduction benefit. | B．It affects animals’ chances of survival. |
| C．It is decided by animals’ hunting ability. | D．It develops well in social animals. |
| A．By listing figures. | B．By asking questions. |
| C．By giving examples. | D．By making comparisons. |
| A．Its fundamental rules. | B．Its appeal to behavioral ecologists. |
| C．Researchers in new study fields. | D．Expectations for further studies. |
| A．Animals’ understanding of numbers gives them an advantage |
| B．Numerical competence research achieves a breakthrough |
| C．Animals develop numerical competence? Never |
| D．Can many animals count? Better than you |
7 . Physical weakness, lack of energy, severe hair loss, and pain in the neck, are more common among young people recently. More people are now turning to TCM for help, which stands for traditional Chinese medicine.
Wang Louda, 30, who works in the social media industry, has gained a new respect for TCM after suffering from cervical(颈椎) pain.
Six months ago, while driving home from work, Wang suddenly felt weakness in his left arm. He thought it was due to the hard work he was doing and that a good rest over the weekend would relieve it.
However, the situation worsened after a week. He had no choice but to go to the hospital for an examination, which showed something wrong with his cervical.
A friend recommended that he try acupuncture(针灸). After over a month of treatment with TCM, his pain had gradually disappeared.
“TCM is relatively gentle and suitable for treating chronic (慢性的) diseases,” Wang says.
Modern people, due to the endless use of mobile phones and computers, spend up to 10 hours a day sitting to study or work. This sedentary lifestyle, lacking in enough physical activity, means that the muscles and bones cannot receive enough relaxation and exercise, gradually leading to damage. Problems such as neck pain, shoulder pain, back pain, and leg pain are becoming increasingly common.
Yao Jingyi, who works at a TCM clinic in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, has been engaged in the clinic for over 30 years. He is skilled in treating sports injuries, cervical pain, and chronic diseases.
“Acupuncture is one of the treasures of traditional Chinese medicine,” Yao explains.
According to him, the ancient practice of acupuncture woks well in treating “modern illnesses”, such as headache, backache and cervical pain.
1. How did Wang Louda recover from cervical pain?| A．By taking enough exercise. |
| B．By visiting clinics of TCM. |
| C．By taking his friend’s medicine. |
| D．By having good rests every day. |
| A．The lack of sleep. |
| B．Endless use of Mobile phones. |
| C．Long hours’ sitting. |
| D．Enough relaxation and exercise. |
| A．Inactive. | B．Unusual. | C．Flexible. | D．Common. |
| A．The history of traditional Chinese medical treatment. |
| B．An advertisement for traditional Chinese medicine. |
| C．The modern popularity of traditional Chinese treatment. |
| D．The future development of Chinese acupuncture. |
8 . Astronomers have discovered an unusual solar system near Earth. It’s made up of six planets orbiting a star. What makes this system special is that the six planets’ orbits appear to be matched. Scientists compare their movement to a perfectly timed symphony.
“It’s precise and very orderly,” says Enric Pallé, an astronomer in the Canary Islands.
The discovery was announced on November 29. It’s based on data from two orbiting satellites, NASA’s TESS and the European Space Agency’s Cheops. The newly discovered system is 100 light-years from Earth, or about 600 trillion (万亿) miles. That’s close, in space terms. Astronomers are calling the system a “golden target” for further study. It could offer an example of how systems across the Milky Way were formed.
All solar systems are thought to have started out like this one. But they rarely keep their perfect timing. Giant planets can throw off the orbits of other planets. So can meteor (流星) impact. These things have happened in our solar system.
Hugh Osborn, of the University of Bern, in Switzerland, says his team was “shocked and delighted” by the discovery. “My jaw was on the floor,” he says. “That was a really nice moment.”
1. What is special about the solar system recently discovered?| A．It is made up of six orbiting planets. |
| B．The planets’ orbits are perfectly matched. |
| C．It is located 100 light-years away from Earth. |
| D．The discovery was made using satellite data. |
| A．It is the closest solar system to Earth in the Milky Way. |
| B．It is a clear target for future exploration tasks in space. |
| C．It challenges the common thought about solar system. |
| D．It offers an example of the formation of other systems. |
| A．The impact of meteors. |
| B．The researches of astronomers. |
| C．The formation of the Milky Way. |
| D．The influence of orbiting satellites. |
| A．They were very doubtful and critical. |
| B．They were quite surprised and excited. |
| C．They were confused and disappointed. |
| D．They were indifferent and uninterested. |
9 . As in other countries, road safety is always a concern in America. Studies show that in 2022, 7,485 pedestrians (行人) were killed by vehicles in the U.S. That’s an increase of more than 65% since 2012. Even during COVID-19, when fewer people were driving, more pedestrians were hit and more died.
Researchers found that drivers took advantage of empty streets and pay little attention to traffic rules. Another factor is the increasing popularity of SUVs, pickups (皮卡) and vans. These kinds of vehicles are up to three times more dangerous than smaller cars when hit pedestrians. The more fault drivers believe they could bear for the hitting, the more likely they are to leave without giving any help. Younger male drivers are more likely to run away. So are those who get drunken or lack a driving license. Other factors include the age of the victim, as children and elderly people are less likely to be left alone. Also, with more witnesses around, the drivers are less likely to hit and run.
In the U.S. drivers run away from serious crashes with pedestrians about 20% of the time, and the rate is very different among different states.
In 2020, 6,519 pedestrians were killed in the U.S. Speeding driving were a major cause. While Florida “wins” the least number of deaths caused by speeding. These following states were reported to have the most dangerous road accidents.
Ten most dangerous states for pedestrians
| A．Road security worries Americans. |
| B．Pedestrian are on the rise over time. |
| C．COVID-19 caused more road accidents. |
| D．Vehicles have doubled since 2012. |
| A．Cars. | B．SUVs. | C．Pickups. | D．Vans. |
| A．Young drivers are more likely to be honest. |
| B．Drunken driving is now allowed in America. |
| C．Children and the old are well protected in the U.S. |
| D．Drivers are more honest if witnessed by more people. |
| A．New Mexico. | B．New York. |
| C．Florida. | D．South Carolina. |
10 . Sammie Vance knows it feels bad to be left out. So she has been helping kids who feel lonely make friends.
Sammie is 14. When she was in the third grade, she started the Buddy Bench program. That was at her school, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Anyone who felt lonely could sit on the “buddy bench.” It showed others that someone needed a friend.
The bench brought kids together. “There was one little boy at school, younger than me,” Sammie told TIME for Kids. “He would see me in the hallway and give me a thumbs-up. That told me that what I was doing helped him.”
It costs money to build benches. Sammie decided to make them out of recycled materials. This lowered the cost. And the benches were eco-friendly.
Sammie gathered friends in her community. They collected 1,200 pounds of bottle caps. A company called Green Tree Plastics made three benches with the bottle caps.
Sammie has helped communities all over the country set up buddy benches. And she is spreading kindness around the world. “We recently got a bench in Ghana, Africa,” she says. “That was cool.”
Sammie reminds us that kids can help their community. Even small acts of kindness can be powerful. “You don’t have to be an adult to make a difference,” she says.
Sammie wrote a book. It is called Inspire the World: A Kid’s Journey to Making a Difference. It tells the story of her buddy benches. Sammie hopes her example will inspire others. “I used to be really, really shy,” she says. Building buddy benches gave her confidence. “I’m definitely more outgoing now.”
1. When did Sammie start the Buddy Bench program?| A．In the third grade. | B．In the fourth grade. |
| C．In the fifth grade. | D．In the sixth grade. |
| A．She helps them find a new hobby. |
| B．She introduces them to her friends. |
| C．She starts a program to help them make friends. |
| D．She gives them a thumbs-up to make them happy. |
| A．She raised money herself. | B．She cycled to find materials. |
| C．She turned to her parents. | D．She used recycled materials. |
| A．To inspire children to make differences. |
| B．To raise more money for her journey. |
| C．To build more benches for children. |
| D．To remind children to act like adults. |
