1 . We’ve all experienced it: You have important information you need to remember, and you’ll do anything it takes to keep it at the forefront of your brain. In this situation, rote memorization(死记硬背)may be your best—or even your only—option.

Rote memorization is when we repeat a piece of information until we remember it. One great example of it is the alphabet(字母表). When we are little, we don’t necessarily understand that our language is composed of the letters A to Z. But we memorize them in a specific order because we are taught to, and then we know the alphabet.

There are situations in which rote memorization can be helpful. “Rote memorization can be a useful learning tool in some situations, but its effectiveness depends on the type of information being learned and how it is applied, ”says Dr. Aldrich Chan, neuropsychologist. He tells us that rote memorization helps us quickly recall basic facts and information such as vocabulary words or math formulas (公式). This can be particularly helpful in situations where immediate access to information is required, such as during exams or for job roles.

The act of memorizing through repetition also has its down sides. Chan notes that “rote memorization often does not promote a deep understanding of the material. Learners may be able to memorize facts or information without truly understanding their meaning or significance. ”On the other hand, he explains that “meaningful learning focuses on understanding the fundamental concepts and principles(原理), encouraging critical thinking, and promoting the integration(整合)of knowledge into broader contexts. Meaningful learning promotes long-term memory and the ability to apply knowledge flexibly. “

However, both rote memorization and meaningful learning have their place. The most important thing to remember is that they are different, and rote memorization cannot stand in as an alternative to actual learning. Memorizing something doesn’t mean you understand it, and it doesn’t mean that you can do anything with it.

1. How does the author introduce the topic in Paragraph 1?

A．By creating a scene.	B．By giving a definition.
C．By giving an example.	D．By making a comparison.

2. Why does the author mention the alphabet in Paragraph 2?

A．To instruct us how to learn the alphabet.

B．To explain how rote memorization works.

C．To stress why learning in order is essential.

D．To introduce the disadvantages of repetition.

3. What can we learn about rote memorization from Dr. Aldrich Chan?

A．It focuses on the concepts and principles.

B．It keeps knowledge in your brain for long.

C．It helps promote a meaningful understanding.

D．It is a useful learning tool for test preparation.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards rote memorization?

A．Critical.

B．Unclear

C．Objective.

D．Favorable.

2 . A number of studies have looked at how family life can affect productivity (生产效率) and satisfaction in the workplace, but there has been surprisingly little research on the influence of leisure activities.

So Ciara Kelly at Sheffield University and co-workers surveyed 129 hobbyists to look at how the time spent on their hobbies shaped their work life. To begin with, the team measured the seriousness of each participant’s hobby, asking them to rate their agreement with statements like ”I regularly train for this activity“, and also assessed how similar the demands of their job and hobby were. Then, each month for seven months, participants recorded how many hours they had devoted to their activity, and completed a scale measuring their belief in their ability to effectively do their job, or their “self-efficacy” (自我效能). They also completed a scale measuring their resilience (适应力) at work.

The researchers found that when participants spent longer than normal doing their leisure activity, their belief in their ability to perform their job increased. But this was only the case when they had a serious hobby that was dissimilar to their job, or when their hobby was similar to their work but they only did it occasionally. When their hobby was both serious and similar to their job, then spending more time on it actually had a detrimental effect, decreasing their self-efficacy.

Why might that be? To maintain a serious hobby, people need to invest significant psychological resources—so if the activity has the same kinds of demands as their work, they may be left tired and unable to perform as well at their job. But if their hobby is quite different from their career, it may not interfere (干预) in the same way but instead help them develop other knowledge and skills that can boost their confidence at work.

Still, the results suggest that companies may want to encourage employees to develop interests outside of work, as long as those activities differ from their day-to-day tasks.

1. What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．The methods of assessment.

B．The completion of scales.

C．The causes of self-efficacy.

D．The process of Kelly’s survey.

2. What does the underlined word ”detrimental“ in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．Useful.

B．Harmful.

C．Productive

D．Positive.

3. Kelly’s study found that people’s productivity can increase if ________________.

A．their hobbies differ much from their work routine

B．their hobbies have the same demands as their work

C．they assume that they can gain skills from their jobs

D．they believe that they can perform better in their work

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Boss: Allow your staff to relax more

B．Employee: Devote more time to work

C．Boss: Offer your staff more leisure activities

D．Employee: Develop hobbies dissimilar to jobs

3 . Emmanuel Mendoza, a college student, is currently running a study at Texas A&M University, where he’s mixing simulated (模拟的)Martian (火星的) soil and frass(粪便)from fly larvae(幼虫)to find just the right recipe for growing plants on Mars.

The seed of this idea was planted when Mendoza was in middle school, watching Ridley Scott’s 2015 film The Martian, in which Mark Watney becomes stuck on the planet and grows potatoes to survive. “That got me really interested in what nutrients or what soil structure Martian soil has that we could potentially take advantage of, ”Mendoza said.

Now, he’s running an experiment growing English peas in simulated Martian soil. “I definitely considered potatoes like Mark Watney, ”he said. “But the fact was that I couldn’t necessarily get the data I wanted out of them. ”

He wanted to be able to measure plant growth as it occurred throughout his experiment. Since potatoes grow underground, he’d only be able to collect data once they were done growing. In the end, Mendoza chose to grow English peas because they’re self-pollinating(自花传粉), grow fairly quickly and he can see the shoots climb.

Martian soil, though it does contain other essential nutrients, isn’t exactly ideal for plants from Earth. It tends to be rocky and lacks the right organic (有机 的)matter. Here’s where the larvae come in. Mendoza turned to the larvae of black soldier flies, which produce a waste known as frass. “They can break down almost any biomatter and turn it into really useful matter, “Mendoza said. “And then you can use the frass as a nutrient alternative to soil.”

For this experiment, Mendoza mixed different percentages of simulated Martian soil and frass to see what best supported growing English pea plants. Now, he said he’s seeing growth across all his plants—even the ones growing in 100%simulated Martian soil.

1. Why does the author mention the film The Martian?

A．To show Mendoza’s enthusiasm for films.

B．To illustrate Mark Watney’s intelligence.

C．To prove Mark Watney’s interest in gardening.

D．To introduce the origin of Mendoza’s experiment.

2. Why did Mendoza grow English peas instead of potatoes?

A．He was unwilling to repeat others’ study.

B．English peas grew far faster than potatoes .

C．Potatoes needed stricter living conditions.

D．It was more convenient to collect the data.

3. What is the function of frass?

A．It serves as certain essential nutrients.

B．It loosens the soil for plants to grow.

C．It makes the soil become quite rocky.

D．It helps black soldier flies grow stronger.

4. How does Mendoza feel about his experiment results?

A．Doubtful.

B．Pleased.

C．Intolerant.

D．Disappointed.

4 . My parents have a boxer dog called Boris which is as badly behaved as his name might suggest. He is known to ________ on a chair at the kitchen table expecting full ________. Whenever the dishwasher is being stacked, he likes to add a personal prewash to the ________.

Even my mother might ________ that Boris is the worst-behaved dog she has ever had, but on the plus side, he is very ________.

The sofas and chairs in their sitting room are covered in books-not because my parents love to read, but in an attempt to ________ the dog climbing on the furniture. ________, any human who wants to sit on a sofa has to ________ a library of books. I’ve suggested a removable cover would be more attractive, or training, but it’s too late for that.

The story between my parents and Boris is repeated across our community. Usually, our gang of dogs gathered almost daily, ________ did we. A group of folks of different ages, backgrounds and interests—all ________ by our dogs. Friends are therefore made through dogs, creating a ________ that lasts far beyond the lifespan of our canine(犬的)family. Sunny, Jess and Archie have all ________ now, but the friendship between us humans remains.

I have met so many people whose daily ________ with their group of dog have been their mainstay and helped them deal with ________. They are medicine for the_________. Dogs are actually man’s best friends.

1.

A．get up

B．come up

C．put up

D．sit up

2.

A．love

B．food

C．service

D．massage

3.

A．plates

B．meals

C．meats

D．vegetables

4.

A．complain

B．worry

C．explain

D．conclude

5.

A．greedy

B．naughty

C．lovely

D．proud

6.

A．observe

B．prevent

C．notice

D．keep

7.

A．Fortunately

B．Naturally

C．Incredibly

D．Consequently

8.

A．deliver

B．rearrange

C．carry

D．equip

9.

A．as

B．or

C．nor

D．also

10.

A．provided

B．supported

C．united

D．surrounded

11.

A．barrier

B．bond

C．border

D．belief

12.

A．gone

B．grown

C．slept

D．cloned

13.

A．run

B．housework

C．dialogues

D．walks

14.

A．difficulties

B．loneliness

C．relationships

D．troubles

15.

A．body

B．diseases

C．soul

D．sufferings

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。

This year marks the 20th anniversary of China’s first manned space mission. Since then, China, the third nation in the world capable     1     independently conducting manned space missions has carried out 12 crewed flights.

“Our manned space program has been developed rapidly. The scientists and engineers successfully completed each step we     2    (plan) for the program. ”Yang, now a senior official of the manned space program, told that he felt very glad to see the nation’s     3    (achieve) in space.

In August 1992, a special committee     4    (comprise) of high-ranking leaders decided that China would assemble a space station in the coming decades. The plan was approved in September that year.     5     marked the start of the nation’s manned space program. To meet the     6    (ambition) goal, scientists made specific plans and took a systematic approach,     7    (advance) patiently from simple, multi-day flights to complicated and month-long missions.

Initially, Chinese researchers came across the problem     8     it was difficult to design a new-generation crewed spacecraft. Thankfully, they completed the Tiangong space station last year,     9     laid the foundation for the nation’s first prospective manned expedition to the moon around 2030. Having orbited Earth about 400 kilometers, Tiangong     10    (expect) to operate for at least 10 years as a national space-based laboratory.

6 . There are a lot of chemicals that can cause indoor air pollution. A recent project conducted has found over 900 different substances in our home are related to it. Many researchers have already examined the causes of indoor air pollution.     1    

It has been proved that different kinds of chemicals can be released by building materials and new furniture. Everything from painting and decorating products, bathroom cleaners and beauty products can contain these chemicals.     2     For instance, cooking generates a lot of harmful emissions, like frying meat in oil.

As a research from Denmark has highlighted, cooking, particularly roasting can damage our body. Roast dinners contain many potentially harmful pollutants.     3     When exposed to cooking emissions, people actually had DNA damage. It can be associated with cell repair processes that trigger cancer—causing genetic changes.     4     And what can we do with it?

As far as cooking emissions are concerned, no one is suggesting switching to takeaways.     5     For example, cooking meat at high temperatures with lots of fat produces more harmful emissions than boiling pasta. Besides, opening windows and using cooker hoods are preferable so that we can enjoy the roasted meat without those undesirable effects.

A．In the long run, these changes lead to cancer.

B．They might also arise from cooking at home.

C．A wide range of sources are under investigation.

D．Therefore, what results from indoor air pollution?

E．However, most of us have ignored their bad effects.

F．So, what are the main contributors to poor air quality?

G．But we can change how we cook to deal with the emissions.

7 . The song of the Florida grasshopper sparrow is unusual and surprisingly insect-like. But it almost fell silent forever. In 2012, Joel Sartore, the founder of National Geographic Explorer and Photo Ark received a call from the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service: The songbird, an important ecological link in Florida’s dry grassland, was on the edge of extinction. With only a few dozen males showing up in counts, it was among North America’s most endangered bird species.

Sartore flew to Florida to photograph the bird and work with conservationists to raise awareness of the species’ difficult situation. The story appeared in outlets, such as newspapers, magazines and even the Internet, helping boost government funding for a breeding program. Thanks to these steps, there are now as many as 180 adults in the wild and researchers are working hard to bring the species back from the brink of extinction.

Like other examples of species survival, the push to save the sparrow is “a remarkable story of belief and cooperation,” says Sartore. It also shows what it takes to protect an endangered species: research, narratives, partnerships, resources and time. This journey shows the society’s mission to illustrate and protect the wonder of the world. Over the past 136 years, we’ve developed a unique Explorer-led model, combining science, exploration, education, and storytelling to drive impact. We support Explorer in more than 140 countries, including Sartore and others whose work appears in this issue: biologist André Green II, photographer Lynsey Addario and education advocate Ara Kusuma.

Sartore has been creating an “ark” of animal photos for 17 years. Portraits of more than 15, 000 species invite audiences to connect and care. With the society’s support, the images have appeared on landmarks and U. S. postage stamps, prompting on—the—ground conservation efforts such as an initiative of National Geographic Explorer and Photo Ark.

As Sartore says, “The sounds of birds are the sounds of a healthy planet. When we save a bird or another species, we’re actually saving ourselves.”

1. How does the author introduce the topic?

A．By clarifying a concept.	B．By offering an example.
C．By giving an explanation.	D．By quoting a remark.

2. Which has the similar meaning with “outlets” in paragraph 2?

A．Stores.

B．Media.

C．Exits.

D．Books

3. What contributes to the sparrow’s survival?

A．A funding program from the government.

B．An ark of animal photos in the magazine.

C．A unique initiative for species protection.

D．A joint effort from different professionals.

4. What does Sartore want to convey in the last paragraph?

A．The urgency of species’ protection.

B．The promotion of cooperative methods.

C．The importance of coexistence.

D．The situation of human survival.

8 . Relatives of starfish, brittle stars (海蛇尾) spend most of their time hiding under rocks in the ocean or digging in the sand. These shy marine creatures have no brain to speak of—just nerve cords running down each of their five wiggly arms, which join to form a nerve ring near their mouth.

“There’s no processing center. Each of the nerve cords can act independently. Instead of a boss, it’s like a committee. That seems to be enough to learn by association,” said lead author Julia Notar. This type of leaning involves associating different stimuli via a process called classical conditioning (条件反射).

Classical conditioning has been demonstrated in a handful of previous studies in starfish. But brittle stars and similarly brainless starfish have not been tested.

To find out if brittle stars have the ability of learning, the researchers put 16 black brittle stars in individual water tanks and used a video camera to record their behavior. Half the brittle stars were trained by dimming the lights for 30 minutes whenever the animals were fed. Every time the lights went out, the researchers would put a bit of shrimp in the tanks, placed just out of reach. The other half got just as much shrimp and also experienced a 30-minute dark period, but never at the same time—the animals were fed under lit conditions.

Whether it was light or dark, the animals spent most of their time hiding behind the filters in their tanks, only coming out at mealtime. But only the trained brittle stars learned to associate darkness with food. They didn’t need to smell or taste the shrimp to react.

Notar said the results are exciting because classical conditioning hasn’t really been shown definitively in this group of animals before. “Knowing that brittle stars can learn means they’re not just robotic scavengers (清道夫) cleaning up the ocean floor,” Notar said. “They’re potentially able to expect and avoid predators (捕食者) or expect food because they’re learning about their environment.”

1. What is paragraph 1 about?

A．The living habits of brittle stars.	B．The features of a brainless creature.
C．The characteristics of the starfish.	D．The definition of classical conditioning.

2. In which aspect were the two groups different in terms of experiment design?

A．The hiding time in tanks.	B．The change of feeding location.
C．The amount of the shrimp.	D．Light conditions at mealtime.

3. What does Notar’s research find?

A．Brittle stars can be trained to make a connection.

B．Brittle stars can clean up the ocean floor.

C．Brittle stars’ nerve cords can act independently.

D．Brittle stars have a sharp sense of smell.

4. What does the last paragraph indicate?

A．Brainless brittle stars can act like robots.

B．Brittle stars might keep away from catchers.

C．Brittle stars are the only ocean floor cleaners.

D．Brittle stars are adaptable to new environment.

9 . The natural world is all around us, but sometimes it requires taking a step back from our daily lives to truly appreciate it. The escapes on this list allow you to gain some perspective and make you immersed in the landscapes.

Big Five Bucket List, TANZANIA

As one of the world’s most precious animal reserves, the Four Seasons Safari Lodge invites guests to put down their phones and refresh their mind. Through balcony views, visitors see up close to animals, like the Big Five lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and rhinoceros. Or experience the wonder from the air via hot air balloon.

Wild Horses, GEORGIA

Georgia has no coastline, only barrier islands. Cumberland Island remains a natural reserve along America’s National Seashores. It’s only accessible via boat, but once you’re on the island you can bicycle or walk to see the herds of wild horses, enjoy a day at the beach or wander around the ruins of the Dungeness Mansion.

Jungle Ridgeline, HAWAII

This jungle trail in Oahu goes deep into the lush where sunlight is scarce but adventure is not. Streams, animals and waterfalls surround you on your journey to the top of the crater (火山口). Leave time to jump into one of the pools for a swim, and enjoy the view from the Ka’au volcanic vent in peace.

Maritime Microclimate, NEW ZEALAND

Touring the 144 islands of this subtropical microclimate via sea allows visitors to enjoy themselves in the region’s history and natural beauty. Conservation areas, a maritime playground complete with penguins, dolphins and whales and rainforests are a welcome escape from daily lives.

1. In which destination can you get a bird’s-eye view?

A．Jungle Ridgeline.	B．Maritime Microclimate.
C．Wild Horses	D．Big Five Bucket List.

2. What do the four travel destinations have in common?

A．Visitors can appreciate animals.	B．Visitors can enjoy water sports.
C．They are all along the coastline.	D．They are located in the national park.

3. What type of writing is this text?

A．A guide to adventurous travel plans.

B．A proposal for wildlife reserve protection.

C．An introduction to immersive scenic spots.

D．A report of popular travel destinations.

10 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

“Let’s welcome the new arrival!” said Mrs. White. When Kevin went straight to the blackboard, he overheard his new classmates’ comments. “Look at his shabby and wrinkled sneakers!” He felt his face flushed (脸红). “My name is Ke … vin!” The whole class burst out laughing except one boy in red.

At the thought of the sharp remarks, Kevin felt depressed. All the heartbroken memories crowding in, he was about to sob when he felt a gentle pat on his back. “Hey, my name is Mike,” he said and shook hands with Kevin. Kevin’s face lit up immediately. Soon the two boys became good friends. They found they had a lot in common — both of them liked soccer. From then on, they played soccer every afternoon after school. Unable to afford a ball, Mike made a ball out of old socks bound together with plastic tape.

The sun was shining and the ball was spinning across the grass as the two friends laughed and shouted with joy. Suddenly, the ball stopped when a new sneaker pinned it to the ground. It was Steven. “A stupid ball,” Steven said scornfully (轻蔑地).

The next morning, Kevin received an envelope from his uncle, in which there was a 100-dollar bill. He bought a pair of brand-new shoes and a new soccer ball. The next day, Steven invited Kevin to play soccer on the playground. When Kevin saw Mike sitting on the old bench waiting for him, he hugged his new soccer ball to the chest and ignored his friend. Mike sat there silently, tears rolling down his cheeks.

注意：
1. 续写的词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡相应位置作答。

One day as Kevin walked past the old bench, he saw the home-made ball under it with a note.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Holding the home-made ball, Kevin sat on the bench and waited.

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