1 . Have you read The Tale of Peter Rabbit? It’s a very famous children’s book, written by Beatrix Potter.

Beatrix was born in 1866. She and her brother kept many small animals as pets — rabbits, mice, frogs and even bats! They both liked to draw their pets, but Beatrix liked drawing animals from her own imagination most. She also loved enjoying and drawing nature when they visited beautiful places like Scotland and the Lake District.

To make some money, Beatrix started drawing cards with animals. She liked writing and illustrating (图解) letters too. One day, she wrote a letter to her friend’s son, and told the story of Peter Rabbit. She decided to make the story into a book. The Tale of Peter Rabbit was published in 1902, and it was a great success! She wrote, illustrated and published many more books. She also created dolls, painting books, games and other things according to her characters.

Three years after The Tale of Peter Rabbit was published, Beatrix bought a farm in the Lake District. She learned about farming and bought more farms and land to help protect the landscape. She enjoyed country life very much, and was very active in protecting the environment.

When Beatrix died, she left almost all her farms and land to the National Trust, an organization which protects historic places and landscapes. You can even visit Hill Top Farm today, which is exactly like it was when Beatrix lived there!

So if you haven’t read The Tale of Peter Rabbit, or other Beatrix Potter’s books, why not visit your local library or bookshop today?

1. What inspired Beatrix Potter to write “The Tale of Peter Rabbit”?

A．Her love for farming.	B．A letter to a friend’s son.
C．Her interest in the environment.	D．A visit to the Lake District.

2. What did Beatrix Potter do besides writing books?

A．She taught art classes.	B．She created dolls and games.
C．She worked for the National Trust.	D．She became a professional farmer.

3. How did Beatrix Potter contribute to environmental protection?

A．By writing books about it.	B．By delivering speeches.
C．By donating money.	D．By buying farms and land.

4. What happened to Beatrix Potter’s farms and land after she died?

A．They were sold to private investors.	B．They were left to the National Trust.
C．They were turned into public parks.	D．They were used for agricultural research.

2 . “Not only is it okay to not feel ‘okay’. it is essential.” Dr. Zuckerman, a licensed clinical psychologist, said. So crying after you get into a fight with your partner is also normal. as is feeling anxious and scared about an uncertain future. When we think we might lose something we care about, that’s sad.     1     . We should let ourselves, and other people in our lives, feel these things as they come up.

    2    . The more we avoid internal unease, the more isolated we can become, the more anxious we can get, and the more depressed we can feel. We need to not only feel. but also acknowledge our legitimate emotional responses to situations. Efforts to avoid or ignore them can isolate us during times of need.

You may feel you’re being supportive by sending positive affirmations to a friend who is going through a difficult time.     3     . Your positive affirmations create the idea that your friend is in some way incapable of handling their feelings.

When you’re lending an car to someone in distress, Dr. Zuckerman suggests avoiding phrases like: It’ll be fine.     4     . What’s there to cry about? Instead, she suggests using phrases that affirm the other persons feelings and lets them know you are here to support them without expectation: It is okay to not feel okay right now. You’re allowed to feel this way.

Feel your feelings. Sit with them. Let them pass.     5    

A．Just smile, stop worrying!

B．You should feel whatever emotions you want to.

C．When we don’t know what to expect next, that’s scary.

D．By hiding our discomfort, we’re only adding fuel to fire.

E．Never feel ashamed or embarrassed of being sad and afraid.

F．But in reality, you may be invalidating their feelings and harming them.

G．And allow others ride the wave of whatever emotions they’re feeling too.

3 . An ancient species of great ape likely disappeared hundreds of thousands of years ago when climate change put their favorite fruits out of reach during dry seasons, scientists recently reported.

The species is known as Gigantopithecus blacki. It once lived in southern China. It stood 3 meters tall and weighed up to 295 kilograms. It represents the largest great ape known to scientists.

“It’s just a massive animal — just really, really big,” said Renaud Joannes-Boyau, a researcher at Australia’s Southern Cross University. He helped write the study, which recently appeared in Nature. But its size may also have been a weakness. Joannes-Boyau said, “When food starts to be scarce, it’s so big that it can’t climb trees to explore new food sources.”

The huge apes likely looked similar to the modern orangutans (红毛猩猩). They survived for around 2 million years in Guangxi. They ate plants that included fruits and flowers — until the environment began to change. Starting about 600,000 years ago, Guangxi’s forests began producing fewer fruits. The area was experiencing more periods of dry weather. Researchers examined pollen (花粉) and sediment (沉积物) found in caves to learn more about the changes and their effects. The giant apes did not disappear quickly, the researchers say. They likely went extinct sometime between 215,000 and 295,000 years ago.

As the climate changed, smaller apes may have been able to climb trees to search for different food. But the researchers found that the giant apes ate more food that provided less nutrients. “When the forest changed, there was not enough food preferred by the species,” said Zhang Yingqi of China’s Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology. He helped write the study.

1. What is Gigantopithecus blacki?

A．An ancient giant ape.	B．A recently found ape species.
C．A modern orangutan.	D．An endangered species.

2. Which of the following can replace the underlined word “scarce” in the third paragraph?

A．dangerous.

B．rare.

C．important.

D．necessary.

3. How did Gigantopithecus blacki’s size become a weakness?

A．It made them easy to be sick.	B．It made them unable to find mates.
C．It made them difficult to climb trees for food.	D．It made them struggling in adapting to climates.

4. According to Zhang Yingqi, what caused Gigantopithecus blacki’s decline?

A．Competition for food.	B．Climate change.
C．Spread of diseases.	D．Human activities like hunting.

4 . The campaign to reduce food waste is in its third week, and we’re already seeing some great results. We’d like every student and teacher to join in the campaign, so if you haven’t started yet, read our blog and join in!

Stop wasting food at school.

“The children are making a big effort to think in a sensible way about the food they put on their plates. We now have about 15% less waste and we think this percentage grows as more children join in the campaign,” school lunch director Marge Kaplan said. The school canteen now offers two portion (份) sizes for all main meals: small and large. This week they’ll replace single bread rolls with slices of bread. You can take as many slices as you want, but one at a time.

Latest news!

From next week you’ll be able to put any waste from fresh fruit and vegetables into the special green bin at the back of the canteen. Miss Norris, the school gardener, will empty the bin each day into a giant compost (堆肥) container in the school’s vegetable garden. That can be used to improve the quality of soils.

Stop wasting food at home.

Every year, we waste about a third of our food. In the UK, more than 97% of food waste ends up in a landfill (废物填埋) site. That’s a lot! Come to a special meeting with supermarket owner Carlos Rodriguez to learn how we can save food and money at home!

Campaign meeting!

When: Friday 12 May, 5-6 p. m.

Where: School hall

What: Top tips on how to store food, measure sensible portion sizes and cook tasty meals from leftovers

Students and families are welcome!

1. What change was made in the school canteen to reduce food waste?

A．Offering only healthy meals.	B．Serving meals in reusable containers.
C．Releasing some new punishment rules.	D．Introducing two sizes for main meals.

2. What will the school do with waste from fresh fruit and vegetables?

A．Donate it to food banks.	B．Improve the quality of soils.
C．Send it to recycling.	D．Feed school pets.

3. What is the purpose of the meeting with Carlos Rodriguez?

A．To plan a landfill visit.	B．To discuss the environmental impact.
C．To teach saving food and money.	D．To introduce new recycling ways.

4. Where is probably the passage taken from?

A．The Internet.

B．A textbook.

C．A research report.

D．A storybook.

5 . Formula One Lenovo Chinese Grand Prix 2024

From April 19 to 21, the much-anticipated 2024 Formula One Lenovo Chinese Grand Prix will come alive with the roar of engines at the Shanghai International Circuit. Details about tickets for the event are as follows.

Ticket Price:

[Grandstand]              [Session]                                        [Price (RMB)]

A Platinum                    3 Day Ticket                                        3880

• A High                    3 Day/Fri./Sat./Sun. Ticket              2880/490/890/2490

• A Low                    3 Day/Fri./Sat./Sun. Ticket              2280/390/690/1990

• H/K                           3 Day/Fri./Sat./Sun. Ticket              1480/290/590/1290

• C/F/J/L                    3 Day Ticket                                        480

Ticketing Instructions:

• This event adopts electronic tickets with one ticket per person. Children require a full-priced ticket, and children under the age of three are not allowed entry.

• For each session of this event, a maximum of 4 tickets per mobile phone number and 1 ticket per ID card number can be purchased. When purchasing tickets, buyers must provide the audience’s real name, a valid personal ID, and a valid mobile phone number. After a successful purchase, ticket purchasers should retain e-ticket seat information appropriately.

• Ticket refunds can be requested without fees from the date of purchase until 24: 00 on February 29, 2024. From 00:00 on March 1, 2024, to 24: 00 on April 15, 2024, refunds will invite a 10% handling fee. No refunds will be accepted from 00: 00 on April 16, 2024. Returned within 7 working days.

• This event implements real-name verification with ID card and facial recognition for entry.

• The schedule and arrangement of the competition may be subject to changes, and please stay tuned to Formula One Lenovo Chinese Grand Prix official WeChat and Weibo for the latest information.

1. What should be offered to buy a ticket?

A．The audience’s nickname.	B．The audience’s e-ticket seat information.
C．The audience’s WeChat number.	D．The audience’s available phone number.

2. How much will be returned if a couple return their Sat. Ticket of K on March 15?

A．59 yuan.

B．531 yuan.

C．1, 062 yuan.

D．1, 180 yuan.

3. What can we know about Formula One Lenovo Chinese Grand Prix 2024?

A．It will last 7 days.	B．It will be exciting and noisy.
C．It doesn’t limit the audience’s age.	D．It will never be postponed or cancelled.

6 . From December 1st, 2023 to November 30th, 2024, visitors can stay in China for up to 15 days without a visa. Below are several easy steps for planning a first China tour.

Decide How Many Days to Stay

We suggest you take at least a week for your first trip to see the highlights in the top three cities: Beijing (3–4 days), Xi’an (2 days), and Shanghai (1–2 days).

To discover more of China, like charming Guilin and lovely Chengdu pandas, you would need a few more days.

Consider When to Travel to China

Things to do in Beijing, Xi’an, and Shanghai are seldom affected by the seasons.

Spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October) are generally the most comfortable and recommended times for a China tour. They are neither too hot nor too cold, but fall is generally drier and warmer than spring.

A more ideal travel time for you could be March and early April or September when there are smaller crowds, favorable prices, and still good weather.

China is a good summer holiday destination too.

Consider Your Budget

The biggest cost could be international airfares. The cost of airfares from the US or Europe to China varies a lot depending on when you fly and which airline you use, from around US$1,200 to US$3,000 for an economy round trip.

The biggest price difference between the off and peak seasons is in the price of hotels and airfares. Prices in peak seasons can go up by 50 to 100%.

For a private tour, the average cost per day is about US$220–350 per person, including flights/trains within China, 4- or 5-star hotels, lunches, attractions, guides, and private transport.

We Believe Private and Tailor-Made Tours Are Best

With our private tours, you would have much more personal choice in how your tour goes. You could have more hand-picked and interactive experiences, like visiting a local family with your own local guide.

With private guiding and transport, we would make full use of your time. You could focus on the sightseeing you want to do, skipping what’s not of interest and the long queues in the most crowded attractions.

1. If you have a tour in China in winter, which places are suitable for you?

A．Beijing and Guilin.	B．Xi’an and Chengdu.
C．Shanghai and Chengdu.	D．Beijing and Xi’an.

2. What can we know from the text?

A．A visa is needed for a 12-day tour.

B．The highest expense is the accommodation fee.

C．Travelling in March can save tourists money.

D．Prices in peak seasons usually go up by 150%.

3. Which of the following is NOT the reason why a tailor-made tour is recommended?

A．You have more choices about your route.

B．Your time will be maximized.

C．You are likely to interact with locals in person.

D．You will spend less on the tour.

7 . Administrators of the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, Gansu province, are striving to harmonize tourists’ exploration of the site with the need to safeguard murals and artifacts, through innovative measures such as digital presentations.

Sandstorms, rainfall and tourist visits constitute the most severe threats to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, said Wang Xiaowei, director of the Dunhuang Grottoes Monitoring Center at the Dunhuang Academy.

Since the Mogao Caves opened to the public in 1979, the number of visitors has been growing at an average annual rate of around 20 percent, reaching 2.15 million in 2019 before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, the site is expected to receive a record 3 million visitors.

“If you enter the caves during the peak tourism months of July, August and September, you’ll find it hard to breathe,” Wang said. The carbon dioxide and moisture exhaled by visitors accumulate inside the caves and cause damage to the murals, Wang said.

To preserve the caves, the duration of visits is limited and sometimes stopped during rain or dust storms. To try and ensure visitors aren’t disappointed when restrictions are in place, the center provides a digital exhibition, he said.

Currently, the center is being expanded to cater for an additional 3,000 visitors on top of the existing capacity of 6,000.

The Dunhuang Academy began digitally recording and storing images of murals and painted sculptures over 30 years ago. The digitization project has successfully covered over 200 caves, with a dedicated team of 110 experts currently undertaking the work.

The Mogao Caves are immovable, and transporting them is impossible, according to Su Bomin, head of the Dunhuang Academy. And he added, “However, with digitization, we can perfectly replicate Dunhuang art and showcase it worldwide, introducing Eastern culture to the world.”

In 2016, the Digital Dunhuang repository went live, sharing high-definition images and panoramic tours of the most exquisite 30 caves globally. Currently, visitors from 78 countries have accessed the repository, totaling over 16.8 million visits.

Su said Dunhuang can provide diverse cultural exchanges through its cultural relics. “By digitizing these relics, we enable people worldwide to understand Dunhuang’s culture, thereby gaining a deeper appreciation for China’s historical commitment to diverse cultural exchanges — that is, an ethos of inclusivity, mutual learning and a shared future,” he said.

1. Which of the following is NOT the reason for providing a digital exhibition?

A．The factors related to COVID-19 put the caves in grave danger.

B．The increasing number of tourists visiting Dunhuang might harm the caves.

C．The authority is aimed to balance tourism and relics conservation.

D．The duration of visits is limited and sometimes stopped during rain or dust storms.

2. What does the underlined word “replicate” probably mean?

A．Copy.

B．Safeguard.

C．Access.

D．Transport.

3. What does Su Bomin think of digitization?

A．It records and stores images of murals and painted sculptures.

B．It shares high definition and panoramic tours of the most exquisite caves.

C．It allows for an international exchange of cultures through the relics.

D．It enables people to appreciate the lasting beauty of the murals.

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

A．The Significance of the Mural Paintings

B．The Restoration in Mogao Caves

C．The Innovation on Mogao Caves’ Preservation

D．The Dunhuang Spirit in Chinese Culture

8 . Shakespeare described sleep as “the main course in life’s feast, and the most nourishing”. New research suggests it may also be a key nutrient in defend us against Alzheimer’s disease.

Poor sleep has long been linked to Alzheimer’s, but the relationship is similar to the chicken-and-egg puzzle. It isn’t clear which came first. During deep sleep, the brain produces slow electrical waves and flushes out neurotoxins (神经毒素) including amyloid (淀粉样蛋白) and tau (微管蛋白) , two indicators of the disease.

Studies have shown that even one night of terrible deep sleep can lead to an increase of amyloid. A week of disrupted sleep can raise the amount of tau, which is especially insidious because over time it can strangle neurons from the inside out.

A study in the Annals of Neurology found that a sleep pill called suvorexant could reduce amyloid and tau in middle-aged adults with no cognitive problems. The two-night trial showed that amyloid dropped 10%to 20%, and a key form of tau 10%to 15%in people who received a high dose compared to a placebo (安慰剂) group. But these effects need to be studied over longer periods of time—including in older adults at higher risk of Alzheimers. But the study suggests that improving sleep quality among middle-aged adults could help reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s later in life.

What has puzzled neurologists, however, is that some people with high levels of amyloid who may appear to have Alzheimer’s based on brain scans nonetheless function normally. Neurologists assume that this is because some people have higher levels of “cognitive reserve.” which enables them to function normally despite neurological damage. But there’s another X factor, which scientists have struggled to identify. A new study suggests it may be sleep, and in particular deep sleep.

“Think of deep sleep almost like a life raft that keeps memory afloat, rather than memory getting dragged down by the weight of Alzheimer’s disease,” says Matthew Walker, a neuroscience professor at UC Berkeley.

1. What is the relationship between sleep and Alzheimer’s disease according to the new research?

A．Inadequate sleep will indicate Alzheimer’s disease.

B．The disease may be prevented if we can sleep well.

C．Neurotoxins produced during sleep cause the disease.

D．A good sleep will raise the indicators of the disease.

2. What can we infer from paragraph four?

A．It’s too early to use the sleeping pill to treat Alzheimer’s.

B．It’s advisable that adults turn to suvorexant to sleep well.

C．Suvorexant is a desirable pill to improve our sleep quality.

D．The amount of Amyloid and tau decreased due to placebo.

3. What is the main idea of paragraph five?

A．Researchers’ great confusion about the high levels of amyloid.

B．Low level cognitive reserve resulting in abnormal brain function.

C．Potential determinants related to the possibility of Alzheimer’s.

D．Neurologists’ assumption about our brain function and damage.

4. Why dose Matthew Walker make the comparison in his remarks?

A．To advocate a healthy lifestyle among adults.

B．To emphasize the significance of sleep quality.

C．To demonstrate the crucial role of our memory.

D．To detail the damage brought by Alzheimer’s.

9 . To appreciate Dubai, you could start by going skiing. The ski resort, located inside one of the city’s shopping malls, looks from the outside like a silver spaceship. You put on a thick coat, pull on your gloves and then marvel at what strong air-conditioning can do. At the exit, you can buy a souvenir T-shirt. A cartoon thermometer in Celsius announces: “I went from +50 to minus 8!”

Indoor skiing in the desert has become a symbol of Dubai’s status as a wealthy, modem metropolis. This small fishing village, Dubai’s fortunes changed forever with the discovery of oil in the 1960s. Since then. it has evolved to become the largest city. But the rapid growth has come at a price. To power its cars and air-conditioning, the city has produced large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO. ) from fossil fuels. Now it is making some big changes.

To reduce its dependence on cars and lower its emissions, Dubai has invested in solar energy, green buildings, and a comprehensive public transportation system. In addition, all new buildings must meet strict energy regulations.

The most striking development can be found where the city’s suburbs meet the desert. Unlike much of Dubai, the Sustainable City to the south feels more like a close-knit-village community. About five hundred low-rise houses are distributed along attractive, tree-lined streets. They all face north, away from direct sunlight, and are close together to provide natural shade. Each building has reflective windows and wall paint, which reduce the heat absorbed from the sun. Rooftop solar panels and energy-saving lights contribute to the community’s energy efficiency. As a result, residents of the Sustainable City now consume 50 percent less energy than people living in other parts of Dubai.

By 2050, the government intends to obtain 75 percent of the city’s energy from renewable sources-mainly solar. It also wants to have the smallest ecological footprint in the world. The plan is ambitious. But if successful, even guilt-free skiing in the desert could become an reality.

1. Why does the writer start the passage by describing a ski resort?

A．To demonstrate the problems of living near a desert.

B．To describe an expensive and unsuccessful building project.

C．To give an example of how Dubai is a wealthy modern city.

D．To provide a warning of what Dubai might be like in the future.

2. The word striking in paragraph four is closest in meaning to

A．distinctive

B．isolated

C．massive

D．uniform

3. Which feature is NOT true about the green buildings?

A．Installation of energy-efficient lights.	B．Avoidance of the sunlight from north.
C．Placement of solar panels on rooftops.	D．Arrangement to allow natural cooling.

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

A．How Oil Has Changed Dubai.	B．Dubai’s Economic Future.
C．The Costs of Green Living.	D．Building a Sustainable City.

10 . 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。

At first I didn’t want to be a traffic police officer. I wanted to be a criminal police officer. When I     1     (assign) to the traffic police at the beginning, I was a little     2     (disappoint).

Later I found out that traffic police is the most commonly seen on the street, and there is indeed a lot of danger. With our help, traffic problems can be tackled, and life can run     3     (smooth).

There are the motorcycles     4     weigh more than 250 kilograms, still not quite suitable for women. In times like this, my passion for this job is what keeps me going. I first got a motorcycle rider’s License and enrolled in a gym to do     5     (strong) training. You have to be able     6     (handle) the motorcycle first before riding it.

If there’s     7     emergency, such as a pregnant woman or someone else needing to get to the hospital urgently. When we’re on duty, if a driver sees us, he or she pulls over and urges us to intervene,     8     (say) something like, “Can you help us get through? We’re     9     the way to the hospital.” We can clear the way right away.     10     time permits, we even get the person to the hospital. Moments like this make me feel very proud.