1 . Phonetic (语音) information—the smallest sound elements of speech - is considered by researchers to be the basis of language. Babies are thought to learn these small sound elements and add them together to make words. But a new study suggests that phonetic information is learnt too late and slowly for this to be the case. Instead, rhythmic (有韵律的) speech helps babies learn language and is effective even in the first few months of life.

Researchers from the Trinity College Dublin investigated babies’ ability to process phonetic information during their first year. Their study, published in the journal Nature Communications. found that phonetic information wasn’t successfully encoded (编码) until seven months old, and did not occur very often at 11 months old when babies began to say their first words. From then individual speech sounds are still added in very slowly—too slowly to form the basis of language.

The researchers recorded patterns of brain activity in 50 babies at four, seven, and eleven months old as they watched a video of a primary school teacher singing 18 nursery rhymes (童谣) to a baby. They found that phonetic encoding in babies appeared inchmeal over the first year of life, beginning with labial sounds (e.g. “d” for “daddy”) and nasal sounds (e.g. “m” for “mummy”), with the “read out” progressively looking more like that of adults.

“The reason why we use nursery rhymes is because that is the best way for babies to discover and connect sounds with language, so we are teaching them how to speak,” said Giovanni Di Liberto, lead author of the study at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland. “Parents should talk and sing to their babies as much as possible or use baby-directed speech because it will make a difference to language outcome,” she added.

1. What should babies learn in the first few months of life according to the new study?

A．Small sound elements	B．Rhythmic information.
C．Phonetic information.	D．Individual words.

2. What does the author mainly discuss in paragraph 2?

A．The poor phonetic encoding in babies.	B．The advantages of phonetic information.
C．The babies’ great ability to learn language.	D．The babies’ growing process in the first year.

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

A．Gradually.

B．Suddenly.

C．Successfully.

D．Occasionally.

4. What is the best title of the text?

A．When Babies Are Able to Say Their First Words

B．How Phonetic Information Changes Over Time

C．Why Phonetic Is Better Than Rhythmic for Babies

D．Why Babies Need Nursery Rhymes for Language Mastery

2 . Biar Kon, a 17-year-old student, whose parents were working in neighboring Sudan, moved to Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, to attend school. Once he _______, he needed to get some documents from the Sudanese embassy(大使馆). But when he went to look for the embassy, he couldn’t find it. He asked a few people for _______, and no one knew where it was. Then an older woman tapped him on the back.

The woman told Kon that she had seen him asking questions of multiple people as they _______, and she wondered if he needed money for food, or a place to stay. Then Kon realized that the woman thought he was _______.

They cleared up the _______, and the woman was able to offer her help. The woman’s _______ left a deep impression on Kon. And it inspired him to _______ five years later, when he moved to Boston, Massachusetts. One day, outside a coffee shop, he _______ a man who was begging for change. Kon _______ that moment five years earlier, when the woman in Nairobi had ________ him for a homeless person. So he went up to the man to see what he could do. “He told me why he was on the street—because he made a（n） ________ mistake when he was in high school, and he couldn’t get a ________ now,” Kon recalled. Kon bought the man some breakfast, and gave him a little bit of money.

Today, it’s an encounter he ________. For him, it is a ________ that you never know what people are going through unless you talk to them ________ — the way the woman in Nairobi made an effort to talk to him.

1.

A．worked

B．arrived

C．changed

D．graduated

2.

A．permission

B．comments

C．explanation

D．directions

3.

A．passed

B．watched

C．struggled

D．hesitated

4.

A．awkward

B．homeless

C．careful

D．shy

5.

A．evidence

B．difficulty

C．confusion

D．conflict

6.

A．generosity

B．wisdom

C．responsibility

D．confidence

7.

A．put it aside

B．take it easy

C．kick it off

D．pay it forward

8.

A．persuaded

B．spotted

C．questioned

D．inspired

9.

A．witnessed

B．reported

C．recalled

D．shared

10.

A．praised

B．thanked

C．blamed

D．mistaken

11.

A．common

B．unintended

C．serious

D．similar

12.

A．clue

B．rise

C．job

D．solution

13.

A．creates

B．expects

C．deserves

D．values

14.

A．reminder

B．protector

C．challenge

D．practice

15.

A．secretly

B．actively

C．loudly

D．anxiously

3 . Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras have been working on a fascinating new way to identify people: using the ways of their breath. This idea could change how we unlock our phones and access secure places.

The key to this technology lies in the way we breathe out. Every person has a unique way of breathing air, which creates specific turbulence (涡流) patterns. The IIT Madras team, led by Prof. Mahesh Panchagnula, has developed a method of catching these unique patterns and using them as a biometric (生物特征识别的) signature, similar to how fingerprints are used today.

They conducted tests with breath samples from 94 people and found that their system could correctly confirm the person’s identity with an impressive accuracy of 97%. However, when it came to identifying someone without knowing who they were beforehand, the accuracy was around 50%. This means the technology is great at confirming if someone is who they claim to be, but it still needs improvement in recognizing people without any prior information. What makes this research exciting is its potential beyond just unlocking phones. It could play a significant role in personalized medicine. Since the way we breathe can give insights into our health, this technology could help doctors tailor treatments to individual patients more effectively.

In a similar study at Kyushu University in Japan, researchers developed an artificial system that identifies people based on how their breath smells. This system showed a high accuracy rate of 97.8% in identifying individuals. However, this method currently requires people to fast (禁食) for six hours before testing, indicating that it still needs to be improved to be more practical for everyday use.

These advancements in using human breath for identification are not just about adding another cool feature to our smartphones. They represent a significant step forward in biometric technology, which could have far-reaching implications in security, medicine, and personal technology. This research at IIT Madras and Kyushu University is pioneering a new way of using the unique patterns of our breath for identification purposes, potentially revolutionizing (变革) how we interact with technology and receive medical care.

1. What makes the new technology possible according to paragraph 2?

A．The distinctive breath smells.	B．The unique patterns of breath.
C．The different patterns of fingerprints.	D．The speed of taking in air.

2. What does the experiment by Kyushu University imply?

A．To eat no food for 6 hours is practical in everyday life.

B．To eat fast is a basic requirement for a higher accuracy rate.

C．The system is workable and will soon appear on the market.

D．Breath smells affected by food can decrease the accuracy rate.

3. How can the system by the IIT Madras team affect people?

A．It helps raise people’s awareness of health.	B．It will let people better understand their breath.
C．It makes unlocking our phones more easily.	D．It will introduce new ways to develop medicine.

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

A．Should We Still Use Fingerprints to Unlock Our Phone?

B．Fingerprint Patterns Can Identify Breath Types Easily

C．A Breath “Fingerprint” Could Be Used to Unlock Your Phone

D．Which Unlocking Method Is More Secure, Breath or Fingerprint?

4 . Many people changed residences and are eager to get familiar with their new neighbors. Here’s a quick refresher on making the most of neighborhood relationships.

Begin at the beginning. Building good neighborly relationships starts when you or someone else moves into the area. If a new neighbor moves in, be proactive (主动的) and welcome them to the neighborhood.     1    . Consider taking a plate of cookies or a small housewarming gift. Share your contact information and offer to answer any questions they may have about the community, including your favorite restaurants or the best local service providers.

    2    . Don’t create things that are unpleasant to look at or allow your property’s condition to affect the value of neighboring homes adversely (不利地). Being kind to those around you includes keeping your yard tidy, removing snow from your sidewalks, and collecting trash and recycling bins after the truck has passed.

Be inclusive. If you are hosting a large party, consider extending invitations to your neighbors. During the holiday season, remember the people next door with a card, a homemade goodie, or an offer of assistance. Give without expectations.     3    .

Allow people to be human.     4    , and it’s impossible to know what others are going through. Don’t be too quick to assume a sligh (轻蔑) is personal or intended.

Accept it. If you have tried your best to resolve a conflict without success, let it go. Sadly, some people won’t like you whatever you do. And you aren’t going to enjoy some people.     5    . Be pleasant anyway, and be thankful that you get to live your life and they get to live theirs.

A．Maintain your space

B．Be the first to stop by and say hello

C．It’s easier to accept it and move on

D．Everyone has a bad day now and then

E．Take steps to ensure it won’t happen again

F．Let others know you are thinking of them

G．Some neighbors are more easygoing than others

5 . The first-ever fine for space junk was issued in early October in a case of off-planet environmental enforcement (执法). The television company, Dish Network, was hit with a $125,000 fine by the United States government for failing to remove a satellite in orbit that would have risked a collision (撞击) with other space equipment, a safety concern that will only grow with time as off-planet activities increase.

According to NASA, debris (碎片) orbiting in space can travel up to 15 kilometres per second, which is nearly 10 times faster than the velocity (速度) of a bullet. A huge amount of damage can be caused by something just a few centimetres in size, meaning that every effort must be taken to keep space as clear as possible. Collisions that take place in space have an effect back on Earth. Damaged satellites impact our ability to use the Internet and navigation (导航), leaving increasingly global critical infrastructure in an unstable state.

One solution for this may be to send autonomous space vehicles into orbit, which can then catch and effectively de-orbit space junk. By utilizing tools such as robotic arms, or nets, this approach will require very precise track and fine cooperation in order to be successful. Such measures are yet to catch up with the increase in space activity and pollution currently occurring. Therefore, fines and regulatory enforcement may presently be the only realistic method to hold organizations accountable.

The Dish Network satellite, fined $125,000 by the Federal Communications Commission, failed to de-orbit as a lack of fuel stopped the satellite from fully decommissioning (退役) a safe distance from Earth, falling short by around 75 miles (120 kilometres). It is hoped that significant fines like these will serve as a warning for companies, forcing them to make sure the safe decommissioning of their space operations.

1. Why was Dish Network fined?

A．It left space junk in orbit.	B．It increased off-planet activities.
C．It made collisions among space equipment.	D．It sent too much space equipment to space.

2. Why is it necessary to keep space clean?

A．Space junk may turn into bullets.	B．Debris fragments are too tiny to track.
C．Debris may cause great damage in space.	D．A bad space environment will destroy the Earth.

3. What is the third paragraph mainly about?

A．The harm of space junk.	B．Ways to remove space junk.
C．Types of autonomous space vehicles.	D．Approaches to stopping satellites.

4. What’s the author’s attitude towards the fines?

A．Unconcerned.

B．Doubtful.

C．Negative.

D．Approving.

6 . As a child, Cruz Avila walked through the forest every day in central Mexico’s Amanalco-Vall de Bravo Basin. She would pick wood and medicinal plants. She also learned to find birds and identify the different trees near her home. Avila learned that listening to a waterfall is a good medicine for the soul and the body.

Several months ago, she and other residents decided to make these walks an attraction for tourists. Their goal is to create a source of income, preserve the forest and support responsible medicine for the soul tourism. In 2021, Avila and other community members attended training as nature guides.

In recent years, residents of the forest communities have suffered from tourism that’s not environmentally sustainable (可持续的). In early April 2022, the communities officially presented their alliance (联盟). One of the people presenting it was Avila, and her voice echoed (附和) the feelings shared by many who are part of this project. “To us, forests are our home,” she said. “We want to take care of them as we take care of our home. We invite hikers and tourists to come to see our house, to get to know and enjoy this place with respect and care.”

Avila said her community has developed a sustainable tourism plan based on hiking and workshops. They also plan to have a viewing platform ready by 2023.

Avila said she plans to start promoting her hiking project, “I’m going to take visitors to a place called El Caballero, and halfway through, with the other neighbors, we’ll offer them a workshop on making pulque and bread,” she said. Pulque is a drink made from a plant that grows in the region.

She believes the tourism project will receive support from visitors. She thinks it will be especially popular with those who are eager to help protect the forests and want to learn about forest communities.

1. Why does the author describe Avila’s childhood in paragraph 1?

A．To explain the source of medicine.

B．To prove the importance of the forest.

C．To introduce the lifestyle of local teens.

D．To memorize the good days of children.

2. What did Avila call for in her words in Paragraph 3?

A．Sustainable rural tourism.

B．Respect for the local culture.

C．The restoration of destroyed forests.

D．The end of some tourism companies.

3. What is Avila planning to offer visitors?

A．An experience of identifying trees

B．A chance to swim in a lake

C．A permission to pick medicinal plants.

D．A workshop to make pulque and bread.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Memorizing the Good Days in the Forests

B．Showing Respect for the Traveling Routes

C．Promoting Sustainable tourism to Protect the Forests

D．Developing the Local Traveling Business

7 . Human faces cut into stone up to 2,000 years ago have again been found on a rocky area along the Amazon River in northern Brazil. The stone carvings (雕刻品) appeared as a result of a big drop in water levels because of dry weather in parts of northern Brazil. The water level had dropped to the lowest level in the history of the river.

“People had reported some of the stone carvings before during periods when water levels were low. But now a greater number have been identified. That will help researchers establish the history of the carvings, and more secrets of historical relics will come to light,” researcher Jaime de Santana Oliveira said recently.

One area shows smooth marks in the rock thought to be where natives once sharpened their tools such   as arrows and spears before European settlers arrived.

“The carvings are prehistoric, or precolonial (殖民地时期前的). We can’t be sure of their precise date but based on the evidence of human living places of the area, we believe they are about 1, 000 to 2, 000 years old.” Oliveira said.

The rocky area is on the north shore of the Amazon River near the place where the Rio Negro River joins it.

Oliveira said the carvings were first seen in 2010, but this year’s drought has been more serious than earlier dry periods. The Rio Negro’s levels have dropped 15 meters since July, uncovering large areas of rocks and sand where there had been no beaches.

“This time we found not just more carvings, but the statue of a human face cut into the rock,” said Oliveira, who works for the Brazilian government’s National Historic and Artistic Heritage Institute. The organization watches the care of historic places in Brazil.

1. What plays a key role in finding the stone carvings?

A．People’s report.	B．Natural disaster.
C．High technology.	D．Researchers’ effort.

2. What can researchers do with more identified stone carvings?

A．Explore the history of historical sites.	B．Move the valuable carvings to safety.
C．Discover more underwater stone carvings.	D．Make the carvings popular among visitors.

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

A．Fixed.

B．Exact.

C．Best.

D．Future.

4. What does Oliveira stress in the last paragraph?

A．The human face stone carvings.	B．The number of stone carvings.
C．The real value of stone carvings.	D．The place where stone carvings were found.

8 . Tips for Closing the Gaps in Relationships

Be curious, not angry

Ask in a spirit of real curiosity and openness. After you ask the question, be concerned only with understanding the other person’s story. Be ready to listen to the other person’s views and experiences.     1    . Try to avoid immediate reaction. If someone says something that makes you react in the moment, breathe and put that aside to listen, and hear what they have to say.

Put body language together with intentions

    2    . We also express our opinions with manner of speaking and body language. Do our voice and manner show doubt, anxiety, or anger—or concern, respect, and the willingness to have an honest conversation? We can’t pretend that fears don’t exist, but we can pass on our main purpose to express concern in order to improve our connection.

Listen for understanding

Our good intentions for asking questions are not enough.     3    . Explore real listening without fixed ideas. Try to listen not only for content but for feelings, for disagreement, as well as for chances and ways to settle problems together.

    4    

Of course, how the other person reacts will determine the conversation that follows, which may require a good deal of openness, presence, and skill. Our reaction to whatever the person says will require continued openness, trust, kindness, clarity, and honesty. As you speak, clarify the gap between your experience of the relationship and your opinion or expectations of a healthy relationship. Noticing the gaps is helpful since it defines the problem.     5    .

A．Mind the gaps

B．Ask when we care

C．And be willing to be interested

D．This is a step towards settling the problem

E．How we ask this question makes a big difference

F．We express our purposes not only with our words

G．At the moment, our most important job is to listen carefully

9 . This is a story about a heart-warming rescue. A lucky cat was ______ by a team of brave firefighters in Cornwall, thanks to a clever and friendly dog.

Mowgli, a lovely cat, had been ______ for six long days, leaving his owner, Michele Rose, filled with ______ and nearly admitting the fact that she would never see her pet again. However, ______ appeared again when she noticed her dog, Daisy, “going ______ ” , running crazily in and out of the nearby woods around her home in Harrow.

Daisy guided her master along a footpath ______ the old mine. She came to a sudden stop next to a ______ well at a depth of 100 feet.

“Daisy is a hero; she’s an amazing dog,” Rose said. “Without Daisy’s behaviors, Mowgli might still be ______ down there. She was exactly leading me to that ______ ; it was truly amazing.”

Following the exciting ______ , the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals(RSPCA)and Cornwall Fire and Rescue ______ a call for help. The team found Mowgli about 100 feet down and he was pulled to safety. The cat was ______ not injured.

Rose said Daisy shares a ______ tie with both of her cats, Mowgli and Baloo. “Daisy was already a year old when the little cats ______ , and they have been together ever since,” she said. “She is like their ______ , looking out for them, and they also love her.”

1.

A．raised

B．fed

C．saved

D．bought

2.

A．playing

B．missing

C．travelling

D．hunting

3.

A．determination

B．worry

C．anger

D．confusion

4.

A．hope

B．doubt

C．problems

D．signs

5.

A．hungry

B．wrong

C．quiet

D．mad

6.

A．leading to

B．cutting off

C．making up

D．breaking through

7.

A．new

B．smooth

C．deep

D．wet

8.

A．attacked

B．beaten

C．found

D．trapped

9.

A．moment

B．place

C．goal

D．level

10.

A．discovery

B．change

C．process

D．rescue

11.

A．expected

B．made

C．paid

D．received

12.

A．surprisingly

B．obviously

C．absolutely

D．actually

13.

A．limited

B．strong

C．common

D．strange

14.

A．grew

B．gathered

C．arrived

D．disappeared

15.

A．master

B．partner

C．observer

D．mother

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。

The Hainan Tropical Wildlife Park and Botanical Carden in Haikou, South China’s Hainan Province,     1     (prepare) toys, bamboo shoots, and fruits for the pandas     2     (celebrate) the fifth anniversary

(周年) of the arrival of the giant pandas Conggong and Shunshun on Saturday. It also held a variety of activities and games,     3     attracted a lot of visitors.

At     4     celebration event, citizens and tourists offered their     5     (wish) for the pandas’ arrival on the island with     6     (write) greeting cards, and the pandas’ fans from across the world including China, Belgium, Japan, and New Zealand also sent their honest greetings in short videos.

Ma Xuefeng, director of the Hainan Tropical Wildlife Park and Botanical Garden, said the garden     7     the two giant paonlas have established a strong emotional bond (纽带).

Shang Xiao, chairman of the Hainan Tropical Wildlife Park and Botanical Garden, thanked the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda     8     its professional guidance and strong support over the last five years.

Gonggong, born on August 18, 2013, and Shunshun, born a few days later on August 27, at the Sichuan Ya’an Bifengxia base of the China Conservation and Research Center,     9     (send) to the garden in Haikou on November 10, 2018. They started to meet visitors on November 25 that year, making up for the     10     (absent) of giant pandas on the island.