1 . Many of our most worrying problems, from overeating to not saving enough for retirement to not working out enough have something in common: lack of self-control. Self-control is what gives us the capacity to say no to choices that are immediately satisfying but costly in the long term — that a piece of chocolate cake (instead of an apple), that afternoon in front of the couch (instead of a visit to the gym).     1    

The problem of self-control has puzzled psychologists and behavioral scientists for decades. A great deal of research has identified situations in which self-control failures are likely to happen and tools to help people exercise better control.     2     These motivating incentives can increase our self-control, at least up to a point.

Entrepreneurs have also become interested in self-control, as is evident from the many diet and exercise apps and gadgets on the market. To take one notable example, on the commitment contract website stickK.com, users put down some money (say, $200) and state a goal they want to achieve (such as to lose ten pounds in a month).     3     If they meet their goal, they earn their money back. If they don’t, they lose the money.

Tools like stickK.com can be effective, but they are often difficult to implement. My colleagues and I conducted a new research to point to a different solution that may be easier to carry out: using rituals.

    4     Players in all sorts of sports have rituals that involve actions such as eating the same foods in exactly the same order before a game. From the way some prepare their coffee to the way people celebrate important life events, like weddings or graduations, rituals are a part of our daily life. And though they may seem useless, or even silly, research has found that rituals are powerful.

A．They have to point out someone to monitor them and ensure they reach the goal or donate the money.

B．Despite our best intentions, we often fail to meet our goals.

C．Rituals are series of steps we take while attaching some kind of symbolic meaning.

D．In the past, my colleagues and I have found that rituals reduce anxiety before stressful tasks, and improve performance.

E．They also need to state what will happen to the money if they don’t stick to their commitments (e.g., it’ll go to a friend or to a charity they do not like).

F．For instance, research has found that people persist for longer on tasks that require self-control when they know they’ll be paid for their efforts, or when they are told that their work will benefit others.

2 . 阅读下面的短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

What is causing the increase in the     1     (globe) average surface temperature? Climate scientists think it is the greenhouse effect,     2     includes “natural” and “man-made”,     3     matters. The “man-made” greenhouse effect has become     4     big problem. People produce huge amounts of green-house gases by burning fossil fuels,    5     (leave) more heat energy     6     (trap) in the atmosphere. The rise in temperature has led to an increase in extreme weather and natural     7     (disaster). Appropriate actions should be taken     8     (prevent) it.     9    , there will be a higher price to pay. Governments should make policies and take measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and individuals can also make a     10     (different) by restricting the amount of carbon dioxide our lifestyles produce.

3 . One of the best essay contests of 2024, this competition sponsored by the Writer’s Digest promotes nonfiction of all kinds: “personal or political, traditional or experimental”, but your essay should be at least 1,000 words and 1,500 words at most.

Eligibility (资格):

Students are eligible to participate if they are in grades nine through twelve in any of the fifty states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. territories, or if they are U. S. citizens/lawful permanent residents attending high school overseas. Students may be attending a public or private school. Entries from home-schooled students are also accepted.

Submission:

Fill out the online registration form. All fields on the online form are required, including uploading a Microsoft Word (doc. or docx.) file of your original work with a title in English which should include a comprehensive list of sources consulted. Entries must be typed, double-spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman.

Teacher or parent: Student registration forms must have a teacher or parent name. That person may review the submitted essay and act as the key contact.

Do not place your last name or your school’s name on any of the pages of the essay.

Your essay will be disqualified if it does not meet the requirements or is submitted after the submission date of 11:59 p.m. EDT on June 1, 2024.

Prizes:

$1,000 to the writer of the winning essay, in addition to an all-expense paid trip to the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference! The runner-up wins a writing coaching package valued at $650 and the third, a diversity editing package valued at $350.

1. Who can participate in the contest?

A．A Chinese teenager.	B．A high school teacher.
C．An American tenth-grader.	D．A professional writer.

2. What is a requirement for the entry?

A．Uploading a Word version of the original work.

B．Writing personal name on the first page of the entry.

C．Filling in the application form and posting it in time.

D．Making sure of the words of the entry beyond 1,500.

3. What will be the second prize?

A．A free trip.	B．A cash prize.
C．A diversity editing package.	D．A writing coaching package.

4 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. In which country did the necktie first appear?

A．China.

B．The US.

C．Croatia.

2. What was the Croatian’s purpose to wear a handkerchief in the 17th century?

A．To protect themselves.

B．To look pretty.

C．To keep warm.

3. How did Louis the 14th find the necktie?

A．Cool.

B．Protective.

C．Unnecessary.

5 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What is the woman skilled at?

A．Cooking meals.

B．Do the cleaning.

C．Organizing activities.

2. Who will be responsible for clearing up?

A．Kathy.

B．Ben.

C．Lindsay.

3. What will the woman do on the show?

A．Dance.

B．Sing.

C．Tell jokes.

4. How long will the charity show last?

A．For one hour.

B．For two hours.

C．For three hours.

6 . 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。

As a centuries-old art form, the popularity of Yingge dance on the streets of London during the Spring Festival was     1     success in terms of traditional Chinese folk art sailing overseas.

Literally     2     (translate) as the “Songs of Heroes” dance, Yingge dance is a 300-year-old folk dance that originated from the Chaoshan area of South China’s Guangdong Province. Dressed in colorful costumes,     3     (energy) performers wave wooden sticks in their hands in orderly formations while dancing to the music.

Based     4     the stories of the 108 Heroes of Liangshan Mountain from the classic novel Outlaw’s of the Marsh, this is a folk art     5     (combine) a variety of forms, from martial arts and Chinese operas to dance.

With its high compatibility (共存) with various art forms and years of inheritance and innovation, this Chaoshan-born dance art has spread to neighboring countries and     6     (region) in the last century.

Yingge dance     7     (bring) to Thailand by Chinese immigrants around a century ago, where it took off     8     expanded to over 10 provinces. For now, this traditional Chinese dance is     9     (wide) known by its inheritance among the younger generations who have     10     (enthusiastic) in practicing kung fu, and trying dragon and lion dances as well as being on the wind of social media.

7 . How much does it cost to play tennis for two hours on Sunday?

A．$4.

B．$6.

C．$12.

8 . As dawn breaks over the Rockies, the streets of Colorado awaken, walkers and cyclists moving through the city’s streets. But beneath this lies a growing concern: the safety of these road users is increasingly under threat.

Recent statistics reveal a reality, with fatalities (死亡) rising, casting a shadow over Colorado’s busy streets. Among these fatalities is the story of Nick Cordova, a cyclist whose life was cut short, becoming a catalyst for change and a symbol of the urgent need for safer streets.

In the wake of these accidents, the community has found a discomforting way to remember and advocate: the “ghost (幽灵) bike”. Painted white and chained near the site of fatal accidents, these bikes are used to remind people of the lives lost and the critical need for change. The recent rescheduling of a “ghost ride” memorial for Nick Cordova emphasizes the community’s resolve.

Janice Jim, vice president of CycleWR, emphasizes that while some cities have excellent bicycle infrastructure (基础设施), the battle is far from over. Areas like Victoria St in Kitchener, known for accidents, are in great need of attention and improvement. Jim’s words mirror a view shared by the majority: the infrastructure can and must be better, for the sake of all who share the road.

The concept of Vision Zero, an initiative aimed at getting rid of all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, fair mobility for all, has found a foothold in Colorado. However, the journey towards this ambitious goal is faced with challenges. Funding and policy changes are the foundations upon which this vision rests.

Advocates argue that investment in cyclist safety isn’t just a matter of public health; it’s an investment in the very fabric of the community, an acknowledgment that every life is precious and deserving of protection. As Colorado stands at this crossroads, the push for more funding and policy changes continues, fueled by stories like Cordova’s and the unyielding spirit of those left to carry the torch.

1. Which word can best replace the underlined word “catalyst” in paragraph 2?

A．Barrier.

B．Fuel.

C．Fear.

D．Link.

2. Why are “ghost bikes” placed in the street?

A．To serve as a reminder.	B．To mark dangerous areas.
C．To add to shared bikes.	D．To prove the government’s action.

3. What can we know about Vision Zero?

A．It is put forward by Cordova.

B．Its realization needs policy support.

C．Its aim is to get rid of all traffic accidents.

D．It has been achieved in Colorado.

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

A．The Story of Cordova	B．The Concept of Vision Zero
C．Colorado’s Ghost Bikes	D．Colorado’s Call for Street Safety

9 . Smart accessories are increasingly common. For example, recently researchers introduced the Thermal Earring (热耳环), a wireless wearable device that continuously monitors a user’s earlobe (耳垂) temperature.

The smart earring model is about the size and weight of a small paperclip. A clip attaches one temperature sensor to a wearer’s ear, while another sensor hangs about an inch below it for estimating room temperature. The earring can be personalized with fashion designs in the shape of a flower, for example, without negatively affecting its accuracy.

“I wear a smartwatch to track my personal health, but I’ve found that a lot of people think smartwatches are unfashionable or uncomfortable,” said co-lead author Shirley. “I also like to wear earrings, so we started thinking about developing smart earrings.”

Creating a wearable device small enough to pass as an earring, yet robust (耐用的) enough that users would have to charge it only every few days, presented an engineering challenge.

“It’s a tricky balance,” said Shirley. “Typically, if you want power to last longer, you should have a bigger battery. But then you sacrifice size. Making it wireless also demands more energy.”

The team made the earring’s power consumption as efficient as possible, while also making space for a Bluetooth chip, a battery and two temperature sensors. Instead of pairing it with a device, which uses more power, the earring uses Bluetooth advertising mode—the transmissions a device broadcasts to show it can be paired. After reading and sending the temperature, it goes into deep sleep to save power.

In a study of six users, the earring outperformed a smartwatch at sensing skin temperature during periods of rest. It also showed promise for monitoring signs of stress, eating and exercise. But they need more data to train their models for each use case and more thorough testing before the device might be used by the public.

For future versions of the device, Shirley is working to integrate heart rate and activity monitoring. She’s also interested in potentially powering the device from solar or kinetic energy from the earring swaying.

1. What can be learned about the smart earrings from paragraph 2?

A．Its target users.	B．Its design.
C．Its energy consumption.	D．Its application.

2. What difficulty did the researchers meet when inventing the earrings?

A．Selecting a light material.

B．Testing out wireless connection.

C．Charging the smart earring quickly.

D．Balancing the size and the energy capacity.

3. What is mainly talked about in paragraph 6?

A．How the earrings read and send the temperature.

B．What the researchers did to save energy of the earrings.

C．How the researchers paired the earrings with bluetooth.

D．What principles the researchers used in the invention.

4. What is Shirley working on?

A．Putting the smart earrings into market.

B．Testing the smart earrings on the patients.

C．Adding more functions to the smart earrings.

D．Comparing smart earrings with other smart products.

10 . What left the man a deep impression?

A．Food.

B．Animals.

C．Northern Canada.