1 . A new study finds sales of sugary drinks obviously fell across several US cities, after they carried out soda taxes (汽水税) aiming those drinks — and those changes continued over time. Taxes ranged from 1 to 2 cents. For a 2-liter bottle of soda, that comes out to between 67 cents to $1.30 extra in taxes.

“While prior (先前的) studies have looked at the impact of soda taxes, they usually studied one city at a time. This new study looked at the overall effect of the taxes on several cities to get an idea of what might happen if these taxes were more widespread — or enlarged to the state or national level,” says Scott Kaplan, an economics professor and the study’s lead author.

Kaplan and his co-workers found that prices for sugary drinks went up by 33.1% and purchases (购买量) went down by basically the same amount. So when people had to pay more for sugary drinks, they reduced their purchases — the effect was large and continued.

As Kaplan notes, “Sugary drinks make up a quarter of all the added sugar we see in the average adult American diet. And that’s a really big amount.” Jennifer Pomeranz, a professor at the School of Public Health, says, “Taxes that aim sugary drinks are good public health policy because these drinks have no nutritional (营养的) value, but they are linked with diet-related diseases. Too much added sugar is linked to a host of poor health outcomes, including overweight and heart disease.” Last month, WHO called on countries to increase taxes on sugary drinks as a way to promote healthier diets.

Today, the sugary drink industry’s strategy of offering consumers more choices with less sugar is working, and nearly 60% of drinks sold have zero sugar. The calories that people get from drinks have decreased to the lowest level in decades.

1. What’s the difference between the new study and the prior ones?

A．The range.

B．The challenge.

C．The expense.

D．The benefit.

2. How did the people respond to the rising prices of sugary drinks?

A．They bought them in overseas markets.

B．They turned to the government for help.

C．They cut down the drinks’ consumption.

D．They added sugar to drinks by themselves.

3. Why were soda taxes introduced according to Jennifer Pomeranz?

A．To better protect people’s health.

B．To encourage research into drinks.

C．To improve the nutrition of drinks.

D．To make more money for the government.

4. What can be inferred about the continuation of the soda tax policy?

A．It is a short-sighted decision.

B．It is a success story.

C．It benefits sugary drinks industry.

D．It upsets customers.

2 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。

1. What do we know about the old woman?

A．Her hands were bleeding (流血).

B．Her right leg was hurt.

C．She got hurt on a bus.

2. How did the man probably feel when he saw the scene (场面)?

A．happy.

B．Excited.

C．Calm (镇定的).

3. What did the man do yesterday?

A．He trained some first aid (急救) volunteers.

B．He received some training at the Red Cross.

C．He signed up (报名) as a Red Cross first aid volunteer.

4 . Just as British people are always proud to say that they have “green fingers”, people in the US use about 34 billion liters of water on their gardens almost each day. At the same time, however, much of this country is experiencing a ten years’ drought (干旱). People in Florida, California and much of the western United States can’t water their lawns — or can’t water them as often as they’re used to. These lawns may not die, but neither will they look as green as grass lands in other places.

Both homeowners and researchers have been looking for solutions. Brooke Moffis, a graduate student at the University of Florida, works with Basil Iannone in the school’s lab on the ecology of living area, aiming to save water. Iannone says one way to do that is to fill a lawn with a variety of native plants. He recommends focusing on ones that can adapt to dry conditions, rather than keeping those thirsty English grasses.

People often regard lawns as grass and nothing else. When a lawn is planted with just one kind, it’s called a monoculture (单一栽培). “But we don’t need it to be a monoculture to serve the function of a lawn,” Iannone says. Adding native plants, including those that are considered as weeds, can make for a healthier outdoor space, Iannone added.

Imagine you’re a hungry insect. If you eat nectar (花蜜) — as many bees, butterflies, beetles, moths, ants and other insects do—a grassy lawn isn’t going to feed you. It would be like going to the grocery store and finding only one kind of food for a long time. But it’s a food you either can’t eat or don’t like.

A garden growing a variety of flowering plants would instead seem like a welcome buffet with a variety of food. The different nectar in these many flowers would make sure you and other nearby insects had plenty to choose and eat. That’s the idea behind adding flowering plants to existing lawns, such as clover, purslane or pennywort.

1. What is the main idea of the first paragraph?

A．Lawns in western California die easily.	B．Americans take good care of their lawns.
C．Some areas in the US lack water for lawns.	D．The British suffer from natural disasters.

2. Why does Iannone disagree on growing English grasses?

A．They can’t make lawns green.	B．They aren’t suitable for research.
C．They can’t survive in the United States.	D．They can’t grow well without enough water.

3. What do people usually think of lawns?

A．Lawns are just made of grass.	B．Lawns show American garden culture.
C．Lawns should include functional plants.	D．Lawns with weeds make healthier space.

4. Why does the author mention buffet in the last paragraph?

A．To indicate nectar is good for insects.

B．To introduce different ways to feed insects.

C．To show the benefits of growing various plants.

D．To suggest bringing nearby insects into the lawns.

6 . Many Silicon Valley parents are becoming more concerned about preventing their children from using screens. Some parents think that even a little screen time can be extremely addictive, so it is better if their children avoid using or seeing these devices completely. However, it is difficult for working adults in the 21st century to give up using a phone at home. So, it’s simpler to employ someone to do this.

“Silicon Valley nanny (保姆)”, who takes children back to a time without screens every day is widely needed. From Cupertino to San Francisco, it’s widely agreed that screen time is harmful to youngsters. Therefore, parents are requesting nannies to keep phones, tablets and computers in a hidden place. Others even offer no-phone agreements.

Research shows that spending too much time on technology can harm young minds. For example, teenagers who use social media frequently are more likely to feel depressed and anxious. Insomnia (失眠) rates have also increased amongst this age group, and an increasing number of children display the signs that they can’t focus attention. These seemingly minor (轻微的) problems could become significant challenges for future generations.

“Many parents come back home and focus on their smartphones, ignoring whatever their children are trying to say,” said Shannon Zimmerman, who works as a nanny in San Jose for families that forbid screen time. “As a nanny, I also call on more parents to spend more time with their kids.”

1. Why are the Silicon Valley nannies greatly needed according to the text?

A．To help parents and children balance work and life.

B．To teach children how to use technology responsibly.

C．To keep children away from screens.

D．To encourage children to exercise.

2. What is the result of spending too much time on screens for teenagers?

A．Feeling confused.

B．Feeling anxious.

C．Feeling bored.

D．Feeling nervous.

3. What does Shannon suggest parents do?

A．Encourage their children more.	B．Play games with their children.
C．Stop using smartphones at home.	D．Spend more time with their children.

4. What is the text about?

A．Parents concern about screen time for children.	B．Children are addicted to screen time.
C．All parents limit children to phones.	D．Science has no effects on young minds.

8 . Josie, who is 17 years old, said, “Why do my parents do the same things they tell me not to do? For example, my mum stops me from shouting through the walls and asks me to go and speak to her face-to-face, but she always shouts through the walls to me. What can I do?”

That is a very good point. Parents can be completely inconsistent (不一致), and usually they don’t realize it. You see this a lot in many things like smartphones. Parents always say to their kids, “Oh, you can’t use that. That device (设备) is bad for you, so stop using it at the table. It’s harmful.” But then they are on theirs continually. So what do you expect teenagers to do?

The whole “Do as I say, not as I do” thing is an annoyance, especially for a teenager who is dying for independence and respect but isn’t getting them.

What can teenagers do with it? I would say you should point it out by calmly saying something like “You tell me not to scream through the walls, but you do it to me, so you can understand where I’m coming from. That’s not ideal.” They might object to it, but I think most parents who care about being parents would logically say, “That’s a reasonable point.”

There are a lot of conflicts (矛盾) going on between teenagers and their parents, but a lot of studies show that the conflicts are resolved a lot more when they turn into a dialogue.

If you can talk at a time when you’re both feeling a bit calmer, like just in the kitchen or doing something unimportant, then go in and say, “Can I just mention it? You tell me not to do this, but you do it too.” If you can approach it in a more calm and stress-free manner, most parents will respond positively.

1. How did Josie feel according to her words in paragraph 1?

A．Hopeful.

B．Bored.

C．Proud.

D．Confused.

2. What does the underlined word “theirs” in paragraph 2 refer to?

A．The parents’ smartphones.	B．The tables in the house.
C．The devices in the house.	D．The teenagers’ points.

3. What should teenagers do with their parents’ inconsistency?

A．Object to it personally.	B．Complain of it continually.
C．Talk with their parents calmly.	D．Do some studies differently.

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing the last paragraph?

A．To list a fact.	B．To offer a suggestion.
C．To show a result.	D．To ask a new question.

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。

According to     1     2023 research by DT Finance, around 52.8 percent of young Chinese people have at least one dazi. Dazi can     2    (real) pop up in many different ways in daily life, from dining to studying, working and even going to the toilet! Unlike friendships, the concept of dazi is more customizable (可定制的). It is centered on companionship in specific fields.

During the May Day holiday, numerous messages of people     3     looked for dazi, for activity partners, or for traveling were posted on the social media platform Xiaohongshu. In some ways, activities using dazi     4    (become) a new form of social contact up to now. With one or several dazi, people can experience     5    (deep) and more immersive (沉浸式的) fun in the activities they are interested in. In addition     6     the shared interests, another major advantage of dazi compared with normal relationships is     7    (it) simplicity. Some dazi are only temporary; but even for longer-lasting ones, the topics, if     8    (discuss), tend to be focused and relaxing.

What’s more, having a dazi may bring some expected results. Although they made mistakes when playing games, they worked together to turn the tide (局势). By    9    (play) the game together, people are surprised to find there is a fact     10     they are more capable of communicating and cooperating with others.