1 . 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。

South Koreans have enjoyed their first close-up look of new baby giant pandas at a name-revealing ceremony that is also     1     early celebration of the 100 days since the twins’ birth.

What to name the twin sisters was widely discussed among netizens after they were born on July 7 in theme park Everland. The names were     2     (ultimate) decided on through two public voting     3     (procedure). One is named Rui Bao, which means wise treasure, and the other is Hui Bao or shining treasure. Half a million panda lovers helped choose their names with a handful of lucky fans     4     (invite) to the ceremony. “They are even     5     (cute) in real life than they appear on screen,” said a college student in attendance.

The baby pandas,     6     have just begun teething and crawling, are very healthy. Everland has shared videos documenting the pandas’ growth online. The twins’ birth has gained 640,000 views since it     7     (upload). “This feels like a great opportunity to call for better     8     (preserve) of pandas,” said Donghee Chung, head of the park’s zoo. Chung noted that between 40% and 50% of panda births result     9     twins.

Everland said it would monitor the twins’ health     10     (determine) when the twins are ready to be open to the public.

2 . Recently, I was walking with some parents when we came across a five-pound note lying on the ground. We stood around it for a moment, a bit awkwardly, until someone suggested putting it on a nearby bench. Then one of the parents remarked that we’d probably have behaved differently — that is, we would have just taken the money — had we been alone.

This relates to a classic question in studies of human generosity: do we behave more selfishly when we aren’t being observed? The debate goes on across the psychological and biological sciences, as well as in popular culture, about whether kindness can exist in a competitive world.

Yom Kippur is a Jewish (犹太人的) religious holiday when Jewish people fast and ask for forgiveness for the wrongs they’ve committed. One of the points of Yom Kippur is to behave better regardless of who is watching. There’s an evolutionary beauty to the teachings of Yom Kippur, which are the products of thousands of years of cultural changes and evolution.

The Maasai people of Kenya practice osotua: relationships between people that operate based on need. When someone forms an osotua relationship with another, they enter into an unwritten contract to help their partner in times of need. And hunter-gatherer groups, which can represent the circumstances our species evolved in, have many similar examples.

Cultural evolution helps to explain the existence and complexity of these systems. Cultural changes are far faster than biological evolution, allowing intelligent species like humans to develop behavioral adaptations for managing complex social environments. Osotua, or any other practice that helps to maintain good treatment of others in society, is the result of tens of thousands of years of cultural trial and error. The customs passed down over time are those that help us to develop as cultural groups.

The study of those changes has helped us to understand how we successfully spread around the world as cooperative groups. Biological evolution has helped humans be more cooperative, but cultural changes have accelerated this process.

Cultural evolution helps us to overcome our selfish natures. Try to understand rules before you ignore them — and next time you find a fiver on the ground, you might think about the awkward situation your discovery represents.

1. What made the parents feel a bit awkward?

A．The difficulty sharing the money.

B．The difficulty finding the owner of the money.

C．The thought of putting the money on the bench.

D．The thought of keeping the money for themselves.

2. Why is “Yom Kippur” talked about in the text?

A．To highlight a fact.	B．To draw a conclusion.
C．To make a comparison.	D．To support an argument.

3. How is biological evolution different from cultural evolution?

A．It evolves much slower.	B．It takes much less time.
C．It is a more complex process.	D．It makes humans more cooperative.

4. What does the author intend to explain in the text?

A．How cultural evolution takes place.	B．Why people sometimes behave selfishly.
C．Why kindness exists in a competitive world.	D．How kindness spreads throughout the world.

3 . In the days before the Internet, critical thinking is the most important skill that we could have. To think critically, we need to read carefully, consider the credibility (可信度) of sources, and reason out conclusions on our own. But in the digital age, according to Anastasia Kozyreva, a psychologist at the Max Planck Institute of Human Development, a more important skill is “critical ignoring”.

“With so much information, we need to first sort the wheat from the chaff, deciding what’s worth our attention and time, and what’s not. Now, we live in an ‘attention economy’ in which we are no longer consumers. Rather, we’re the products whose attention is being sold on the advertising marketplace. That means each link we click on is a sale of our time and attention, often with little or no benefit to ourselves. To protect ourselves, we need to develop new ways of interacting with information,” she said.

Kozyreva advocates learning the skill of critical ignoring, in which readers intentionally control their information environment to reduce their exposure to false and trash information.

By developing our critical ignoring skills, she thinks we can enjoy the benefits of the Internet while avoiding falling victim to those who try to control our attention, our time, and our minds. Here are three of the strategies recommended by her to avoid the traps of attention economy.

The first strategy is self-control. Of course, we need to stay informed of world events and be in touch with others, so we can’t just ignore the Internet altogether. When we do go into social media, Kozyreva recommends setting time limits. Limiting ourselves in this way prevents us from losing track of time as we click on one attractive link after another.

The next strategy is in-depth reading. For example, headlines are often designed to attract attention, not provide information. The contents of the articles may be completely contrary to what the headlines show.

1. What does the underlined phrase “sort the wheat from the chaff” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Decide which produce is more useful.	B．Balance potential harms with benefits.
C．Select the valuable from the valueless.	D．Think about how to divide the profits.

2. What does critical ignoring help us do?

A．Read every attractive link carefully.	B．Reason out conclusions on our own.
C．Avoid using the Internet altogether.	D．Stay away from low-quality information.

3. What might the author continue talking about?

A．Another recommended strategy.	B．The importance of self-control.
C．The traps of attention economy.	D．The value of our time and attention.

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

A．To compare two important concepts.	B．To introduce a useful idea to readers.
C．To show the limits of critical thinking.	D．To prove critical ignoring is less important.

4 . Future Industries: Which Ones Will Rule?

As we move towards the future, it is important to consider which industries will have the greatest potential for growth and success. Here are a few of the most promising sectors:

Technology	The technology industry has been on an upward trend for years and shows no signs of slowing down. From artificial intelligence and virtual reality to blockchain and the Internet of Things, there are countless opportunities in this field.
Healthcare	With an aging population and increasing demand for healthcare services, the healthcare industry is expected to see significant growth in the coming years. This includes everything from medical devices and medicines to telemedicine and home health care.
Renewable energy	As concerns about climate change continue to mount, there is growing demand for clean and sustainable energy sources. Solar, wind, and hydropower are just a few of the renewable energy sectors that are ready for explosive growth.
E-commerce	Online shopping has become increasingly popular over the past decade, and this trend shows no signs of stopping. As more people turn to e-commerce for their shopping needs, businesses in this space will continue to thrive.
Education	With the rise of automation and artificial intelligence, there is a growing need for workers with specialized skills and knowledge. This has led to a large increase in demand for education and training programmes, making this sector a promising one for investment.

These are just a few of the many industries that are expected to see significant growth in the coming years. By keeping an eye on these trends, investors can position themselves for success in the future.

1. Which industry has been promoted by the continuous aging society?

A．Technology.

B．Healthcare.

C．E-commerce.

D．Education.

2. What is the direct reason for the increasing emphasis on renewable energy?

A．Global climate change.

B．The improvement of technology.

C．The shortage of non-renewable resources.

D．The globalization and industrial competition.

3. What makes education a promising industry in the future?

A．An increase in population.

B．The demand for online shopping.

C．The development of economy.

D．Training for talents with particular skills.

5 . Over the last 60 years, the size of farm machinery has been increasing. For example, from 1958 to 2020, the typical weight of a fully loaded combine harvester for corn or wheat increased nearly ten times.

In a way, it’s fantastic if you see how much we can harvest in a certain amount of time today and how long it would have taken us 60 years ago. Some wheat harvesters, for example, can clear 30 acres in an hour. That incredible efficiency enables about 5 percent of the world’s population to feed the other 95 percent.

But it is at the soil’s expense. One recent study reported that soil compaction (土壤板结) from heavy machines has reduced yields in some fields by as much as 50 percent. If current trends continue, it may eventually reduce global crop production by as much as 20 percent.

“Healthy soil is alive. A teaspoon of garden soil might hold a billion bacteria and networks of air pockets. Heavy farm machinery squeezes the life out of that rich soil by compacting it at depths of a foot or more, lowering oxygen levels and destroying the life that creates the basis for healthy soil. Once damaged, heavily compacted soil can take decades to recover, if it recovers at all.” says Paul Hallett, a soil physicist at the University of Aberdeen, in Scotland.

Farm machinery makers have tried to limit the impact on the soil by equipping heavy vehicles with fatter tires, which distribute the load more widely and keep the vehicles from sinking too deeply into the soil surface. “But if you have a heavier load, the stress decreases less quickly with depth.” says Paul Hallett. “It is a bit like the way tall chimneys on a power plant spread air pollution far downwind.”

1. What does the author think of the heavy farm vehicles?

A．They are environment-friendly.	B．They will go out of style very quickly.
C．They do much harm to the soil.	D．They can help increase crop production.

2. Which of the following is most unlikely caused by soil compaction?

A．Decreased crop production.	B．Soil with abundant air pockets.
C．Lack of bacteria in the fields.	D．Lower oxygen levels in the soil.

3. What does Paul Hallett want to show with the tall-chimney example?

A．It is a very good idea to spread air pollution downwind.

B．Vehicles with fatter tires will be less harmful to the soil.

C．Heavy farm machines with fatter tires just spread the stress.

D．More effective measures have to be adopted to cut pollution.

4. What message does the author seem to convey in the text?

A．We have to strike a balance between efficiency and damage.

B．It’s fantastic to use more and more advanced farm machinery.

C．It is high time that we let the damaged soil recover slowly.

D．We can’t produce enough food to feed the world’s population.

6 . Some 20 percent of adults are procrastinators (拖延症患者). Everyone might put off a task or two, but long-term procrastinators do it at home, at school, at work and in their relationships.

For years, researchers have focused on the personalities of people who procrastinate. The results suggest procrastinators may be impulsive (冲动), worriers and have trouble regulating their emotions. But procrastinators are not lazy. They’re actually very busy doing other things than what they’re supposed to be doing. Though procrastinators may think they perform better under pressure, studies have reported the opposite. And when deadlines are uncertain, procrastinators tend to delay their work.

When people put off a tough task, they feel good-in the moment. Procrastinating is a way to avoid the negative emotions linked to the task. But the relief it provides is only temporary, and many seek out ways to stop procrastinating.

In fact, most research today suggests procrastination is a behavioral pattern, which means it’s something you can change, regardless of whether you’re impulsive. What works best is still under research. Some scientists have reported success with time management. But the evidence for that is all over the map. That’s because poor time management is a symptom not a cause of procrastination.

For some procrastinators, seemingly obvious tips can work. Researchers advise students to simply put down their smartphones. Silencing notifications or studying in the library rather than at home can regulate distractions and keep people on task. But that won’t be enough for many people. Stubborn procrastinators may benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy (认知行为疗法). This type of therapy, which involves managing thoughts and emotions and trying to change behavior, seemed to be the most helpful. Still, not many studies have examined treatments, and there’s room for improvement.

1. What does procrastination mean to longtime procrastinators?

A．A personal advantage.	B．A habitual behavior.
C．A working motivation.	D．An excuse for laziness.

2. What do experts think of procrastinators?

A．They are inactive.	B．They are efficient.
C．They are anxious.	D．They are careful.

3. What causes people to procrastinate?

A．Their temporary relief from the stress.

B．Their imperfection in personalities.

C．Their poor time management at work.

D．Their high ability to deal with hard work.

4. What may be the best procrastination treatment according to the text?

A．Avoiding smartphones.	B．Proper studying places.
C．Good time management.	D．Cognitive behavioral therapy.

7 . The topic “slash youth”,   referring to those refusing to be defined or bound by just one personal identity and choosing to undertake multiple careers, has fueled heated debate on social media. On Douban, a Chinese social networking platform, the topic has attracted about 11,000posts and has been viewed over 400 million times. China’s young people are keen to share their slash youth stories online, presenting themselves as multiple and sometimes distinct identities, such as a nurse and model, a teacher and stand-up comedian, and an engineer and musician.

Xing Eryang, a 31-year-old female resident in Beijing, founded the Douban topic in 2021.While staying diligent about her daytime work, she is developing her hobbies, including stand-up comedy and vlogging, into secondary careers during her spare time. And she is amazed to find her “slash life” philosophy followed by so many of her peers.

Weiheng, a 26-year-old woman in Guangzhou, and Tang Yuhan, a 27-year-old man in Xuancheng city, Anhui province, are both participants in the topic, with their stories earning thousands of likes so far. The two are both musicians in their spare time, even though they are thousands of miles apart and have different jobs in media and finance. Their passion for music has grown since college and they didn’t abandon their enthusiasm, even after entering the workplace.

Their reaction showed the gap between the young and former generations. “My parents used to say,   ‘music cannot earn you money’,   so the band thing was regarded as a waste of time. However,   we want to pursue whatever we love and are willing to pay for it.” says Weiheng.

“The ‘slash life’ mania(狂热)shows that, along with China’s economic development, our society is becoming more and more diversified and inclusive, and it welcomes everyone’s self-fulfillment,” says Shi Yanrong, an   associate researcher from Tianjin Academy of Social Sciences. “Young people no longer have to rely on work and money for their sense of self-worth. They tend to practice a carpe diem(活在当下)philosophy and create their own identities.”

1. What are “slash youth” more likely to do?

A．Create a topic on Douban.

B．Take diverse occupations.

C．Become a stand-up comedian.

D．Share their own stories online.

2. Which of the following amazes Xing Eryang?

A．Other young people’s positive response.

B．Hobbies developed while working.

C．The growing social networking platform.

D．Thousands of likes earned on Douban.

3. What did Weiheng and Tang Yuhan do to pursue their musical career?

A．They sent their stories online to gain more funds.

B．They shared similar interests in both their hobbies and jobs.

C．They never lost passion for music even if they had to quit college.

D．They stuck with their dream despite the older generation’s opinion.

4. According to Shi Yanrong, what is our society’s attitude to the “slash life”?

A．Doubtful.	B．Supportive.
C．Unfavorable.	D．Indifferent.

8 . Activities such as art classes could be recommended as an alternative to medication for patients in England as part of a major initiative to reduce the number of people becoming dependent on prescription drugs.

The Times newspaper quotes figures showing that in the past 12 months,8.4 million adults in England were taking antidepressants(抗抑郁药)，which is 8 percent higher than 2019,which has resulted in the new advice.Around 23 percent of women are on antidepressants, and 12 percent of men.

“Medicines offer a fantastic range of tools for NHS staff to provide care that can be positively life-changing,” said Tony Avery, the national clinical director for prescribing at NHS England. “However, we need to be alert to the risks of some medicines, and the framework we are publishing today empowers local services to work with people to ensure they are being effectively supported when a medicine is no longer providing overall benefit.”

The NHS report drew particular attention to projects carried out in the county of Glouc-ester shire. One service, called Art on Prescription, was described as “a form of social prescription and is a non-clinical intervention delivered by art practitioners for therapeutic benefit”. Another, a course called Artlift, begins with “a personalized ‘What Matters To You’ conversation prior to the start of the program and (we) agree a personalized support plan and goals with each participant”. They all reported improvement in participants’ mental well-being.

Actually, as long ago as September 2018, then health secretary Matt Hancock said, “The evidence increasingly shows that activities like social clubs, art, ballroom dancing, and gardening can be more effective than medicines for some people and I want to see an increase in that sort of social prescribing.”

1. Why does activities such as art classes are recommended for patients in England?

A．Because they are more effective than medicines.

B．Because people in England prefer to attend art classes.

C．Because they can replace medication for patients in England.

D．Because they may help reduce the people’s dependence on certain drugs.

2. What can we learn from Tony Avery’s words?

A．Medicines can provide life-changing effects all the time.

B．We need to be cautious about the dangers of some medicines.

C．The framework published is greatly supported by the local people.

D．Local services can work with patients to provide them with overall benefit.

3. What do you know about the projects carried out in the county of Gloucester-shire?

A．The two projects were carried out in the rural areas of Gloucester-shire.

B．Art on Prescription was a clinical intervention delivered by art practitioners.

C．The patients’ mental health in the two projects were both reported to be improved.

D．A personalized “What Matters To You” conversation started after the start of the program Artlift.

4. What’s the purpose of the passage?

A．To persuade people to stop taking medicine.

B．To introduce a new kind of life-changing medicine.

C．To appeal to the government to organize more social activities.

D．To recommend a way to reduce patients’ dependence on prescribed drugs.

9 . Neuroscientists (神经科学家) now know that brain maturation (成熟) occurs far later than previously thought. Great changes in brain are still taking place during young adulthood, especially in the regions that are important for planning ahead, expecting the future results of one’s decisions, and comparing risk and reward. Indeed, some brain regions do not reach full maturity until the early 20s. Should this new knowledge make us rethink where we draw legal boundaries between kids and adults?

Maybe. But it’s not as simple as it seems for two reasons.

First, different brain regions mature along with different timetables. There is no single age at which the adolescent brain becomes an adult brain. Systems responsible for logical reasoning mature when people are 16, but those involved in self-regulation are still developing in young adulthood. This is why 16-year-olds are just as capable as adults when it comes to permitting informed medical papers, but are still immature in ways that reduce their criminal responsibility, as the Supreme Court has noted in several recent cases. Using different ages for different legal boundaries seems strange, but it would make neuro- scientific sense if we did it reasonably.

Second, science has never had much influence on these decisions. If it did, we wouldn’t have lived in a society that allows teenagers to drive before they can buy beer. Age boundaries are drawn mainly for political reasons, not scientific ones. It’s a pity that Neuroscience won’t have much of an impact on politics although it is always correct.

Children are so changeable in their growth and how cultures understand child development is so different. It is pointless to try to determine the “right” age of maturation. The Dutch, for example, allow children to drink alcohol at the age of 16 but not to drive until they are 19. Even if I firmly believe legal decisions should refer to Neuroscience seriously and it’s a good idea to lower the drinking age and raise the driving age in the US, I recognize that the government might never accept it.

1. What can we learn about brain maturation according to the passage?

A．All the brain areas become mature at the same time.

B．Scientists’ brain matures much earlier than politicians’.

C．The region in charge of logical reasoning isn’t mature until 18.

D．The time of brain maturation is not as early as thought before.

2. What is the author’s attitude towards Neuroscience?

A．Favorable.

B．Skeptical.

C．Indifferent.

D．Intolerant.

3. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．It’s illegal for a Dutch boy to drive at the age of 16.

B．The culture of the Dutch is much better than the USA.

C．It’s of great value to determine the right age of maturation.

D．The influence of science on law and policy making is very big.

4. What could be the best title for the passage?

A．Should Children Learn from Capable Adults?

B．Can Neuroscience Create Mature Scientists?

C．Should Neuroscience Affect Law Decisions?

D．Can Children Drive and Drink Beer Like Adults?

10 . Good Morning Britain (GMB) launches special “listening benches” in order to solve loneliness. EastEnders star Maisie Smith joined Susanna and Martin in the studio to talk about her involvement in a special part of the 1 Million Minutes campaign — GMB’s special “listening benches” across the country.

Six special “listening benches” have been designed by six celebrities, and can be found in six cities across the UK — and they’re in place to encourage people to strike up a conversation. Maisie joined the show to share why the campaign is important to her.

“I’m always very open about mental health,” Maisie explained. “It doesn’t matter who you are, where you’re from, what you have — everyone is going through something and I just think the world would be a kinder place if everyone understood that.”

“I think especially growing up in the limelight (引人注目) as a teenager, you’re very judgemental of yourself when you do see comments of other people judging you. It can add to the stress of the things you re already going through. I think people do think I’m confident because I cover my nerves with a big smile and that’s what I’ve been doing in my whole life.”

Susanna asked Maisie if she had a technique for dealing with her nerves. “It depends on what it is,” said Maisie. “A lot of the time — and it’s going to sound really stupid — but I write a script. I write down all of the questions that I could be asked and try to come up with something so that my brain won’t go blank when I’m under pressure.

1. What is the theme of “listening benches”?

A．Caring for oneself.	B．Changing the world.
C．Dealing with loneliness.	D．Protecting the environment.

2. Why did Maisie Smith join the studio?

A．To let people know about her life.	B．To share her feelings of the campaign.
C．To set up a model for other celebrities.	D．To ask more people to express their mind.

3. What is Maisie’s attitude toward her mental health?

A．Protective.	B．Private.
C．Serious.	D．Outspoken.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．A programme on mental health.	B．GMB interviewing celebrities.
C．Techniques for responding to nerves.	D．Preparations before being interviewed.