1 . A recent study from Penn State has indicated that interactive screen time such as texting’ and gaming is harmful to adolescents’ sleep. The research casts light on how different types of screen usage can variably impact sleep patterns in teens.

The study was focused on the sleep habits of 15-year-olds. For the analysis, the team conducted daily surveys with 475 adolescents, inquiring about their screen-based activities; including communication methods and entertainment preferences. Besides, the researchers employed special instruments to accurately track the teens' sleep duration (持续期) over a week. These devices, typically worn on the wrist, provided insight into the participants’ activity levels to infer sleep patterns.

The study showed that teens spent an average of two hours per day communicating digitally and around 1 hour playing video games. The experts found that those engaging in interactive screen time before bed spent approximately 30 minutes longer falling asleep compared to those who avoided such activities. And that is what makes the researchers most concerned.

And it was not just interactive screen time before bed that affected kids’ sleep, said the researchers. For each hour that kids spent playing video games beyond their usual routine during the day, their sleep was delayed for about 10 minutes.

“For a child, losing 30 minutes of sleep at night is significant. It makes it especially arduous for them to get up in the morning for school,” said lead author of the study and postdoctoral scholar David Reichenberger. “Without enough sleep, kids are at increased risk of obesity, as well as poor cognition (认知), emotion regulation and mental health.”

“Addressing the problem of what parents can do to help protect their teens’ sleep, its a tricky situation. These tools are really important to everyone nowadays, so it’s hard to put a limit on them, but if you’re really looking out for an adolescent’s health and well-being, then you might consider limiting the more interactive activities, especially in the hour before bed,” said David.

1. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．What the participants did in the study.

B．How the participants were selected.

C．What the purpose of the research was.

D．How the research was conducted.

2. Which of the following has the greatest impact on kids’ sleep?

A．Playing video games for 1 hour during the day.

B．Engaging in interactive screen time before bed.

C．Communicating digitally for 20 minutes in the morning.

D．Delaying the regular sleeping time for half an hour.

3. What does the underlined word “arduous” in paragraph 5 mean?

A．Common.

B．Important.

C．Difficult.

D．Practical.

4. Why does David regard the situation as “tricky”?

A．Digital devices bring both convenience and harm.

B．Interactive activities play an important part in modern life.

C．Being involved in screen time is harmful to children’s health.

D．Increasing kids’ sleeping time may affect their academic performance.

2 . As the shift from traditional farming to modern farming is progressing, the use of technology such as drones (无人机), robots and machinery has also begun, producing favorable results and increasing efficiency in the industry. A farmer from the Philippines, Rey Kent Dejesica, wanted to help and contribute to the agriculture industry. Through an advertisement, he saw DIAGRAS drones and was interested in the idea of drones being used for farm applications.

In the Philippines, when people think of farmers or agriculture, they usually picture long hours working in the sun. Farming is an onerous process, especially for young people, who like everything instant. “Rice and bananas are the primary sources of income in my city. I want to contribute to the agriculture industry in a way to reduce growers’ expenses and make the usage of pesticides (农药) more precise and efficient because I’ve seen how innovative individuals are and how they always find ways and methods to make tasks easier,” Rey Kent Dejesica said.

“Using drones as a sprayer (喷雾器) also lessens human labor. Besides that, we can obtain a bird’s-eye view of fields and spay crops precisely and effectively with drones,” Rey Kent Dejesica said. Moreover, farmers stated that the use of drones also minimized the Panama disease. “After we switched to drone technology, our field became more beautiful,” they added.

Agriculture is the main source of income for some Asian regions. Parts of Asia are now going through a rapidly aging farmer population and a fear of food shortage. That is why the youth must be part of the trade to ensure food security in the future. Advancements in agricultural technology such as drones can attract the youth back to the farming scene.

Armed with his knowledge of drone technology and having a positive attitude, Rey Kent sets an example for the next generation of farmers. May this be a stepping stone showing that farming is not something to be embarrassed about, but to be accepted through applying new technology.

1. Why was Rey Kent Dejesica interested in using drones for farming?

A．He was influenced by his parents.

B．He was doing experiments with drones.

C．He wanted farmers to stop using pesticides.

D．He aimed to use them to help the agricultural industry.

2. What does the underlined word “onerous” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Simple.

B．Creative.

C．Heavy.

D．Dangerous.

3. What do the farmers think of the use of drones?

A．Helpful.

B．Harmful.

C．Useless.

D．Funny.

4. What is the fourth paragraph mainly about?

A．The aging farmer population in Asia.	B．The importance of food security in the world.
C．The youth’s role in high-tech agriculture.	D．The advancements in agricultural technology.

3 . Ignoring message is frowned upon (皱眉) in this always-on times. And according to most people, dropping out of communication is blamed as “ghosting”, which in the years since the term became widespread, has become a deadly killer of digital communications.

But in these exhausting times, when so many are overburdened with family responsibilities, stress, grief and anxiety, perhaps we should let go of the outdated, demanding requirement to participate in endless back-and-forth conversations. As Daniel Post Senning of the Emily Post Institution said, “You have to be a civil and decent person, but you don’t have to give your time and attention to everyone who asks for it.”

In an era when we understand more and more the importance of rest and time away from screens, triaging (优先选择) can be necessary for our peace of mind and relationships with the people in our lives: When we are on vacation. When it’s after 7 pm. When we are at the dinner table. When we are exercising. If you don’t reply immediately to a message during one of these times, don’t apologize. Just reply when you can. Or don’t.

Is triaging a blanket permission to fall into unexplained silence or become a bottleneck to your colleagues’ work? No. Instead, establish boundaries with your work colleagues frankly so that they don’t panic when they can’t reach you.

It’s also worth asking yourself who is putting the pressure on for immediate response. Perhaps it’s not the message sender, but you.

1. Which statement do most people agree with?

A．Giving full attention to whoever asks for it is a must.

B．Dropping out of a conversation equals killing other people.

C．It’s considered improper to cut off from an ongoing conversation.

D．It’s highly advised to carry on conversations despite heavy burdens.

2. How does the author develop paragraph 3?

A．By listing figures.	B．By giving examples.
C．By comparing facts.	D．By stating reasons.

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

A．Barrier.

B．Milestone.

C．Opportunity.

D．Masterpiece.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Important Emails: Send Them Quickly	B．Urgent Calls: Answer Them Immediately
C．Unfriendly People: Avoid Them Carefully	D．Unnecessary Messages: Ignore Them Directly

6 . Not much happens in the sleepy village of Colaton Raleigh, where almost half of the residents are retired, so local walkers were horrified when they discovered 100 ancient beech trees were cut down.

Residents in the east Devon community are saddened by the loss of the beloved trees, which were cut down by a government agency without consulting the community or council. They were located in a special conservation area and site of special scientific interest, and were home to lots of local plants and animals.

An application was made by a local landowner to the Forestry Commission, a branch of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It would not comment on individual cases, but said all decisions were taken in line with its standards. Alan Pearce, a local tree manager, said, “It certainly ought to be a fairly wide consultation because it’s part of our heritage. Once they’re gone you’re talking about 200 years to regrow. The stumps (树桩) look, nearly all of them, perfectly sound and solid. I can’t see they can say they were diseased or dying. We’re meant to be planting trees, not felling (砍) them.”

He said people were “absolutely horrified”, with one walker in tears over the felling, which he suggested may have been taken to improve grassland in the nearby field.

Resident Fiona Carroll said, “Many people walk in this area as it is part of a large expanse of heathland and they are at a loss as to why this has been allowed to happen. These were valuable landscape and wildlife trees situated along an extensive ancient Devon bank. The roots had grown into large supporting structures giving many a distinctive look.”

Ewan Macdonald, a research fellow at the University of Oxford, who studies how people engage with the environment, said he was not surprised the felling had caused such an emotional reaction because of the way people connected with trees. He said, “It highlights how intrinsically (内在地) bound up things like trees, the environment and conservation are with our culture.”

1. What happened in Colaton Raleigh?

A．Half of its residents retired from their jobs.

B．A government agency felled 100 ancient beech trees.

C．The Forestry Commission made an application to cut down trees.

D．The felling of the trees was done to improve their living conditions.

2. What can we know from the text?

A．The trees were cut down because of disease.

B．The local council didn’t approve of the application.

C．The local residents are eager to protect the environment.

D．The trees were cut down without consulting local villagers.

3. What’s Alan Pearce’s attitude to felling the trees?

A．Supportive.

B．Opposed.

C．Indifferent.

D．Doubtful.

4. Which of the following may Ewan Macdonald probably agree with?

A．Protecting trees is protecting our culture.

B．The felling of trees doesn’t cause emotional reactions.

C．The environment, conservation, and trees are closely linked to our culture.

D．People’s engagement with the environment has no influence on their emotions.

7 . As the weather shifts, many teenagers search for and purchase fashionable seasonal clothes, often from fast fashion sites. The potential effects of fast fashion are well-known, with the fashion supply chain ranking as the third-largest polluter in the world according to a 2021 report by the World Economic Forum.

Companies like Shein are accused of art theft and unfair treatment of employees. The modern fashion industry heavily relies on labor and treat workers not that well in underdeveloped countries due to globalization. The issue of ethical (合乎伦理的) consumption is complex, particularly among students who put affordability and accessibility in the first place over longevity when choosing clothes. Many think sustainable ethical brands are classist (有阶级偏见的) and that these companies often cater only to wealthy individuals, ignoring many others.

Even if teens don’t throw away their clothes as soon as trends end, there is still a sense of guilt associated with unintentionally supporting the growth of these companies for something as unimportant as fashion or beauty. However, those who buy from fast fashion brands out of necessity are not the ones causing the problem to continue. The concept of sustainability in fashion has been distorted (曲解) by those who use it to make the non-wealthy feel guilty for not participating in ethical consumption. Even purchasing from moral brands becomes unsustainable and fuels consumerism when overdone.

According to Forbes, teenagers are major consumers of TikTok, finding excitement in the platform’s ever-changing trends. Microtrends and fast-paced fashion cycles have transformed clothing into a single-use product. In the past, teens relied on celebrities and magazines for fashion inspiration; but with the rise of influencers and apps like TikTok, access to these previously exclusive fashion cycles has expanded. This accessibility and affordability require transformative change and accountability from appropriate institutions.

A re-examination of business and culture is necessary, and we should encourage small steps toward more intentional, reasonable shopping instead of punishing and policing those who shop for fast fashion out of necessity.

1. Why does the author mention Shein in paragraph 2?

A．To highlight the growing influence of fashin industry.

B．To accuse the company of causing pollution.

C．To show fast fashion companies' unethical practices.

D．To discuss the impact of globalization on fast fashion.

2. What do students consider first when buying clothes, according to the text?

A．Sustainability.	B．Brand popularity.
C．Design and quality.	D．Price and approachability.

3. What has transformed clothing into a single-use product?

A．The influence of celebrities.

B．Microtrends and rapidly changing styles.

C．The easy access to fashion magazines.

D．The unintentional support of consumerism.

4. Which of the following actions is favored according to the passage?

A．Supporting gradual actions toward reasonable shopping.

B．Carrying out strict regulations on all fashion brands.

C．Punishing those who throw away old-fashion clothes.

D．Promoting fast fashion as a sustainable alternative.

8 . The rate of childhood obesity in the U. S. has tripled over the past 50 years. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) made waves this year by recommending that doctors put obese kids as young as two years old on intensive, family-oriented lifestyle and behavior plans. It also suggested prescribing weight-loss drugs to children l2 and older and surgery to teens 13 and older. This advice reflects the organization’s adoption of a more active position on childhood obesity.

Yet the lifestyle programs the AAP recommends are expensive, inaccessible to most children and hard to maintain. Few weight-loss drugs have been approved for children. And surgery has potential risks and few long-term safety data. Furthermore, it’s not clear whether interventions in youngsters help to improve health or merely add to the psychological burden overweight kids face from the society.

Rather than paying close attention to numbers on a scale, the U. S. and countries with similar trends should focus on an underlying truth: we need to invest in more and safer places for children to play where they can move and run around, climb and jump, ride and skate.

Why is it so hard to get kids moving? Experts blame the problem on the privatization of sports — as public investment in school-based athletics dwindles, expensive private leagues have grown, leaving many kids out. In addition to fewer opportunities at school, researchers cite increased screen time and a lack of safe places for them to play outside the home. New York City, for example, had 2,067 public playgrounds as of 2019 — a very small amount for its large population. In Los Angeles in 2015, only 33 percent of youths lived within walking distance of a park.

Kids everywhere need more places to play. Public funding to build and keep up these areas is crucial, but other options such as shared-use agreements can make unused spaces available to the public. These opportunities aren’t primarily about changing children’s waistlines — they’re how we keep childhood healthy and fun.

1. What can we learn from the first two paragraphs?

A．Childhood obesity is well under control in recent years.

B．Weight-loss surgery are recommended to children 12 and older.

C．AAP plays a more active role in fighting against childhood obesity.

D．Expensive as it is, lifestyle programs are practical for most children.

2. The underlined word “dwindle” is closest in meaning to ______.

A．decline

B．quit

C．increase

D．develop

3. In the author’s opinion, what measures should be taken to create more safe areas?

A．Prepare fitness equipment at home.

B．Live within walking distance of a park.

C．Promote investment in private athletics.

D．Open up playgrounds when school’s out.

4. What’s the main idea of the text?

A．Sports play an important role in children’s growth.

B．More safe areas for outdoor fun are in urgent need.

C．Family-oriented lifestyles are crucial to children’s health.

D．Medical intervention is important to ease psychological burden.

9 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

While there is growing consumer     1     (realize) of the environmental impact of fast fashion, can the same be said about fast furniture? The chairs and tables that fill many of our homes and everyday spaces are manufactured on a mass scale, and the cheaper items often end up     2     landfills.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in 2020 over 12 million tons of furniture     3     (throw) out in America and some into the forest illegally. Buying furniture can be     4     (incredible) expensive. Many of us switch over to cheaper, instant brands like IKEA,     5     manufacturers use materials harder to recycle, which is likely to damage the environment.

With growing calls for sustainability, many brands are announcing to change though it remains     6     (see) whether they will keep these promises. In     7     (it) current sustainability strategy, IKEA commits itself to using only recyclable materials in all its products in an effort to practice “circular” design and cut emissions to net-zero. The concept of circular design     8     (win) increasing concern up to now. In     9     circular system, furniture products would be designed to last longer and be fully recyclable, thus forming a     10    (close) loop (环).

10 . The first wave of concerns over artificial intelligence(AI)in 2023 appeared soon after New Year’s Day when classrooms reopened and schools from Seattle to Paris started blocking ChatGPT, a powerful software based on AI large language models, because teenagers were using it to do their homework.

The AI large language models behind such products as ChatGPT work by repeatedly guessing the next word in a sentence after having “learned” the rules from a huge amount of/human-written works. Although they often get facts wrong, their answers appear so natural that Keven, their inventors begin to worry about their possible use for spreading false information.

People became more worried when various AI products started to create not just texts but novel images, music and human voices, which threatened the livelihoods of anyone who writes, draws or sings for a living. It led to strikes by Hollywood writers and actors and legal challenges from artists and bestselling authors. Some of the most respected scientists even warned that the technology’s unchecked progress was possibly threatening human existence. “In the longer term, they might manage our attention,” pioneering AI scientist Fei Fei Lisaid. “They would tell us which video to watch, which book to read or whose communication to respond as AI technology’s abilities improve rapidly. They could be a very good assistant, but also with really big risks.”

Li hoped that 2023 is going to be a year for people to think about what Al is, how to use it and what the effects are — all the good, the bad and the ugly.

“It’s easy to forget that they are not the first wave of AI products. Computer vision techniques developed by Li and other scientists have helped sort through a huge database of photos to recognize objects and individual faces and guide self-driving cars. Speech recognition advances have made voice assistants like Siri and Alexa a normal thing in many people’s lives,” said Tom Gruber, co-founder of Siri Inc.

1. Why did schools try to stop their students from using ChatGPT?

A．ChatGPT often got facts wrong in the class.

B．Students spent too much time on the software.

C．ChatGPT helped students spread false information.

D．Students used the software to cheat at their homework.

2. What are the second and third paragraphs mainly about?

A．AI’s training costs.	B．ATs amazing abilities.
C．AI’s possible threats.	D．AI’s fast developments.

3. What would Tom Gruber most probably suggest people do?

A．Think carefully about AI’s impact.	B．Welcome AI technology
C．Do use ChatGPT more carefully.	D．Upgrade ChatGPT in time.

4. Where is the text most probably taken from?

A．A news report.	B．A guide book to a software.
C．A product review.	D．An introduction to a person.