1 . Each year, more than 27 million U.S. and Canadian kids get to school by bus. Most of those buses run on diesel (柴油) fuel, which give out pollution that riders can take in. Pollution levels can be several times higher inside a diesel school bus than outside it. Why? Pollution can leak in from the floor or blow in through windows.

A U.S. government program started in 2012 offered schools’ money spent on cleaner school buses but not all schools could get it. Five years later, emissions from buses in the winning districts fell. And a year after getting new buses, student attendance had improved in those districts. For an average district of 10, 000 students, about six more students attended ‘school each day’ in the winning districts, compared to the losing districts. Winning schools with higher rates of bus-riding kids had an average of 14 more students in class each day. And winning districts that replaced the oldest school buses? They had an average of 45 more students in school each day.

Those numbers may sound small, but they add up. And school attendance matters for student achievement. Almost 3 million U. S. kids ride school buses more than 20 years old. If U. S. school districts had replaced all of those older buses, there would have been 1. 3 million fewer student absences each year.

There might be other reasons for better attendance. For example, maybe kids preferred new buses. However, the most-likely reason for fewer student absences was better health. A study done on adults showed that a brief exposure to diesel emissions reduced “network connectivity” in the brain. In other studies, such network-connectivity changes have been linked to worsened memory and mental tasks. A Washington State program upgraded pollution controls in old diesel buses. Afterward, fewer kids were hospitalized in those districts than in schools without bus upgrades.

Almost all U. S. school districts can apply for the program. But schools in low-income areas, in tribal areas and, in rural areas will get priority. Kids in these areas tend to face the most health risks from older buses.

1. What can we infer about diesel school buses from the first paragraph?

A．They have a short service life.

B．They operate cost-effectively.

C．They accommodate few passengers.

D．They do much harm to school children.

2. Why is the increase in school attendance small but important?

A．It is a long accumulation.	B．It is a winning condition.
C．It is a measuring standard.	D．It is a student achievement.

3. How does the bus replacement bring better student attendance?

A．By reducing the network connectivity.

B．By bettering the health state of students.

C．By improving student satisfaction with schools.

D．By meeting students’ demand for school bus drivers.

4. What does the text mainly talk about?

A．The “network connectivity” in the brain.

B．The great work on cleaner school buses.

C．A U. S. government program for education.

D．Better attendance due to new school buses.

2 . Australian teenagers are missing important, basic kitchen skills and it’s having a negative influence on their health. It’s also leading our next generation towards increased rates of obesity (肥胖), according to the findings of a new survey.

A national survey of 1,006 parents found that close to half of all 12 to 18 years old teenagers can’t boil an egg; 1 in 5 only have kitchen skills that allow them to pour milk on cereal; 42%can’t boil noodles; 83.9%don’t know how to roast a chicken; 60.1 percent can’t bake a potato.

Research company Pureprofile asked parents to judge how well their kids could perform in the kitchen across some tasks. More than half (67.3%) of parents believe their children could do better when it comes to healthy food and lifestyle knowledge. Close to half of parents (42.5%) believe poor food choices are caused by lack of education at middle school, with 9 in 10 parents in support of schools doing more to encourage a healthy lifestyle.

Miriam Raleigh, an expert on the relationship between food and health, said she was already seeing a generation of young parents who had “no idea how to cook”. “They depend on convenience meals and easy snacks, and those foods often have a higher fat and salt content which can lead to obesity and a lot of health problems,” Ms Raleigh said.

The school’s Kitchen Garden program founder, Stephanie Alexander, said that if more was not done to improve the situation we would be heading towards a generation of fatter and more unhealthy kids. Ms Alexander also said she would introduce her Kitchen Garden program into middle schools so teenagers can learn the art of cooking food.

“I’m so proud of what we have achieved in the primary school and I really believe we can have the same success in middle schools,” she said.

1. What did the national survey find about Australian teenagers?

A．They eat unhealthy food.	B．They are poor at cooking.
C．They like convenience meals.	D．They are interested in cooking.

2. What’s the function of paragraph 2?

A．Explaining the reasons.	B．Providing the data.
C．Making comparisons.	D．Giving examples.

3. What did Miriam Raleigh try to express?

A．Her worry about the unhealthy lifestyle.

B．Her concern in young parents’ education.

C．The way to reduce obesity in young people.

D．The need to improve everyone’s cooking skills.

4. What is the purpose of this passage?

A．To teach teenagers cooking.	B．To care about teenagers’ health.
C．To improve school education.	D．To promote a cooking program.

4 . As you read this, pause to reflect on your recent interactions. As a politician, husband, and father, I encounter various spoken language styles: analytical or chatty, formal or informal, pointed or gentle, cooperative or decisive. Talk is the currency of politics. It is our way of negotiating, debating, and persuading. Talk is also the currency of learning-how we develop our ideas, deepen our thinking and share our feelings.

That’s why I want speaking skills, sometimes called “oracy”, to play an important part in Labor’s plans for a reformed school curriculum (课程).

Employers value speaking skills equally with reading and writing. The ability to speak well and express yourself should be something every child should master. But the curriculum doesn’t allow us to provide this. This is short-sighted. An inability to express your thoughts fluently is a key barrier to getting on and doing well in life.

Oracy is in part about good public speaking and debating skills, but in reality, it’s about teaching young people to make strong arguments, choose wise words, understand their audience, form meaningful social connections, and use facial expressions and body language to convey their message. Above all else it’s about finding your voice. To work out who you are and what you believe. If reading opens up a world of imagination and possibility, then speaking and listening opens up a lifetime of empowerment-a chance for those who feel invisible in their own country to be heard. It is about the confidence to speak out, to call out injustice or harm.

And the other side of speaking is listening, which can also be taught. Listening, truly listening, develops tolerance and understanding. And as parents we can play our part. We’ve all been there, at mealtimes, silent as we all stare at our devices. Our job, all of ours, is to get off our screens and give young people, and adults, the gift of listening.

So, oracy―speaking and listening―needs to be placed firmly at the heart of school life.

1. How does talk help a politician?

A．It deepens his wishful thinking.

B．It enhances his analytical skills.

C．It strengthens persuasive power.

D．It provides emotional support.

2. Why does the author suggest a reform in the British school curriculum?

A．Employers underestimate the value of speaking.

B．Academic pressure makes students poor-sighted.

C．Spoken language is regarded as least important.

D．Oracy should deserve more attention at school.

3. How does the author illustrate his argument in paragraph 4?

A．By sharing different opinions.

B．By clarifying the definition.

C．By describing personal experiences.

D．By employing the concept.

4. What are parents advised to do?

A．Set a good example for their children.

B．Balance screen time and mealtime.

C．Have oral face-to-face communication.

D．Disconnect from the virtual world.

5 . The mushrooming video screens in buses, taxis and apartment halls in cities like Shanghai are taking away our already rare resource: a place for a moment of peace. Taking a nap or reading a book on buses is less pleasant now, as the LCD screens broadcast news, entertainment and advertisements at unbearable volumes.

You pay the bus fare simply to get a ride—undisturbed—but now you are exposed to this “added value”, whether you like it or not. If it’s a crowded bus, the noise is even more exasperating. More and more Chinese cities have joined Shanghai, regarded as the first to put video screens on buses, disturbing millions of passengers.

Some may like to watch programme aired on buses or in apartment halls. But those who don’t should be equally respected. Because of the bus screens, students cannot focus on reviewing their lessons or preparing for a test. People who like to read or reflect feel unsettled by the noise. Youngsters who like to listen to music on their iPods must increase the volume to fight against the competing audio. If you already feel stressed after a busy day, the bus video advertising certainly increase the tension of both your muscles and nervous system. Bus drivers are surely the worst victims because they have to bear it at least eight hours a day, non-stop.

A high public tolerance for noise pollution has helped bus video advertisers to expand their businesses. But opposition has already started to make its voice heard. Some people have already accused bus companies of breaking their contracts, since their obligation is only to deliver passengers to their destinations.

Shanghai, as a world-class city, should set an example for the country. It should first adopt world-class behavior in its massive public transportation system to return the public a peaceful place.

1. What does the underlined word “exasperating” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．Entertaining.

B．Encouraging.

C．Disappointing.

D．Annoying.

2. Who are influenced most heavily by the video screens according to Paragraph 3?

A．Students.

B．Bus drivers.

C．Youngsters.

D．Office employees.

3. What does the public tolerance for noise pollution cause?

A．More use of public transport.

B．An increase in bus video advertising.

C．More complaints about bus companies.

D．Lower public awareness of consumer rights.

4. What’s the author’s attitude to the video screens in the public?

A．Opposed.

B．Unclear.

C．Supportive.

D．Indifferent.

6 . We humans are comparison creatures.     1     This quality may have evolved as a means of helping us fit into the social hierarchy (等级) of the cultures we inhabited. Regardless of the reasons, social comparison plays a significant role in how we view and evaluate ourselves, and how we interact with our world.

It used to be that our primary reference of comparison was our local communities, primarily neighbors and co-workers. Because we tend to gather around those similar to ourselves in terms of educational level, work income, and shared interests, the range of differences when we compared ourselves to others was fairly small. Unfortunately, with the emergence of the Internet, we can now compare ourselves to literally anyone in the world.     2     What had in previous generations been a small gap in our comparisons has now become so large and unattainable.

    3     When so many people that are easily discoverable on the Internet seem to be so successful. famous, influential and beautiful, given our preference to compare, it is difficult not to have it influence how we view ourselves. Sadly, these comparisons usually result in our feeling inadequate and “less than”.

These harmful comparisons also damage our emotional lives. When we feel lacking, we experience a variety of unpleasant and unhealthy emotions. We feel jealousy and envy for what others have and what we lack.     4    

It’s one thing to realize that you compare yourself to others. It’s another thing to recognize that social comparison is often corrosive (逐步侵蚀的) to you in so many ways psychologically and emotionally. It’s an entirely other thing to stop yourself from comparing yourself to others.     5    

A．We are constantly measuring ourselves against other people.

B．Yet it is possible, and it is worth the effort for your mental health.

C．Thus, we are now exposed to groups that are quite different from us.

D．We believe that there is something wrong with us compared to others.

E．We can even feel bitterness and anger at others for the unfairness of it all.

F．Comparing ourselves to others has the potential to increase our life experience.

G．This new level of comparison has huge implications for our psychological lives.

8 . Imagine looking through 3.7 million outfits online in search of just the right fit. Sounds like an impossible task, doesn’t it? Not anymore — artificial intelligence (AI) stylists make such a task possible.

An AI stylist is a computer algorithm (算法) that can put together outfits. It works by scouring the internet in a very similar way to the Google search engine. The program searches for clothing images on fashion blogs, online stores and social media, collecting thousands of outfits created by human stylists. The program can also “read” text and pick out important details about each article of clothing. Both the images and text are stored in a data set from which the AI stylist makes fashion suggestions for people based on their personal preferences.

An AI stylist can collect tens of thousands of outfits to display to millions of shoppers online. This data set of outfits is constantly updated and controlled by a team of people. The team helps the computer improve the algorithms which in turn helps the AI stylist put together better outfits for a customer.

An AI stylist displays outfits and fittings based on a customer’s desires, but it can also suggest things that may be a little out of the customer’s comfort zone. People are often willing to try something new if they are following styling advice.

An AI stylist can run into trouble when people of different cultures use it. What is trendy in Asia can be very different from what is fashionable in Europe. AI stylists keep up with the latest trends in different countries and then change the program for different regions. Companies can create a set of guidelines for the AI stylist to use, which can be adjusted by country to reflect preferences for different styles.

An Al stylist must also keep up with “fashion rules”. For example, big-sleeved tops do not go with skinny fit blazers. It is difficult for the AI stylist to recognize “rules” like these. So a different AI model that can recognize the cut, style and color of garments adds that information to the database.

AI stylists have been tested against real stylists and fashion influencers and have received positive feedback. Maybe someday we won’t put together an outfit without using our AI consultant first.

1. How can an AI stylist choose the suitable outfit from plentiful ones?

A．By its reading abilities.	B．By its supporting team.
C．By its powerful algorithm.	D．By its connection to the internet.

2. Why does an AI stylist recommend slightly different styles from the users’ familiar ones?

A．Because the algorithms need updating.

B．Because AI stylists are testing customers’ feedback.

C．Because people usually accept professional suggestions.

D．Because AI stylists have not read the users’ preferences.

3. What problem might AI stylists have?

A．They may fall behind the fashion.

B．They cannot be accessible in some countries.

C．They cannot recognize the styles of some clothes.

D．They may be unable to understand some fashion rules.

4. Which of the following words best describes the future of AI stylists?

A．Uncertain.

B．Doubtful.

C．Predictable.

D．Promising.

5. What is the most suitable title for the passage?

A．AI VS. Humans	B．How to Choose a Proper AI
C．AI: Changing How You Look	D．Warning: AI Replacing Stylists

9 . Two and a half millennia ago, Socrates complained that writing would harm students. With a way to store ideas permanently and externally, they would no longer need to memorize. However, studies today have found that writing on paper can improve everything from recalling a random series of words to better understanding complex concepts.

For learning material by repetition, the benefits of using a pen or pencil lie in how the motor and sensory memory of putting words on paper reinforces that material. The scribbling (涂鸦) on a page feeds into visual memory: people might remember a word they wrote down in French class as being at the bottom-left on a page.

One of the best-demonstrated advantages of writing by hand seems to be in note-taking. Students typing on computers wrote down almost twice as many words directly from lectures, suggesting they were not understanding so much as rapidly copying the material. However, handwriting forces note-takers to process and organize ideas into their own words. This aids conceptual understanding at the moment of writing, resulting in better performance on tests.

Many studies have confirmed handwriting’s benefits, and policymakers have taken note. Though America’s curriculum from 2010 does not require handwriting instruction past first grade (roughly age six), about half the states since then have required more teaching of it. In Sweden there is a push for more handwriting and printed books and fewer devices. England’s national curriculum already includes the teaching of basic cursive writing (连写体) skills by age seven.

However, several school systems in America have gone so far as to ban most laptops. This is too extreme. Some students have disabilities that make handwriting especially hard. Nearly all will eventually need typing skills. Virginia Berninger, professor of psychology at the University of Washington, is a longtime advocate of handwriting. But she is not a purist; she says there are research tested benefits for “manuscript” print-style writing but also for typing.

Socrates may or may not have had a point about the downsides of writing. But no one would remember, much less care, if his student Plato had not noted it down for the benefit of future generations.

1. According to the text, why does writing on paper have benefits for learning?

A．It provides visual enjoyment in class.

B．It improves the effect of memorization.

C．It promotes the motor and sensory ability.

D．It helps to remember the information forever.

2. How does the author show the emphasis on handwriting instruction at school?

A．By giving examples.	B．By providing statistics.
C．By making comparisons.	D．By making classification.

3. What is paragraph 5 mainly about?

A．Difficulties faced by the disabled.

B．Unreasonableness of forbidding typing.

C．The research-tested benefits of typing.

D．The longtime advocacy for handwriting.

4. Why does the writer mention Socrates and Plato in the last paragraph?

A．To thank Plato for his efforts.

B．To defend Socrates’ point of view.

C．To show people’s indifference to typing.

D．To confirm the importance of handwriting.

10 . On October 20th comes “Killers of the Flower Moon” from the director Martin Scorsese. At nearly three and a half hours, its length is nearly double that of the average film last year. Even movie fans struggle to concentrate for that long. During the premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May, some viewers dozed off. Afterwards there was a mad dash (and long queue) for the toilets. When did watching a film become such a labor?

Film-makers started producing long-lasting movies at a rapid pace in the early 1960s. Cinema was booming and filmmakers wanted to distinguish their art from television. Epics surpassing the three-and-a-half hour mark graced the silver screen. Back then, audiences enjoyed an interval while the projectionist prepared the reels for the next act. Runtimes of popular films experienced ups and downs over subsequent decades. But they have ballooned since 2018.

Movie series is one driver of this trend. Studios want to squeeze the most out of their costly intellectual property, but they are competing with streaming platforms for eyeballs. The hope is that a spectacular, drawn-out blockbuster (大片) will tempt audiences away from the small screen and into cinemas. This approach has often paid off: “Avengers: Endgame” (2019), which showcased Marvel superheroes remarkably with a runtime of three hours, achieved the highest box office revenue among all films in that year.

Anything that attracts people away from their sofas to see a film in theatres is good news for cinemas. But lengthy runtimes also pose a “fundamental problem”, complains Clare Binns of Picturehouse, a British cinema group and film distributor. Long movies can mean abandoning two showings per night, which hurts ticket sales and profits.

Another explanation for longer films has to do with directors’ growing influence. Who would dare tell the likes of Mr Nolan to shorten his masterpieces? Streamers, which do not have to worry as much about concision because viewers can pause whenever they like, may attract big names with deep pockets and promises of creative freedom. “Killers of the Flower Moon” will debut on AppleTV+ after its theatrical release.

1. What can we learn from paragraph 1?

A．Movie fans tend to have a dislike for long movies.

B．Movie theaters should provide adequate restrooms.

C．The average movie fan cannot focus for over three hours.

D．Long movies affect audience engagement and physical comfort.

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

A．Expanded with air.	B．Made great profits.
C．Enjoyed great popularity	D．Increased rapidly in length.

3. Why does the author mention the movie “Avengers: Endgame”?

A．To demonstrate the trend of longer movies.

B．To highlight the success of Marvel series.

C．To illustrate the strong appeal of movie series.

D．To emphasize the studio-streaming platform contest.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．Movie Marathons: Past and Present	B．Long Movies: Impacts and Reasons
C．Filmmaking: Challenges and Rewards	D．Streaming Platforms: Promising and Profitable