閱讀理解 + 閱讀七選五

（一）

閱讀理解

A

Frances Stevens Reese Woodland Trail Guide

The Woodland Trail was opened to the public on October 21， 1997. Boscobel’s Board of Directors adopted a formal decision of naming the Woodland Trail in honor of the former Boscobel Board member， Frances Stevens Reese （1917—2003）， one year after her death.

The trail is about 10 miles in length， leading down to Constitution Forest. When the West Point Glass Factory was operating during the Civil War， trees for miles around were cleared to provide firewood. Walking out of the forest， you will find a large mass of native hard rock about three billion years old.

Throughout this country path， you will find many birds and plants local to this region. You will also find signs with historical and environmental information written by area specialists.

When you take a walk through this “undiscovered” forest land， please be a considerate （體貼的） guest.

· Before walking along the trail， please buy a pass in the Carriage House. Plan ahead， so you will be back by closing time.

· Follow the trail markers and remain on the trail. Besides protecting the fragile forest ecosystem， you will reduce the risk of getting hurt by poisonous plants and snakes.

· Leave rocks， plants， animals and artworks where you see them so that the person behind you can have the same experience.

· Carry out whatever you carry in because there are no rubbish containers on the trail. If you happen to see a piece of litter， be a good guest and pick it up.

1. When was the trail named to honor Frances Stevens Reese？

A. In 1918. B. In 1997. C. In 2002. D. In 2004.

2. What can you see along the trail？

A. An old battle field. B. A glass factory. C. Information signs. D. Rock houses.

3. What should you do to be a considerate visitor？

A. Leave the wildlife where it is. B. Throw the rubbish into the bins.

C. Book a ticket in the Carriage House. D. Protect the markers of the trail.

B

Fou Ts’ong， a Chinese-born pianist， was known for his sensitive interpretations of Chopin， Debussy and Mozart. As a lover of classical music from a young age， Mr Fou began taking piano lessons when he was 7. Mr Fou made his first stage appearance in 1952. The concert caught the attention of officials in Beijing， who selected him to compete and tour in Eastern Europe. Mr Fou soon moved to Poland， where he studied at the Warsaw Conservatory on a scholarship. To prepare for the fifth Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1955， he practiced so diligently that he hurt his fingers and was nearly cut from the first round of the competition.

Mr Fou was one of the first Chinese pianists to achieve global prominence when he took the third place in the International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1955. He also won a special prize for his performance of Chopin’s mazurkas. Almost overnight， he became a national hero. To China， Mr Fou’s recognition in a well-known international competition was proof that the country could stand on its own artistically in the West. Chinese reporters flocked to interview Mr Fou， while many others sought out his father， Fu Lei， for advice on child-rearing.

In 1981， a volume of letters written by his father， primarily to Mr Fou， was published in China. Full of advice， encouragement， life teachings and strict paternal love， the book Fu Lei’s Family Letters became a best-seller in China. Besides influencing a generation of Chinese， Mr Fu’s words resonated （共鳴） long after his death with the person for whom they were intended.

“My father had a saying that ‘First you must be a person， then an artist， and then a musician， and only then can you be a pianist.’” Mr Fou once recalled in an interview. “Even now， I believe in this order—that it should be this way and that I am this way.”

4. What can we learn about Fou from Paragraph 1？

A. He competed and toured in Beijing. B. He first performed on the stage at 7.

C. He made great efforts for competitions. D. He started learning music in Eastern Europe.

5. Why does Fou’s global recognition mean a lot to China？

A. It earns Chinese art a place in the West. B. It helps to spread Chinese culture.

C. It proves Chinese people’s talent for music. D. It enables Chinese art education to be recognized.

6. What does the underlined word “they” in Paragraph 3 refer to？

A. Young Chinese. B. Mr Fu’s words.

C. Fou and his family. D. Readers of Fu Lei’s Family Letters.

7. What is Mr Fu’s idea in the last paragraph？

A. It is a long process to achieve success in art. B. It requires various qualities to be a pianist.

C. Art is an essential part of one’s life. D. Talent is important for a pianist.

C

According to the statistics shared by UNESCO， at least 43% of the total languages that are estimated as being spoken across the world are in danger of extinction. Moreover， many languages around the world have less than 1，000 speakers now. Linguists （語言學(xué)家） and researchers believe that by the end of the century， at least half of the world’s languages will have died. This is troublesome， given that cultural identity and languages go hand in hand.

Language activists and people who speak these endangered languages are fighting back.Scientists believe that digitization （數(shù)字化） might be our only hope to preserve some of these quickly disappearing languages in the online world.

For instance， Oxford University Press launched Oxford Global Languages a few years ago. It is an initiative that boosts （推動） “digitally underrepresented” languages. They are focused on promoting languages that might have close to a million speakers worldwide， yet have little or no online presence. Therefore， they have been creating digital dictionaries as a fundamental building block to help preserve them.

There have been countless other projects like this with the same aim. Another is the Rosetta Project， which aims to create a handheld digital library that will carry more than 1，500 languages. It will be properly sized to fit nicely into our hands， and will come with around 13，000 pages of information. It will also have a high life expectancy of anywhere between 2，000 and 10，000 years.Initiatives like these have their primary objective to ensure the preservation of local languages long after their speakers have died.

Countless languages are dying every day， and they will continue to perish as the remaining speakers die. Of course， we cannot merely rely on digitization to deal with worldwide languages loss. However， it is a step in the right direction. These digital tools offer endangered languages an opportunity to bounce back and survive.

8. What does the data in Paragraph 1 mainly show？

A. Many languages are endangered.

B. Culture determines language evolution.

C. Human development results in fewer languages.

D. Linguists are trying to protect endangered languages.

9. What does Oxford Global Languages try to do？

A. Offer online courses of local languages.

B. Publish paper dictionaries of global languages.

C. Increase dying language speakers to a million.

D. Make certain languages available in digital form.

10. What can we learn about the handheld digital library？

A. It will carry little information. B. It will exist for a long time.

C. It will involve 1，500 languages. D. It will be hard to be put into use.

11. Which can replace the underlined word “perish” in the last paragraph？

A. Be enriched. B. Be lost. C. Be acquired. D. Be presented.

D

Kirsten Coates knows what it’s like to spend a lot of time mowing her lawn （修剪草坪）.

So she made her lawn smaller to make way for 30 trees. The idea was to have more plants and animals around her house and to reduce harmful gases.

You don’t have to look far to find Australians who love taking care of their grass and enjoying the sensation of it under their feet. It’s a point of pride for many neighborhoods， and some local governments even hold competitions for “best lawn”.

All the same， Ms Coates is not the only one trying to reduce the hold the lawn and the lawnmower have on our gardens and cultural life.

Community and local government group Gardens for Wildlife encourage landowners to reshape their land to better coexist with native plants and animals.

Howard Bridgman， an honorary professor in environmental science at the University of Newcastle， says people like Ms Coates have the right idea. “Gas-driven lawnmowers contribute to the emission （排放） of pollutants， although the effect is relatively small. In recent times， electric mowers have become increasingly popular， greatly reducing emissions. However， it’s important to note that they can still create dust particles （塵粒） that may lead to breathing problems，” Howard said.

His advice is to reduce lawn size and use an electric mower—and not too often.

But for Suzie Shearer， director of Coolabah Turf in Echuca， the lawn is connected with healthy living.

“I cannot imagine living in a world without green space，” Suzie said. “Lawns are also a great way to get kids to spend less time on screens and more time outdoors.”

Even so， she has no regrets about the lawn she’s removed.

“My bird population has greatly increased. It has given me more chances to see birds and reduced the stress of keeping the lawn alive during dry periods. It’s a win-win situation，” she said.

12. What does the lawn mean to Australians？

A. It brings the communities together. B. It is a space where kids can play.

C. It symbolizes wealth to them. D. It brings them a sense of pride.

13. What does Howard think of mowing the lawn？

A. It costs a lot of money. B. It takes too much time.

C. It harms our environment and health. D. It calls for more advanced lawnmowers.

14. How does Suzie probably feel about removing part of her lawn？

A. Bored. B. Satisfied. C. Regretful. D. Worried.

15. What is the best title for the text？

A. Mowing Lawns Less Often B. Lose the Lawn， or Just Reduce It？

C. Healthy Lawn， Healthy Environment D. Reducing Lawns for a Greener World

閱讀七選五

Lots of people find it hard to get up in the morning， and put the blame on the alarm clock. In fact， the key to easy morning wake-up lies in resetting your body clock. 16 Here’s how to make one.

Find the right motivation （動力）. In order to make a change， you need to decide why it’s important. Do you want to get up in time to have breakfast with your family， get in some exercise， or just be better prepared for your day？ 17

Rethinking mornings. Now that you know why you want to wake up， consider rearranging your morning activities. If you want time to have breakfast with your family， save some time the night before by setting out clothes， shoes， and bags. Maybe you have a coffee habit for breakfast. 18 That’s a quarter-hour more you could be sleeping if you buy a coffee maker with a timer.

Keep your sleep/wake schedule on weekends. 19 But compensating （彌補） on the weekends actually feeds into your sleepiness the following week， a recent study found. Stick to your set bedtime and wake-up time， no matter what day it is.

20 Keep track of your efforts and write down how you feel. After you’ve tried a new method for a week， take a look at your record. If the steps you take are working， keep them up. If not， take another look at other methods you could try.

A. A better plan for sleep can help.

B. Keep a record and evaluate it weekly.

C. Reduce the time you spend on the way to school.

D. Resetting your body clock is sometimes difficult.

E. Reconsider the 15 minutes you spend in line to get coffee.

F. Once you are clear about it， tell your family about the change you want to make.

G. If you’re tired out by Friday night， sleeping in on Saturday could sound wonderful.

16. "17. "18. "19. "20.

（二）

閱讀理解

A

Pop Art， which emerged in the 1950s and rose in popularity throughout the 1960s， sought to challenge the idea of fine art.

Andy Warhol （1928—1987）

Andy Warhol is probably the most influential figure of Pop Art. He became a famous celebrity himself. Understanding “star-culture”， advertisement and the effect of the media， he made these the core of his work. His screen-printed images of Marilyn Monroe， Campbell’s Soup Cans， and sensational newspaper stories， quickly became synonymous （密不可分的） with Pop Art.

Roy Lichtenstein （1923—1997）

Roy Lichtenstein is one of the fathers of the Pop Art movement. In November 2015， Christie’s sold Lichtenstein’s Nurse for a record about $95.4 million. In this piece， as well as in other works， we can see how the enlarged imagery of adverts and comics with recognizable characters， highlights the ironic （諷刺的） images and situations in everyday life.

Mimmo Rotella （1918—2006）

Italian artist Mimmo Rotella， was one of the most important figures of post-war European art. He combined pieces of adverts and posters in his works. For this technique he used a series of torn posters， gathering them to create a tremendously expressive and powerful aesthetic （美感）. His works Marilyn and Viva America are easy to recognize.

James Rosenquist （1933—2017）

James Rosenquist can be considered one of the strongest and most influential modern Pop Art artists. His work dived deep into cinematography and advertising. He employed techniques which are conventionally used to create commercial art. His works appear as an overwhelming mixture of fragmented （零碎的） images of current celebrities， everyday objects and popular foods—giant lipsticks or spaghetti. If you go to the Center Pompidou， Paris， you can see his work President-Elect.

1. What artwork will you turn to if you are interested in Andy Warhol？

A. Nurse. B. Marilyn Monroe. C. Viva America. D. President-Elect.

2. Who creates his works by putting together cut and torn posters？

A. Andy Warhol. B. Roy Lichtenstein. C. Mimmo Rotella. D. James Rosenquist.

3. What do the four Pop Art artists’ works have in common？

A. They are typical fine art. B. They show ironic everyday life.

C. They employ traditional techniques. D. They are somewhat related to commercials.

B

Jennifer Mauer has needed more willpower than the typical college student to pursue （追求） her goal of earning a nursing degree. That willpower bore fruit when Jennifer graduated from University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and became the first in her large family to earn a bachelor’s degree.

Mauer， of Edgar， Wisconsin， grew up on a farm in a family of 10 children. Her dad worked at a job away from the farm， and her mother ran the farm with the kids. After high school， Jennifer attended a local technical college， working to pay her tuition （學(xué)費）， because there was no extra money set aside for a college education. After graduation， she worked to help her sisters and brothers pay for their schooling.

Jennifer now is married and has three children of her own. She decided to go back to college to advance her career and to be able to better support her family while doing something she loves： nursing. She chose the UW-Eau Claire program at Ministry Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Marshfield because she was able to pursue her four-year degree close to home. She could drive to class and be home in the evening to help with her kids. Jennifer received great support from her family as she worked to earn her degree： Her husband worked two jobs to cover the bills， and her 68-year-old mother helped take care of the children at times.

Through it all， she remained in good academic standing and graduated with honors. Jennifer sacrificed （犧牲） to achieve her goal， giving up many nights with her kids and missing important events to study. “Some nights my heart was breaking to have to pick between my kids and studying for exams or papers，” she says. However， her children have learned an important lesson seeing their mother earn her degree. Jennifer is a first-generation graduate and an inspiration to her family and that’s pretty powerful.

4. What did Jennifer do after high school？

A. She helped her dad with his work. B. She ran the family farm on her own.

C. She supported herself through college. D. She taught her sisters and brothers at home.

5. Why did Jennifer choose the program at Ministry Saint Joseph’s Hospital？

A. To take care of her kids easily. B. To learn from the best nurses.

C. To save money for her parents. D. To find a well-paid job there.

6. What did Jennifer sacrifice to achieve her goal？

A. Her health. B. Her fame.

C. Her time with family. D. Her chance for a better job.

7. What can we learn from Jennifer’s story？

A. Time is money. B. Hard work pays off.

C. Love breaks down barriers. D. Education is the key to success.

C

A study has found that a lifetime of regular exercise and activity can slow down the aging process and a life of movement and exercise may help us live longer and healthier.

For their study， the researchers looked at two groups. The first group was made up of 125 non-professional cyclists between the ages of 55 and 79. This group included 84 healthy men and 41 healthy women. We will call this group the “cyclists”.

Researchers then found 130 people to make up a second group. Within this group， 75 people were aged from 57 to 80. The other 55 were between the ages of 20 to 36. The people in this group were also healthy， but they didn’t exercise regularly. We will call this group the “non-exercisers”. Smokers， heavy drinkers of alcohol and people with other health problems were not included in the study.

Then， researchers gave both groups a series of tests. They tested their muscle mass （肌肉質(zhì)量）， muscular strength， percentages of body fat and the strength of their immune systems （免疫系統(tǒng)）. Then the researchers compared the results of the two groups.

Results showed that the cyclists didn’t experience body changes usually regarded as a normal aging process. For example， they didn’t lose muscle mass or muscular strength. Also， their body fat didn’t increase with age. The researchers also found something they had not expected. The study showed that the immune systems of the cyclists didn’t age either. The researchers advised us all to find an exercise that we like in our lives.

8. What do the participants have in common？

A. They are strong. B. They are old. C. They are healthy. D. They are active.

9. What do the researchers want to know about the participants？

① Their immune systems. " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " "② Their blood pressure.

③ Their fat content. " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " "④ The situation about their muscle.

A. ①②④ B. ①②③ C. ①③④ D. ②③④

10. What was an unexpected result to the researchers？

A. The cyclists’ body fat didn’t increase. " B. The cyclists had a normal aging process.

C. The cyclists didn’t lose muscular strength. D. The cyclists’ immune systems changed little.

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

A. Cycling—The Best Way to Exercise

B. Healthy People Need More Exercise

C. Take Exercise—The More， the Better

D. Lifetime Exercise Slows Down the Aging Process

D

It’s not often that I am able to recommend a book for children and adults， but Kira and a Dog Named Money is definitely a good and important read for both you and your parents. Kira and a Dog Named Money， by German financial coach Bodo Sch?fer， is the first book about money written for children. It was published in 2000 and has sold millions of copies around the world.

The book is about a 12-year-old girl called Kira， who doesn’t get a lot of pocket money， but wastes all she has buying dolls and other childish things. Her parents are always short of money， and have many arguments about it. So finances are not something Kira likes talking about. But one day， she rescues a dog， and to show his thanks， the dog tells Kira that he is able to talk. Strangely， he knows all about finances and understands things like funds and investments （投資）， so he teaches Kira， her friends and family—and us， the reader—how to make money， how to save it and how to invest it.

So what is the financial advice that the dog Money gives to readers of the book？ Money says that every time you earn money， you should divide it into three parts. You should keep one part for everyday spending， put one part in your savings accounts for your future dreams and then treat the third part as a “golden goose”—an investment.

This is a must-read， and a great educational book for children learning to manage their pocket money.

12. What can we learn about the book from Paragraph 1？

A. It was written by a child. B. It was published 30 years ago.

C. It is very popular worldwide. D. It focuses on teaching Germany.

13. How did Kira get the dog Money？

A. She bought it. B. She saved it by accident.

C. She got it from her parents. D. She exchanged her dolls for it.

14. What does dog Money’s financial advice mean？

A. Manage money wisely. B. Don’t waste pocket money.

C. Save money as much as possible. D. Don’t spend money on one thing.

15. What is the text？

A. A diary. B. A book review. C. A children’s story. D. A financial report.

閱讀七選五

Everybody has gone through bad days， and some bad days make us feel the world is on our shoulders and we just can’t bear the weight of it any longer. 16 Consider the following ways when you are experiencing the worst day of your life.

Reflect.

When you have the worst day of your life， turning to reflection can remove any bad mood. Some feel relieved when they find a quiet place and time to reflect on the day’s events. 17 The point of the quiet time is to release the bad mood of your day.

Reach out to others.

18 Sometimes this might mean seeking professional help if you are in a state of depression （抑郁）， or it might simply mean talking to a well-trusted friend. Whomever you choose to reach out to， open up so that the bad mood doesn’t beat you.

Change your mental state.

Sometimes it is just a matter of turning them into active thoughts. 19 Once you are able to do that， you will see that it really was not the worst day ever after all.

20

To deal with the worst day， you can set goals for yourself to make changes， so that you will turn it into a growth experience which moves you forward rather than holds you back. What could you do differently if this situation might happen again？ Setting goals makes you forward.

A. Set goals.

B. Love yourself.

C. You can make it sooner or later.

D. Sometimes it needs a change in your mental state to overcome it.

E. When you are feeling bad， you need to reach out to others for help.

F. There are ways to remove those feelings and breathe fresh air again.

G. Others like to spend time writing in journals to express their feelings.

16. "17. "18. "19. "20.

（三）

閱讀理解

A

Many people travel to Europe to see its famous monuments like the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Colosseum in Rome. Actually， Europe has more to offer than lots of old churches and ancient history. You can enjoy some fun in the sun at some of the famous beaches of the continent.

Dubrovnik， Croatia

There’s nothing more attractive than the beautiful beaches bordering Dubrovnik， Croatia’s most beautiful city. It’s surrounded by stone walls like a castle. It almost makes you feel like you’re suntanning （日光浴） at Hogwarts， where the hero Harry Potter of the story is trained！

Sicily， Italy

Rabbit Beach on the island of Sicily offers shallow and crystal clear waters， making it a perfect beach for families with young children. And if you want to add interest to your experience， try snorkeling （徒手潛水）.

Nice， France

Lined with palm trees and first-class hotels， the city of Nice， located on the French Riviera， offers a whole coastline of Mediterranean beaches. Because they’re in the heart of the city， these beaches attract a large crowd. So if you’re looking for something more private， you’ll have to travel a few miles outside of the city center.

Ribadeo， Spain

At low tide， Playa de las Catedrales in Ribadeo， Spain is the perfect beach to take in the natural wonders without urban amusements like restaurants， bars or huge crowds. It boasts （自豪地擁有） beautiful wild flowers and unique rock formations， making it truly a picture worthy.

1. What is special about Dubrovnik？

A. It is surrounded by stone walls. B. It has the most attractive coastline.

C. It offers chance to try snorkeling. D. It is the training center of Harry Potter.

2. If you plan to go to a beach in the city， where should you go？

A. Dubrovnik. B. Sicily. C. Nice. D. Ribadeo.

3. What do the four beaches have in common？

A. They have beautiful wild flowers. B. They are famous European beaches.

C. They are well known for green waters. D. They provide visitors with urban amusements.

B

I have lived in America’s countryside for nine years， first in Michigan， where I was getting my university degree; then in central Illinois; and now in Indiana， where I am a university teacher. There were a few things I enjoyed complaining about in my living area. I’m a vegetarian （素食者）， but there’s nowhere to go out for a nice dinner without taking a 50-mile drive. I’m black， but there’s nowhere to get my hair done without another 50-mile drive.

I repeated these complaints to my parents and my friends. Sometimes it seemed like complaints were the common language in my circle. We all were dissatisfied with something.

Complaining allows us to accept the imperfect without having to take action. We all have great ideas about what life would be like if only we had this， or did that， or lived there. Perhaps complaining helps bridge the large space between these perfect selves and reality.

There’s also this： I really didn’t want to change most of the things I complained about. Complaining was helpful on those days when happiness required too much energy. But it also made me lose sight of something. I was born and grew up in Nebraska and have lived most of my life in the countryside. When I went to the coasts， I was surprised by how unattractive big-city living could be.

Complaining may offer relief， but so may acceptance. There is no perfect place. There is no perfect life. There will always be something to complain about. By focusing on my complaints， I risked missing out on important moments of happiness. Now， I look up into the night sky and see all the stars. And I know that I have nothing to complain about.

4. What can we learn about the author？

A. She likes driving in the countryside. B. She is very particular about her hair.

C. She is well-educated. D. She often goes out for dinner.

5. What will the author most probably do after complaining？

A. Remain unchanged most of the time. B. Get sadder about her situation.

C. Try to make herself more perfect. D. Have a deeper understanding of reality.

6. What does the underlined word “something” in Paragraph 4 refer to？

A. The fact that the author liked the countryside. B. The difference between small and big cities.

C. The difficulty in finding happiness. D. The purpose of the author’s life.

7. What can we infer about the author from the last paragraph？

A. She lives an uncommon life. B. She often complains for nothing.

C. She’s trying to stop complaining. D. She learns to accept the reality.

C

As birth order is clearly one of the many factors that affect personality development， we should pay much attention to it. Big brothers and sisters usually develop leadership early in life， giving orders to later children like their parents. The danger is that if the older child takes that role to an extreme （極端）， he or she can become an overbearing adult.

Studies of nearly 300 people have found that firstborns are usually the most strongly desired toward achievements. This is mainly the result of parental expectations. Research also suggests that firstborn children generally become more conservative （保守的） than other children because they receive most of the parental orders and rules. Used to caring for others， they are more likely to move toward such leadership professions as teaching. Less social and flexible because they become used to acting alone in the very early years， they may have difficulty making close friends.

By contrast， the researchers say later children are more likely to be more relaxed and sociable than the eldest child because their parents are more relaxed. However， later children are often less ambitious （雄心壯志的） and may be uncomfortable making decisions for others， and will seek work that fits their needs. This may help explain why younger children prefer the creative fields such as music， art， and writing. Later children may make good sellers because persuasion may have been the only tool they had to deal with older children. Younger children tend to remain forever “the baby” enjoyable to be around， but at times too dependent on others.

8. What does the underlined word “overbearing” in Paragraph 1 mean？

A. Trying to control others in an unpleasant way. B. Being unable to express real feelings.

C. Preferring the established order to change. D. Changing easily to adapt to new needs.

9. What is a younger child more likely to become according to Paragraph 3？

A. A scientist. B. A doctor. C. A writer. D. A teacher.

10. Why may later children become good sellers？

A. They feel it easy to help others. B. They are good at persuading others.

C. They enjoy developing leadership. D. They are more relaxed and sociable.

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

A. Which Is Better： Being the Eldest or the Youngest？

B. The Relation Between Birth Order and Job Success

C. Effects of Birth Order on One’s Personality

D. Birth Order Factors in Career

D

Earlier last month， when a young woman was drinking coffee at a coffee shop in Tianjin， another man tried to chat her up and asked her for her WeChat ID.

The woman politely turned down the man’s request but a few days later she found that a video of her at the coffee shop had been posted on a short-video sharing platform. The man had not told her he was making a video nor taken her permission before uploading the video. The woman then left a comment under the video， asking for its removal， and even reported the matter to the platform’s handlers. The account that posted the video was soon disabled.

However， this case is far from alone. Websites dealing in short-videos are filled with accounts that post such videos showing “how to chat up women”. Their purpose is to post such videos for money.

Taking a video of someone without their permission and uploading it violate （侵害） someone’s right to privacy， but such videos are being made and uploaded online with increasing frequency. It was only because the woman in this instance complained that the video of her was removed. What if her attention had not been drawn to the video？ One just has to browse （瀏覽） these sites to find many such videos.

Obviously， there are loopholes in the supervision （監(jiān)管漏洞） of some short-video platforms， as they are uploading contents that violate other people’s right to privacy.

Women need to watch out if a stranger tries to chat them up. If they suspect the person interacting with them might have a hidden camera somewhere， they should consider calling the police to better protect their right to privacy.

12. How did the woman probably feel after seeing the video？

A. Surprised. B. Mad. C. Happy. D. Disappointed.

13. What is the man’s purpose to upload the video most probably？

A. To impress viewers. B. To earn money.

C. To contact the woman. D. To attract fans.

14. What does Paragraph 4 mainly tell us？

A. There are more and more privacy-violating videos online.

B. It’s wrong to take videos of people without permission.

C. It’s important to protect our right by complaining.

D. Many people go to websites to find such videos.

15. What is the author’s attitude to the management of some short-video platforms？

A. Positive. B. Objective. C. Doubtful. D. Negative.

閱讀七選五

Turn FOMO into JOMO

Your friends are throwing a party while you stay in. Then suddenly you begin to imagine the fun your friends are having in your absence. 16 You can’t help turning to social media to find out. If so， chances are that you are suffering FOMO—the fear of missing out. You have a great desire to stay connected with what others are doing.

17 They don’t feel the need to attend everything. Instead， they find comfort in sticking to their own plans. Rather than feeling FOMO， such people enjoy JOMO—the joy of missing out. JOMO is the emotionally intelligent solution to FOMO. Then how can we turn FOMO into JOMO？

Enjoy your own company. 18 It means abandoning the need to catch up in exchange for a chance to engage in your own life. Watching movies， getting a workout or taking up a new hobby are all fun ways to spend your time.

Keep a journal. If you always post things you do on social media， you may find yourself caring too much about whether people are validating （確認） your experiences online. To make a change， you might as well keep a personal journal on paper. 19

Switch off. We usually keep our devices on in case someone needs to reach us. But when your minds are always on your phone， you simply cannot be present. You are very likely to be distracted and unaware of what matters to you. 20 You will find you are actually not missing out on anything.

A. But some people feel the opposite.

B. FOMO signals a lack of engagement.

C. And your initial calm turns into anxiety.

D. JOMO is the enjoyment of time spent alone.

E. So try to reduce your screen time and live in the moment.

F. Feeling left out indicates you want to increase your sense of belonging.

G. Thus you can turn your focus from public attention to private appreciation.

16. "17. "18. "19. "20.

（四）

閱讀理解

A

Here are opportunities for international student volunteers. You can apply your academic training to overall development programs in service. Group service options are explained here.

Elder Assistance

Assist at the elder care center with activities such as playing cards and telling each other stories. And you can join the elders on day trips to the local museums， parks and supermarkets. Or， help prepare， serve and deliver meals at the assisted living center on the reservation.

Blackfeet Reservation Montana " September 15—September 21

Early Childhood Education

Inspire children 1 to 5 years old through doing arts and crafts， reading storybooks， playing with toys， teaching hand washing with soap and water， and more. As a volunteer in the Cook Islands， you make contributions to the future through the youngest of citizens.

Rarotonga Cook Islands " August 17—August 24

Health Care

Health care volunteers are needed at the clinic， serving all of the 1，300 children of the community. To help specialists， volunteers can be engaged to help sort medicines， make cotton balls and take children’s temperature， etc. Health care volunteers do not need any special permit or license.

Lima " September 3—September 24

Teach English

Started in 1996， the program is to teach English in China and build a bridge of friendship and respect. Here you teach English lessons to secondary or university students with all levels of language abilities. After school， you can join your students in a number of cultural activities to extend the day’s English lessons.

Xi’an " August 22—August 28

1. When can you volunteer at the elder care center？

A. On September 3. B. On September 15. C. On August 17. D. On August 22.

2. Which program will you choose if you are good at crafts？

A. Elder Assistance. B. Early Childhood Education.

C. Health Care. D. Teach English.

3. What can a volunteer do in Teach English？

A. Take lessons to improve your English. B. Take trips to the local museums.

C. Participate in students’ cultural activities. D. Read stories to children aged one to five.

B

Ken Campbell had last attempted running at high school. When his wife， Susan， injured her foot， she needed support to rejoin her running group， so Campbell went along to keep her company and share in the recovery. “We were just walking at the beginning，” he says. “And I was heavy. I weighed over 90 kg.” But as the weeks and months passed， the weight fell away， Susan recovered—and Campbell’s abilities grew. At the age of 63， he ran 50 km， and at 70， he ran through the night to complete a 100 km ultramarathon.

So how does Campbell become an ultra-distance runner in his 60s and 70s？ Susan had run marathons before her injury. But for Campbell， the turning point came when Susan’s Fleet Feet running group took to the trails in the Sierra Nevada foothills near their home in Citrus Heights， California.

Campbell went out to visit Susan’s group. What he liked was the feeling of being enveloped （包裹?。?by the trail， being embraced by the closeness of the vegetation （草木） and the nearness of the river. “I was walking where native people had walked for thousands of years and where miners had walked on their way to gold.”

Running the 100 km ultramarathon took Campbell 16 hours. When Campbell crossed the finish line at 3 am， Susan handed him a 100 km sticker to display on the back of his truck. He already had a 50 km one on there. “It is a public proclamation （聲明） that you are part of this community，” he says. “Wherever we park， I see a line of vehicles with their various stickers and I feel that we are a tribe.”

Campbell suffered arthritis before he started running， and is “a candidate for knee replacement”. But for now， he is holding off on having surgery. It could put an end to the running—but “the sense of well-being and accomplishment will carry me on forever”， he says. “If I can’t run， I will walk.”

4. What enabled Campbell to take up running again？

A. He lost weight. B. He joined a running group.

C. His wife encouraged him. D. His wife shared her experience.

5. What did Campbell discover while keeping his wife company on a trail run？

A. The mysteries of nature. B. The hardships of native people.

C. The pleasure of gold mining. D. The joy of being out in the wild.

6. What did the stickers on the back of Campbell’s truck bring him？

A. A sense of pride. B. A sense of belonging.

C. A smaller charge for parking. D. An honor of his whole life.

7. What can we learn about Campbell from the text？

A. He is easy to content. B. He is nice to get along with.

C. He is a determined man. D. He is always energetic and brave.

C

Wearing a headset to play a virtual-reality game is fun. As you move your head around， you can see the scene from different angles. You’re in a fake environment that seems so real. But the power of VR may go well beyond entertainment. It just might help people who suffer from long time of pain， a new study finds.

“If VR can reduce some types of pain， it could become a new cure with fewer side effects than drugs，” says Sam Hughes， a psychologist at Imperial College London. “And it would be less expensive.”

Hughes’ group studies bone and muscle pain. One example is sciatica. Sciatica is a form of pain doctors call chronic pain， which is different from the hurt you feel when you hit your knee against a table or put your hand in very hot water. It is fairly long-lived pain and may even spread from an initial site to other body parts.

The researchers tested the pain-altering effect of virtual reality. Each volunteer accepted some form of temporary pain. The pain came from a special cream applied to the skin. The cream contained capsaicin （辣椒素）. It’s the chemical in hot peppers that burns your mouth.

They then showed the volunteers a movie. Each volunteer would see the movie twice—once in 3D， while wearing a VR headset， and once on a normal 2D screen. The researchers randomly decided for each volunteer whether they watched the 2D or 3D version first. Using the 2D movie as the comparison allowed them to isolate the effect of VR. Watching the movie in VR reduced the pain in the skin area better than viewing the movie in 2D did. VR helped them tolerate （忍受） more pain in the area of the creamed skin. However， that pain reduction ended a few minutes after removing the VR headsets. The researchers wondered how well VR might reduce other types of pain.

8. What is one advantage of VR to reduce pain？

A. It’s much safer. B. It’s much faster.

C. It’s more convenient. D. It’s more functional.

9. What does the underlined word “chronic” in Paragraph 3 mean？

A. Sudden. B. Long-term. C. Light. " D. Sharp.

10. Why was the special cream used in the experiment？

A. To find chemicals in hot peppers. B. To bring comfort to volunteers.

C. To burn the volunteers’ mouth. D. To cause some temporary pain.

11. How was the test carried out according to the last paragraph？

A. By giving numbers. B. By using examples.

C. By making a comparison. D. By presenting research findings.

D

Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature. However， whether you are on the mountains， in the waves， or on the grassland， you should be aware that your sport of choice might have great influence on the environment.

Some sports are resource hungry. Golf you may know consumes not only large areas of countryside， but also tons of water. Besides， all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses （球場） in good condition. This causes major environmental effects. For example， in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain， golf is often held responsible for serious water shortages in some local areas.

There are many environment-friendly sports. Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You don’ t need any special equipment except two good pairs of shoes， and you don’t have to worry about resources and your purse. Simple and free， power walking can also keep you fit. If you walk regularly， it will be good for your heart and bones. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious， sleep well and have better weight control.

Whatever sport you take up， you can make it greener by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be “green gyms”. They are better replacements for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors， in the countryside or other open spaces. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. And best of all， it’s free.

12. What do we learn about golf according to Paragraph 2？

① It is popular in Portugal and Spain. " " " " " "② It can cause water shortages.

③ It needs lots of chemicals and energy. " " " "④ It consumes too much space.

A. ①②③ B. ①②④ C. ①③④ D. ②③④

13. Why does the author use power walking as an example？

A. It is an outdoor sport. B. It improves our health.

C. It uses fewer resources. D. It is recommended by experts.

14. What sport is the author in favor of most probably？

A. Cycling around a lake. B. Motor racing in a desert.

C. Playing golf in a golf course. D. Swimming in a sports center.

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

A. Be a Green Man B. Try Environment-Friendly Sports

C. The Way to Build Green Gyms D. The More You Exercise， the Better

閱讀七選五

Would you like to get funding for a project of your own—maybe a film or help for a friend in need？ Plan your pitch （宣傳）. 16 Here are some steps you can take to make your pitch stand out in a crowd.

17 Nothing is more important than to be involved in a community of people with the same interest—whether it’s through articles， videos， or social media. To increase traffic for your site， try posting interviews with experts who do projects like yours. Or join in online discussions connected with your project. When you’ve built a community and kept it up， it’s time to make your pitch.

Get emotional. Funders like ideas that make them laugh or think. A lot of campaigns out there are competing for attention. 18 And then try it out on family and friends. Not only can they give you advice， but they may also be your first funders.

Make a plan. You need to plan how the money will be spent， a timeline and the right crowdfunding （眾籌） platform to make your pitch. Consider how much each site charges. 19

Keep your funders involved. Don’t just say thank you—offer rewards. 20 Make sure that your rewards are things you can actually achieve. Funders care about your project—keep them updated， ask their advice， and suggest they tell their friends about your project.

A. Ask experts for advice.

B. Build your online community.

C. They can be as simple as a T-shirt.

D. By doing so， you can get others to support your project.

E. Work on a pitch that touches people’s hearts and minds in seconds.

F. We all want someone to accept our ideas and give us the go ahead.

G. You should also consider whether your project is successful on the sites.

16. "17. "18. "19. "20.

（五）

閱讀理解

A

As well as hosting New Zealand’s largest and most populous city， the Auckland region features many attractive places.

Central Auckland

Central Auckland is a hub （中心） of urban delights set against beautiful coastal scenery. You can take a trip up the Sky Tower， the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere. The adventurous can also try Sky Jump—New Zealand’s highest base jump—or the incredible Sky Walk where you’ll walk around the outside of the Sky Tower for extraordinary sightseeing.

Rangitoto Island

Emerging unexpectedly from the sea some 600 years ago， Rangitoto， with its distinctive shape and superb location just off the coast， is the youngest and largest volcano in the Auckland volcanic field. The island is a favorite destination for hikers and day-trippers. Walk up to the top， and you can see the black lava caves （熔巖洞） on your way up and don’t forget to bring a torch to explore them with the kids.

Great Barrier Island

Great Barrier Island is a large island with a small population. The wilderness areas are home to several unique plant and bird species. Most amazingly， the community on the island is not using the public supplies of electricity， gas or water， but entirely relying on renewable solar power and collection of freshwater.

Waiheke Island

In landscape， lifestyle and experience， Waiheke is a world away. The three white sandy beaches are perfect for swimming， kayaking， or having a picnic. If you’re a walker， explore the island’s tracks which wind along cliff tops and into cool native forests. At the eastern end of the island， a walkway leads you to a system of World War Ⅱ gun emplacements （炮臺） and underground tunnels.

1. Which place does an extreme sports lover probably prefer？

A. Central Auckland. B. Rangitoto Island. C. Great Barrier Island. D. Waiheke Island.

2. What makes Great Barrier Island special？

A. Being located off the coast. B. Being energy self-sufficient.

C. Being home to endangered species. D. Being with the least population.

3. What can visitors enjoy in both Rangitoto Island and Waiheke Island？

A. Black lava caves. B. White sandy beaches.

C. Hiking tracks. D. War-related sites.

B

On March 20， I participated in the Dance World Cup 2024 Korea Qualifiers. As a Korean student， I performed a Chinese ethnic dance. Everyone wondered why， and my parents asked me， “Why didn’t you perform ballet or traditional Korean dance？” Well， this story began when I was 5 years old. At that time， my family moved to Dalian， Liaoning. To develop a special skill， I explored various after-school classes. Among all the options available to me， Chinese dance attracted me the most. The nice dance studio and beautiful costumes all seemed to call out to me， making me eager to try everything.

Learning Chinese dance was indeed challenging， especially when I was practicing the basics， which require a high level of physical flexibility， strength and accuracy. For example， practicing complicated steps repeatedly to achieve accuracy and coordination （協(xié)調(diào)） can be tiring. However， the moment I mastered a dance routine and performed it on stage， I felt incredibly confident and joyful. Later， I had to return to Korea for school and say goodbye to Chinese dance. After I turned 15， I happened to meet a Chinese dance teacher who had opened a studio in Korea. Without doubt， I signed up in her classes. Although I struggled with some of the difficult dance moves due to the long break， my passion for Chinese dance remained unchanged. Seeing myself in the dance costume again in front of the mirror， I felt like I had regained the unique confidence I had 10 years ago.

In February， I decided to participate in the Dance World Cup and perform a Chinese ethnic dance. I won the gold medal in the competition’s world ethnic dance category. Through this competition， my love for Chinese dance grew even stronger， and I was delighted to show Chinese culture to a broader Korean audience.

4. What did the author’s parents think about her choice of dance？

A. Wonderful. B. Acceptable. C. Inspiring. D. Surprising.

5. What was the author’s difficulty in learning Chinese dance？

A. Lacking confidence on stage. B. Being short of time.

C. Meeting high standards of the basics. D. Knowing little about Chinese dance.

6. Why did the author return to Chinese dance？

A. To open a dance studio in Korea. B. For her love for Chinese dance.

C. To win a medal in the competition. D. For the popularity of Chinese culture.

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

A. Embracing Chinese Culture in Dance B. Performing on a Worldwide Stage

C. Exchanges Between China and Korea D. Ups and Downs of Chinese Dances

C

Those who live in many parts of the eastern United States will experience an unusual phenomenon every 13 or 17 years. Depending on where you live， insects called cicadas （蟬） come out of the ground in huge numbers. But don’t worry. They don’t hurt people or pets. They’re just here to party.

It’s one of the loudest insect parties you’ll ever see—or hear. When large numbers of adult insects appear， the collective noise made by males can reach 90 decibels. “Where the cicadas get together， it will be spectacular，” Michael Raupp told Science News for Students. He is a professor at the University of Maryland. Across some small areas， cicada concentrations may reach 1 trillion insects per square mile. That’s like having nearly 4 million cicadas emerge from an area of the ground the size of your bedroom floor.

There are more than 3，000 species of these insects. The best-known species in North America are periodical cicadas. These 5-centimeter-long insects spend more than 99 percent of their life underground. There， they take in nutrition from the roots of certain trees. These underground young are known as nymphs （幼蟲）. Adult cicadas live for only two to four weeks. During that brief time， the females lay eggs in the young branches of trees. After a few weeks， the young drop to the ground. At once， each tiny nymph begins digging holes to go underground.

You might think that large numbers of cicadas taking in nutrition from the roots of trees for an extended period would harm plants. But Raupp said， “It’s a wonder that we don’t see more damage.” And to date， research has not shown that the underground activities of cicadas cause significant damage to their hosts.

In fact， cicadas probably help the environment， instead of hurting it. Raupp noted that they could dig up the ground and loosen the soil （松土）. That not only helps air reach plant roots but also helps water move through the soil deeply.

8. What will happen in many parts of the US every 13 or 17 years？

A. Many pets will get sick because of cicadas. B. A festival about insects will be celebrated.

C. A large number of cicadas will appear. D. Some kinds of insects will die out.

9. What does the underlined word “spectacular” in Paragraph 2 probably mean？

A. Impressive. B. Dangerous. C. Strange. D. Horrible.

10. Why do young cicadas dig holes？

A. To keep away from danger. B. To go underground to lay eggs.

C. To stay warm in cold weather. D. To find plant roots to feed on.

11. What can we learn about cicadas？

A. The young are used to living in trees. B. They cause some pollution to the soil.

C. They actually help plants grow better. D. The adults will do harm to certain trees.

D

The Amazon basin region is home to about 2.5 million insect species， tens of thousands of plants， and some 2，000 birds and mammals. To date， at least 40，000 plant species， 3，000 fish， 1，294 birds， 427 mammals， 428 amphibians， and 378 reptiles have been scientifically classified （分類） in the region. One in five of all the birds in the world live in the Amazon rainforest.

The warm and wet forest has been in existence for at least 55 million years， and thrived even during glacial periods， allowing for the evolution of an unbelievable diversity （多樣性） of species. Radiocarbon dating has revealed trees of 10 centimeter in diameter to be more than 300 years old， and some trees over 1，000 years old， indicating that untouched forests can experience unbelievable longevity.

The first human inhabitants are thought to have settled in the Amazon region about 11，200 years ago. European explorers arrived in the 16th century， bringing diseases which traveled faster than the explorers themselves， killing perhaps as many as 90% of the natives. By the late 17th century the Amazon basin was controlled by Portuguese and Spanish explorers.

The Amazon rainforest has been described as the lungs of our planet because of its important role in recycling carbon dioxide into oxygen. But due to deforestation （濫伐森林）， rainforests now cover less than 5% of the Earth’s land surface， and experts believe that this is a big contributor to global climate change. Severe deforestation began in the 20th century， with 587，000 square kilometers lost up to the year 2000. Most deforested land is used for grassland to raise farm animals and agriculture. The addition of transport routes has led to increased settlement and deforestation， and at the present rate， scientists estimate that the Amazon rainforest will be reduced by 40% in two decades.

12. Why are the figures mentioned in Paragraph 1？

A. To prove the forest untouched. B. To attract more attention.

C. To show the diversity of species. D. To classify species scientifically.

13. Why did most of the natives in the Amazon region die？

A. They lost their home. B. The explorers treated them badly.

C. Their living environment was damaged. D. The explorers brought diseases there.

14. What can be inferred about the Amazon rainforest？

A. It has the largest number of species. B. It is being endangered now.

C. It covers over 5% of the Earth’s surface. D. It is becoming a little larger in area.

15. What may be included in the following paragraph？

A. Examples of destroying forests. B. Measures to protect rainforests.

C. New inhabitants in the Amazon region. D. Ways to stop global warming.

閱讀七選五

When you’re trying to live a healthier life， your diet may be one thing you want to change. Here’s some advice on how to make healthier diet choices.

Write up a meal plan. A meal plan is your blueprint for each meal， snack and drink throughout the week. 16 You can feel confident that what you’re eating each day meets your new healthier life.

17 A well-balanced diet is the cornerstone of a healthy diet. It’s one that includes all five food groups each day. In addition， it’s a diet that features a wide variety of food. When you eat a well-balanced diet， you’re able to consume all the recommended nutrients （養(yǎng)分） your body needs.

Eat mindfully. 18 Mindful eating is important as it helps you enjoy eating. People who eat mindfully typically eat less， have an easier time losing weight and get more satisfaction out of their meals. Turn off all electronics and pay attention to how your food looks and how it tastes. 19

Drink more water. Being adequately hydrated （補水） is essential to living a healthier life. 20 This amount will vary based upon your age， gender and activity level. Drinks that can count toward water include： water， flavored waters， decaf coffee and decaf tea.

A. Maintain a balanced diet.

B. Remember to concentrate on each bite.

C. Only in this way can you stick to a healthy diet.

D. Aim for about 8 to 13 glasses of water each day.

E. It can allow you to see and plan each of your choices.

F. You should always aim to get as much nutrition from foods as possible.

G. This is a way of eating that helps you bring more attention to how you eat.

16. "17. "18. "19. "20.

（六）

閱讀理解

A

For those who love the thrill of overhead fireworks， here is a chance to appreciate some fireworks shows. Some are one-night events， while others are part of multi-day carnivals.

Annual Carnival

The event is part of the annual fundraiser for the poor and free for all. It features an additional concert followed by a fireworks display at 7：30 pm on October 10 at Town Park at Point Lookout. On the same day at 8：30 pm， watch fireworks over the bay.

Empire State Fair

See fireworks at Nassau Live Center in Uniondale. The fair features the royal circus with many foreign animals， kid game shows， amusement rides， and attractions from 7 pm to 10 pm on October 20. Admission is $10; free for children under 36 inches.

Memorial Fireworks Show

Watch fireworks at Firemen’s Memorial Field in Valley Stream. Gates open at 7 pm on November l， lasting three days， and admission is $15 for all; $10 in advance; purchase your tickets at Henry Waldinger Memorial Library， Valley Stream Community Center or Valley Stream Village Hall.

Riverhead Raceway Celebration

There will be a kid race open at 5：30 pm and the fireworks opening ceremony starts at 6 pm on November 20. The fireworks shows begin at dusk at the Riverhead Raceway and last four days. Admission is $20 for adults; $10 for children aged 6—12; free for children aged 5 and under.

Click here to contact us and know more detailed information about the events.

1. Which event is part of the charity？

A. Annual Carnival. B. Empire State Fair.

C. Memorial Fireworks Show. D. Riverhead Raceway Celebration.

2. What is special about Empire State Fair？

A. It offers an outdoor concert. B. It features a fireworks show.

C. It requires payment in advance. D. It includes animal performance.

3. How much should a couple with 8-year-old twins pay for Riverhead Raceway Celebration？

A. $25. B. $30. C. $45. D. $60.

B

For most people， having property stolen feels like a disaster. Robbie Pruitt admitted when his mountain bike was stolen last September， he got mad. But so enough， his emotions took a turn. After letting go of his anger， he found himself on a road to compassion （同情） instead.

As a biker， Pruitt’s first priority was to buy one again， but when he went bike shopping， he found the pickings slim. The scarcity in stock got him thinking： What if the person who’d taken his had done so because he truly needed transportation to get to work？

With that thought in mind， Pruitt came up with a plan and posted it to a local Facebook group. He offered to fix bikes free of charge for anyone who needed it. Pruitt also put out a call for bikes people don’t use， which he would repair—again for free—and then donate to those who could truly use them but didn’t have the budget to buy a bike outright.

The day the post went live， Pruitt was excited about a list of 30 used bicycles. The initial influx （涌入） was followed by more than 500 posts from people who either had bikes to donate or that needed fixing soon after. By the end of the month， Pruitt had repaired more than 140 bikes for donation.

In addition to practical skills， Pruitt’s lessons teach teamwork， encourage self-esteem， and foster feelings of community. “Pruitt is certainly providing a service， but it’s not the bikes. It’s the relationships in the community. It’s the impact he made on people. All the neighborhood kids are spending a lot more time doing something that’s in their power，” Pruitt’s next-door neighbor Danny told The Washington Post.

4. How did Pruitt feel after he went to the bike shop？

A. He was angry at the thief. B. He became eager for a new bike.

C. He would rather find his old bike. D. He felt compassion for the thief.

5. What does the underlined word “scarcity” in Paragraph 2 probably mean？

A. Variety. B. Shortage. C. Quality. D. Advantage.

6. Why did Pruitt put out a call？

A. To find his lost bike. B. To collect unemployed bikes.

C. To raise money for charity. D. To advertise his bike repair shop.

7. Which of the following can best describe Pruitt？

A. Caring and inspiring. B. Thoughtful and easygoing.

C. Outgoing and energetic. D. Responsible and humorous.

C

Imagine taking a flying taxi to the airport， or crossing crowded city streets at the rush hour， getting where you want to go far faster than you could in a car. Believe it or not， you might be able to do these things in an electric air taxi sooner than you think.

An air taxi is a small aircraft—something like a mix between a helicopter and a drone （無人機）—that can carry people from place to place. Air taxis don’t need a long runway like planes do. They can go straight up and down， like a helicopter.

A company called Joby has been making and testing flying taxis since 2017. By 2025， Joby hopes to start carrying passengers for money. They’ve teamed up with Delta Air Lines to create a program to fly people from their homes to the airport. Joby also expects their air taxis to provide a ride-sharing service. Just like you might order a car to pick you up， you could use an app to order an air taxi. Joby’s air taxis will be flown by a pilot， and can carry four other passengers. They can fly as fast as 200 kph and go around 100 miles before the electric batteries need to be recharged.

Joby claims their taxis are both quieter and cheaper than helicopters. The company expects to charge about $3 a mile at first. But over time， they hope to bring the price down to less than $1 per mile.

Exciting as the idea of flying taxis is， some people have concerns about them. The taxis may be quieter than helicopters， but they’ll still add noise and traffic to our skies and endanger public safety when passengers are flying through the air.

Still， it seems likely that air taxis will be part of the future of travel. The US government says， “We could see air taxis in the skies by 2025.”

8. What are the main features of the air taxi？

A. Traditional and expensive. B. Convenient and economical.

C. Advanced but space-taking. D. Safe but energy-consuming.

9. Why are helicopters mentioned in the text？

A. To explain a concept. B. To present an argument.

C. To make a comparison. D. To introduce a phenomenon.

10. What does Paragraph 5 mainly tell us about the flying taxi？

A. Its market risks. B. Its promising future.

C. Its wide popularity. D. Its possible weaknesses.

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

A. Flying Taxis Are Starting to Take Off

B. Joby Has Already Mass-Produced Air Taxis

C. A Solution Is Used to Solve Traffic Problems

D. America Has Improved Ride-Sharing Services

D

Giant pandas are among the most lovable animals alive today. Unlike their relatives， such as the polar bear， pandas don’t eat meat but survive on a diet of bamboo. So why and how have pandas abandoned their taste for meat to pick up a vegetarian diet？

Pandas today don’t usually eat meat. However， they’ve kept much of their meal-eating adaptations from times past. Their digestive systems （消化系統(tǒng)） have not changed much from their meat-eating days. Out of the huge 12.5 kg of bamboo a panda eats in a single day， only about 17% of it is digested. To survive， pandas eat large amounts of bamboo while having a low-metabolic （低代謝的）， lazy lifestyle to make up for the poor energy return.

The giant panda’s shift to a vegetarian diet is in line with the inactivation （失活） of a specific gene—TAS1R1， which provides them with the ability to taste certain amino acids （氨基酸） abundant in meat. Its inactivation in pandas would lead to a dietary change.

Pandas have evolved to a great degree to cope with their relatively recent bamboo-eating lifestyle. Pandas must seize long and thin pieces of bamboo shoots. To assist with this， they have developed a long “1 thumb”. So giant pandas have six fingers in each paw， which provides better support for them to seize objects such as bamboo in one paw quickly. Researchers have found that the surface of the panda’s tongue is different. While other bears and many meat-eating animals have smooth tongues， pandas have evolved tiny projections on the surface of their tongues that serve to file down food. This is especially useful for pandas as they remove the outer cover of bamboo.

Time will tell if pandas will adapt and survive， go back to eating meat， or disappear in the wild. Whatever the future holds， we can be grateful that， for the time being， we get to share our planet with these adorable animals.

12. Why are the numbers mentioned in Paragraph 2？

A. To illustrate the variety of food for pandas.

B. To represent the evolutionary rule of pandas.

C. To describe the changes in pandas’ living environment.

D. To show the ineffectiveness of pandas’ digestive system.

13. What caused pandas’ change in diet？

A. The low-metabolic ability. B. The amino acids in meat.

C. The TAS1R1 gene’s inactivation. D. The supplies of bamboo.

14. What does the underlined word “this” in Paragraph 4 refer to？

A. Seizing bamboo shoots. B. The vegetarian diet.

C. Developing more fingers. D. The low energy return.

15. Which aspect of pandas does Paragraph 4 focus on？

A. The preference for bamboo. B. The evolutionary feature of eating.

C. The unique lifestyle. D. The special appearance.

閱讀七選五

Simplicity is a lifestyle that takes away the unimportant things in your life. It removes or changes those things that cause you to feel stressed-out， and allow you to absolutely focus on what’s important. Of course， no one can suddenly lead a simple life. 16 Here are three excellent benefits.

17

Unfortunately， it’s easy for us to fall into the comparison trap. Studies show that comparison may cause pressure， depression and anxiety. When you live a life of simplicity， you’ll feel a rebirth of the soul. You’ll definitely know what’s important and what isn’t， and focus on things that make you happy.

Simplicity helps you feel content and happy.

18 It gives you a strong sense of freedom and warmth. When you lead a simple life， you tend to feel satisfied with who you are and your situation in life. It doesn’t mean you’re not hard-working or interested in improving your life. Content people aren’t driven by an unhealthy schedule. They do what they need to do peacefully. When you’re satisfied， you don’t care if what you’re doing is popular or what society says you should do. 19

Simplicity helps you enjoy small things.

When you choose to live a simple lifestyle， you’ll slow down your life and enjoy its little moments in an absolutely new way. 20 Remember， though life is hard sometimes， slow down your life and enjoy little things that can bring you joy.

A. Contentment is a satisfying calm.

B. Simplicity says “no” to social pressures.

C. Simplicity helps you to stop comparing.

D. It takes time and effort but it’s worth the journey.

E. In other words， simplicity helps you feel satisfied.

F. You actually live according to the current popular trends.

G. You’ll feel free to enjoy a sunset or go for a walk in the rain.

16. "17. "18. "19. "20.

（七）

閱讀理解

A

There are many ways to explore Paris， but few are as fun as traveling on a bicycle. These handy two-wheelers will get you up close and personal with the capital’s best streets， squares and attractions—without getting painful feet from walking miles on end.

Paris highlights via Cyclo

Forget your worries about the weather and getting worn out， because the Cyclo does away with all that. This covered three-wheeled bicycle will get you to all the capital’s hot spots with ease， thanks to your knowledgeable guide and driver. From the Tuileries gardens， you’ll venture onto Champs Elysees， Palais Royal， the Louvre and more.

Tour via the city’s Vélib bikes

This tour introduces you to the Vélib system： Paris’s equal of London’s Boris Bikes， which can be shared by many people. As you switch your bike as you move from station to station， you’ll get the chance to explore independently. It’s perfect for those who don’t like to be shown around too much.

Tour de France bike ride

This is a once-a-year deal， but a great tour if you happen to be in Paris in July. As the Tour de France comes to an end， you can join Fat Tire Tour on a bike ride along the closed roads through Paris. In the morning， while the closing ceremonies are still being set up， you’ll cycle down Champs Elysee， round the Arc de Triomphe and finish off at the Eiffel Tower where coffee and bread will be waiting for you.

See Paris by night

The night bike tour gives you the perfect opportunity to see why Paris was given the nickname “City of Lights”. In three hours you’ll cycle past the city’s most beautiful floodlit monuments and learn about their history while you’re at it.

1. What can we know about Vélib bikes？

A. They are also called Boris. B. They are shared bikes in Paris.

C. It is cheaper to tour on Vélib bikes. D. Visitors can explore more on Vélib bikes.

2. What can visitors do in Tour de France bike ride？

A. Join in Tour de France. B. Bicycle on closed roads.

C. Take photos with winners. D. Eat at the closing ceremonies.

3. Which of the following could be the easiest bike trip？

A. See Paris by night. B. Tour de France bike ride.

C. Paris highlights via Cyclo. D. Tour via the city’s Vélib bikes.

B

Julia Butterfly Hill worked at a restaurant. For many years， she was only interested in making money. Then one day she had a serious car accident， which changed her life. Hill said， “I realized I wanted to find a more powerful purpose for being here on this planet.”

As soon as she recovered， Hill traveled to California and she wanted to do something meaningful. There she saw ancient redwood trees， which are the largest trees in the whole world. The wood from redwood trunks is very hard. So the Pacific Lumber Company cut down many of the huge redwoods to use for construction. There are not many forests of these trees left. Many environmental activists want to protect the remaining trees. The redwoods are very important to the environment.

In 2012， Hill learned a group called Earth First was working to protect a particular group of trees. They decided to send someone up into a redwood tree， hoping this would stop the company from cutting the trees down. Julia Butterfly Hill volunteered.

Hill lived in the tree for over two years. Her home was a 6-by-8-foot tree house， 180 feet up. It was always cold and wet in a redwood tree. There were even very serious winter storms while Hill was in the tree. The wind and cold almost knocked Hill out of the tree. But she did not fall—she survived.

Finally， after years of arguing， the company decided to protect Luna， the tree Hill lived in. They signed an agreement to never cut down this huge redwood tree or the trees around it. When Hill put her feet on the earth again， she began to cry. But from that moment on Hill hasn’t stopped working to protect the environment.

4. What made Hill think about doing something meaningful？

A. A car accident. B. A forest fire. C. A redwood tree. D. A serious disease.

5. What problem did Hill find in California？

A. The company lost much money. B. People used the redwoods for construction.

C. Environmental activists didn’t work together. D. The redwoods were disappearing quickly.

6. How were Hill’s living conditions in the tree？

A. Comfortable. B. Tough. C. Cool. D. Satisfying.

7. What can we learn about Hill according to the last paragraph？

A. She finally gave in to the company. B. She was good at persuading others.

C. She kept working to protect the environment. D. She joined different groups to protect trees.

C

Many runners have the same goal： go faster. But in a study published in the journal Current Biology， researchers show that speeding up might require us to resist our natural biology. By combining data from runners monitored in a lab along with 37，000 runs recorded on wearable fitness trackers， scientists have found that humans’ natural tendency is to run at a speed that conserves caloric loss—something that racers seek to shave time off their miles will have to get over.

The research group has been studying the mechanics of running in labs for 15 years but hadn’t got a chance to study running in the wild before. “We joined the two datasets to gain new insights and combine the more messy wearable data with the gold standard lab experiments to learn about how people run out，” says co-author Jennifer Hicks.

What surprised the team was the consistency they found across the combined datasets. “We had assumed earlier that people ran faster for shorter distances and then would slow their pace for longer distances，” says first author Jessica Selinger. But this wasn’t the case. Most of the runners analyzed stuck with the same speed， whether they were going for a short run or a long one over ten kilometers.

From an evolutionary standpoint， it makes sense that people would run at the speed that uses the least amount of energy. This caloric conservation is something that has been observed across the animal kingdom. But humans’ reasons for running have changed， and if the goal is speed， there are some tricks runners can use.

Listening to music with a faster pace has been shown to help speed up stride （步伐） frequency， which increases running speed. In addition， picking faster running partners can give you a boost.

Hicks hopes that having large pools of fitness data from wearables will help researchers gain insights about populations. “You can look at connections with the built environment and access to leisure resources and start to layer all of that data to really understand how to improve physical activity and health more broadly，” says Hicks.

8. What do the racers have to overcome during the race？

A. Weight gain. B. Lack of tricks.

C. Energy consumption. D. Weakness of humanity.

9. What was the team’s initial idea about running？

A. People run at the same speed.

B. People prefer running in the wild.

C. People have a talent for running faster.

D. People adjust their speeds to different distances.

10. What is Paragraph 5 mainly about？

A. Tips on speed increase. B. The advantages of running.

C. The importance of fast running. D. Change in human running goals.

11. What is Hicks’ attitude to the information obtained from wearables？

A. Unclear. B. Critical. C. Doubtful. D. Favorable.

D

Bee protection is a big issue these days in America， with people planting native pollinator （授粉者） gardens， setting up bee houses， and taking part in scientific activities to monitor local bee populations. And this is for good reason—in North America， a quarter of native bee species are at risk of extinction. Bees pollinate 35 percent of our global food supply and many of the wild plants our ecosystems depend on.

No Mow May， a movement that began in the UK， is now rapidly spreading throughout the US. Its popularity lies in its being simple： Just give bees a little help during the crucial springtime by removing a chore from your list and letting your lawn （草坪） grow for the month of May. This lets “l(fā)awn flowers” such as dandelions （蒲公英） grow at a time when bee food is rare.

Dandelions， despite being pretty and useful， are non-native. Then why do we promote a movement that encourages their growth？ Here’s the basic answer—don’t let “perfect” be the enemy of “good”. Sure， it would be great to turn your entire neighborhood into a bee kingdom of native plants， but that can take lots of time and money.

While dandelions have become the poster child for No Mow May， other plants， including native species， may also appear in your lawn. “Besides dandelions， there are many other plants that are going to be there，” says Dr Claudio Gratton at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

In Massachusetts， scientists found 63 species of plants in lawns， 30 percent of which were native to the state. Most Americans probably loved dandelions as children but have tended to hate them as adults because of American lawn culture， which allows no flowers. “No Mow May forces us to think about our relationship with nature. We should reflect on the way we have made nature suit our needs， and realize flowers play really important roles，” says Dr Claudio Gratton.

12. What is the background to No Mow May in the US？

A. No-native bee species are increasing. B. There is a tendency to protect bees.

C. Bees mainly depend on garden plants. D. More people have no time to cut lawns.

13. What do we know about No Mow May？

A. It needs almost no cost. B. It is not widely accepted.

C. It is aimed at planting dandelions. D. It appeals for careful attention to the lawns.

14. What does the underlined phrase “poster child” in Paragraph 4 probably mean？

A. General rule. B. Rare exception. C. Typical example. D. Difficult problem.

15. Which of the following agrees with American lawn culture？

A. A bee-friendly lawn. B. A regularly cut lawn.

C. A lawn growing naturally. D. A lawn with native flowers.

閱讀七選五

Reasons Why Literature Is So Important

Today， there are too many people who believe that literature is simply not important or undervalue its ability to stand the test of time and give us great knowledge. 16

To me， however， literature serves as a gateway to learning of the past and increasing my knowledge and understanding of the world. Here are just a few reasons why literature is important.

Expanding horizons.

First and foremost， literature opens our eyes and makes us see more than just what the front door shows. 17 With this， we begin to learn， ask questions， and build our instincts （本能）. We expand our minds.

Appreciation of other cultures and beliefs.

Reading about history， anthropology （人類學(xué)） or religious studies provides a method of learning about cultures and beliefs other than our own. It allows us to understand and experience other living systems in other worlds. 18 We can learn， understand and appreciate it.

19

All kinds of literature， poems， essays， novels， or short stories， help us address human nature and conditions that affect all people. We learn that imperfection is not always bad and that normal can be boring. We learn that life must be lived to the fullest. We need literature in order to connect with our own mankind.

20 Any debate over this makes no sense. It provides growth， strengthens our minds， and gives us the ability to think outside the box.

A. Better writing skills.

B. Addressing human nature.

C. Literature is important and necessary.

D. It helps us understand the wide world surrounding us.

E. Many of us learn what critical thinking is in our language arts classes.

F. We get personal views and understanding into the minds from the inside looking out.

G. Somewhere along the line， the world has come to think that literature is insignificant.

16. "17. "18. "19. "20.

（八）

閱讀理解

A

Many art museums offer virtual tours and other ways to access （訪問） their collections. Here are some museums you can virtually visit from the comfort of your home.

The Louvre （Paris， France）

One of the most famous and largest museums in the world， the Louvre， offers a selection of online tours of its exhibition rooms， galleries， and even its glass pyramid （金字塔）. For example， explore the restored Galerie d’Apollon. Access the virtual Louvre by going directly to the museum’s website for online tours.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art （New York City， the US）

The Met has a collection that represents more than 5，000 years of art worldwide. Online， the museum has six videos that explore different parts of the museum through their Met 360° Project. The app and website 82nd and Fifth has its own collection of short videos， each focused on specific pieces in the collection， while MetKids features online art-related activities for little ones.

The Guggenheim （New York City， the US and Bilbao， Spain）

While you may not be able to see the famous building first hand， you can view more than 1，700 pieces of art by 625 artists from the museum’s various locations through the Guggenheim’s online collection on your computer. The pieces are searchable by artist， medium， time period， movement， and special collection.

The Rijksmuseum （Amsterdam， the Netherlands）

The major works of great Dutch painters are on display in the Rijksmuseum. Besides a visit in person， you can still see the museum’s highlights virtually. You can also walk through the museum virtually， thanks to Google’s street view.

1. How can one access short videos about specific objects in the collection？

A. Through MetKids. B. Through 82nd and Fifth.

C. By using Met 360° Project. D. By visiting Galerie d’Apollon.

2. Which museum has more than one location？

A. The Louvre. B. The Guggenheim.

C. The Rijksmuseum. D. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

3. What can visitors enjoy on a virtual visit to the Rijksmuseum？

A. The glass pyramid and Galerie d’Apollon. B. Over 5，000 years of art around the world.

C. Important works of great Dutch painters. D. Over 1，700 pieces of art by 625 artists.

B

Kyle Semrau came home on the morning of April 12 after an overnight shift feeling light-headed. He told his wife he would be lying low for the day， joined by his 6-year-old daughter， Macie.

On a normal day， Macie would have been at school， but that particular morning she had refused to even get dressed for school， so she stayed home. It turns out that her unexplained want to stay home was for the best.

Later in the day， Semrau suddenly fell down because of a medical event that caused him to slip in and out of consciousness （意識）. Macie learned her dad was in trouble when she heard him shouting loudly. In a moment while Semrau was conscious， Macie asked her dad for his phone passcode so she could unlock the device. She logged in， opened the browser （瀏覽器）， and phoned the local police department.

Macie sent on the relevant information， including their address， to Judy Smith， the Eliot Police Department’s administrative assistant who answered the phone.

“That’s really lucky，” Semrau told Boston 25 News. “I still have it saved. If you open up my browser， that’s the way it is spelled， ‘Eliot poliz’. She pushed the call button， which actually goes right to the dispatcher （調(diào)度員） here in town.”

The police arrived two minutes after Macie called.

Semrau’s medical emergency was due to issues with his sinusitis， which led to difficulty breathing. He is now home and doing well.

“If I can say anything about this whole experience， it’s for everyone to teach kids about awareness. If I hadn’t taught my daughter certain things she wouldn’t learn in school， this outcome could have been completely different，” Semrau told Boston.com. “She is， and will always be my hero.”

4. Why did Macie refuse to go to school that day？

A. She felt ill. B. She wanted to help her father.

C. She did that for no reason. D. She intended to have fun at home.

5. What words can best describe Macie？

A. Calm and capable. B. Careful and smart.

C. Brave and responsible. D. Talented and skillful.

6. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 5 refer to？

A. The browser. B. Semrau’s address.

C. Semrau’s telephone. D. The phone number of the police.

7. What enabled Macie to save her father according to the last paragraph？

A. Her strong love for her father. B. The skill she had learned at school.

C. Her previous similar experience. D. The awareness taught about by her father.

C

The idea of people’s taking photographs in front of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers or Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus was once considered so unsatisfactory that galleries banned visitors from using selfie "sticks. However， the disgust （反感） at social media platforms such as Instagram has turned into a bit of a love affair—with one galley creating a session to help visitors take better photos and videos to share with their followers.

The Old Royal Naval College， in Greenwich， southeast London， is reducing visitor numbers on Mondays for its Museum of the Moon artwork “for those looking for the perfect Insta shot”. The college， which is displaying a seven-meter model of the moon， created by the artist Luke Jerram， tells ticket holders： “Posting， influencer photo shoots and selfies are encouraged.” Sarah Codrington， head of marketing at the college， said “Social Media Mondays” were partly about appealing to influencers but also freeing up the rest of the week for visitors who might be inconvenienced by people dressing themselves up for their Instagram feed.

Jerram， whose Museum of the Moon has been displayed in numerous venues， said， “I had not been consulted （咨詢） about ‘Social Media Mondays’ but approved.” He said he welcomed selfie-takers because they usually put away their cameras after ten minutes and engaged with the work. “People are going to have their close encounter with the moon， not necessarily to see an artwork，” he said.

Brian Sewell， the late art critic， once was disappointed that it was impossible to see paintings “because people are too busy taking photos”. But Jerram said galleries should embrace it. “Now everyone is their own media and broadcasting company，” he said. “They are broadcasting their experience of the world.”

8. What can we learn about the gallery mentioned in Paragraph 1？

A. It encourages visitors to use Instagram. B. It assists visitors in taking photographs.

C. It prevents visitors from using selfie sticks. D. It charges visitors for sharing photographs.

9. What is the purpose of “Social Media Mondays”？

A. To sell more tickets. B. To attract influencers of media.

C. To show the model of the moon. D. To meet different needs of visitors.

10. What can we infer from Jerram’s words in the last paragraph？

A. Everyone can broadcast themselves. B. He is proud of Museum of the Moon.

C. Selfie-takers prefer to enjoy artworks. D. He disagrees with “Social Media Mondays”.

11. What does the text mainly talk about？

A. Useful tips on taking photographs. B. Galleries’ support for taking selfies.

C. The importance of using social media. D. Guides to visiting artworks in galleries.

D

Vinegar （醋） is great. It makes salad， fries and dumplings taste better， and you can even clean your windows with it. And now， according to scientists， it may even help the planet’s population survive climate change.

Researchers from the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science （CSRS） in Japan have found that growing plants in vinegar makes them more resistant to droughts. This could mean that in the future， worries about climate change affecting the world’s supply of food will be much lower.

The discovery was made after the researchers studied the Arabidopsis， a plant known for its ability to survive in dry weather. It was found that when the plant was placed in drought-like conditions， it produced a chemical called acetate—the main component （成分） of vinegar.

After discovering this， the scientists experimented further by adding acetate to the soil of other plants， before they stopped giving them water completely. After leaving the plants for 14 days， they found that the ones treated with acetate had survived， while the untreated plants had dried up and died. It’s hoped that this simple method of survival could soon be used to help farmers in dry countries keep their crops alive.

And for those of us who always forget to ask our neighbors to water our plants when we go away， hopefully this means the end of returning home from a trip to find our favorite flowers have died.

12. What can we learn about Arabidopsis from the text？

A. It produces acetate in wet conditions. B. It can survive in nowhere but desert.

C. It is mainly composed of acetate. D. It can be resistant to drought.

13. Why did the scientists add acetate to the soil？

A. To treat the dried-up plants. B. To stop the plants from drying up.

C. To help the plants grow stronger. D. To check its effectiveness to resist drought.

14. What is the author’s attitude to the discovery？

A. Objective. B. Unsupportive. C. Optimistic. D. Distrustful.

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

A. Vinegar May End Hunger B. Vinegar and Food

C. How to Survive Climate Change D. Advantages and Functions of Vinegar

閱讀七選五

How to Create Your Own Family Traditions

Sometimes we follow certain family traditions because we simply have nothing else to put in its place. However， when there are changes in the family， it forces us to examine our old traditions. So how do you find new traditions to introduce？

16 There’s no point throwing the baby out with the bath water， so think of any traditions from your past that you do want to carry on. You can pick out the best and leave those you are not so fond of behind.

Tailor （迎合） around your family’s likes and interests. It is a sure-fire way to ensure everyone is going to enjoy themselves and maybe even continue the tradition. Whatever your family enjoy， you can personalize your tradition to involve the elements that the whole family enjoy. 17

Search the world for ideas. 18 It doesn’t mean you can’t adopt a foreign idea just because it isn’t your culture. No matter what the foreign traditions are， there’s no reason why you can’t make them yours also.

Do what your friends do. One way to find ideas is to ask friends what they do. 19 And the conversation with them could even bring an invitation to join them in their traditions.

20 Finding the right traditions that work for your family can take some time to figure out. For it to become a tradition， it needs to be continued year after year. So， before you make the final decision， try it out for fit for a few years and think about how it will work in the future.

A. Keep it achievable for the long term.

B. Take the best of the old， and leave the rest.

C. Take inspiration from your family members.

D. So it doesn’t matter if it looks different to other families.

E. There are different cultures and traditions around the world.

F. However， family traditions mean something special to your family.

G. Generally， they could help come up with local activities and suggestions.

16. "17. "18. "19. "20.

（九）

閱讀理解

A

Four Best Beaches for Families and Kids

Porto Santo， Portugal

Known as： Golden Island " " " "Price： $137/night " " " "More info： VisitPortugal.com

Porto Santo is the ideal beach with an impressive 4.5-star rating based on almost 3，000 TripAdvisor reviews. There’s a kids’ club， kids’ pool， game room and even an ecological boardwalk providing direct access to the beach. After swimming， tour Christopher Columbus’ former home for a hands-on history lesson. Then， try local food and let the kids feed the fish and friendly parrots in the gardens.

Medano Beach， Colorado

Known as： Best Western Movie Manor " " " "Price： $110/night " " " "More info： NPS.gov

Medano Beach is located in Great Sand Dunes （沙丘） National Park. It’s home to the tallest sand dunes in North America. Sled rentals are even available at the visitor center. Yes， you can sled without snow！ And it has a drive-in theater！ Guests can watch for free from the comfort of their own beds. The movie season runs from mid-May through mid-September.

The Big Island， Hawaii

Known as： The Fairmont Orchid " " " "Price： $400/night " " " "More info： GoHawaii.com

After visiting Hawaii Volcanoes National Park， walk around the island—home to the most diverse beaches in this area. Choose from white sand， black sand and even green sand. Thanks to mineral deposits （礦床）， Papakolea Beach is one of only four green sand beaches in the world.

Paradise Island， The Bahamas

Known as： Comfort Suites Paradise Island " " " "Price： $278/night

More info： NassauParadiseIsland.com

Comfort Suites Paradise Island may not have the name-recognition of Atlantis， but it’s TripAdvisor’s best value for accommodations. Every room is a suite， so there’s more space than a normal guest room， and the hot buffet breakfast is free. It is perfect for families who want the comfort of home in a resort setting.

1. Which of the following is known as Golden Island？

A. Porto Santo. B. Medano Beach. C. The Big Island. D. Paradise Island.

2. What is special about The Big Island？

A. It highlights natural scenery. B. It dates from Columbus’ time.

C. It opens from May to September. D. It focuses on the history of Hawaii.

3. What can visitors do at Comfort Suites Paradise Island？

A. Feed fish and parrots. B. Sled without snow.

C. Visit green sand beaches. D. Enjoy free buffet breakfast.

B

When the fork was stolen off Bart Michiels’s mountain bike last summer， he wheeled it nearly three miles from his home in Chelsea to Frank’s Bike Shop on the eastern end of Grand Street.

Mr Michiels passed many other bike shops along the way， including one that offers free coffee. But for 20 years， he has remained devoted to Frank’s. “Frank’s the man，” he said of Frank Arroyo， the owner. “I don’t care where he is in the city—I’ll go.”

Mr Michiels doesn’t have to worry about Mr Arroyo’s relocating. The shop has stayed on the Lower East Side of Manhattan for 40 years.

After Mr Michiels left， Marvin Priess arrived. A professor of chemistry and math， Mr Priess wheeled in the Ross 18-speed he had bought at Frank’s in 1978 and still rides today， at age 68. Mr Priess said that over the years， every single part of it that couldn’t be repaired had been replaced， sometimes more than once， at Frank’s. Customers don’t come for the ambience （環(huán)境）. It’s crowded and dirty; buckets of parts and boxes of training wheels line the entryway.

The store is filled with about 500 bikes and you will find Mr Arroyo， 72， six days a week. He has been in the bike business since age 14. Born and raised on the Lower East Side， he has employed and taught many young people in the neighborhood. He is also willing to repair bikes in any condition， as well as his neighbors’ walkers and wheelchairs.

English Epps， a lawyer， needed a new seat; his had been stolen. “I’ve been coming here since I was in the third grade，” he said， adding， “There’s a new bike shop on Delancey Street， but everybody comes here.”

4. Why did Michiels wheel his bike to Frank’s Bike Shop？

A. It is near his home. B. It offers free coffee.

C. Its owner is his friend. D. Its service is excellent.

5. What can we learn about Mr Priess’s bike？

A. It is too old to ride. B. It is dirty but fashionable.

C. It was recently bought at Frank’s. D. It has gone through many repairs.

6. What words can best describe Mr Arroyo？

A. Skilled and caring. B. Careful and determined.

C. Positive and talkative. D. Well-educated and friendly.

7. What can we infer from Epps’s words？

A. Bike repair is unrealistic badly. B. Frank’s Bike Shop is popular.

C. There is little market for new bikes. D. Frank’s Bike Shop faces strong competition.

C

In a small house in Belgrade， a teenage girl is drying her hair， while two others eat nearby. It is another busy day for Svratiste， which is Belgrade’s first center for children who live on the streets. For years， the building has provided warmth and shelter for the city’s most ignored children.

Since opening in 2007， Svratiste has welcomed hundreds of children， some as young as five years old. They come here to warm up， wash or eat. The kids that come to the center are all aged 5 to 15. What’s common for all of them is that they work in the street and live in extreme poverty （貧窮）. Also very few ever go to school.

Svratiste’s team of 13 social workers， psychologists and other experts have welcomed more than 1，400 children over the years. Money for the group’s operations comes from donations. Some people regularly bring in clothes and other aid. The group set up another center in a new part of town. Usually， the two centers are open every day. But both were sealed off because of restrictions when the pandemic started. When Belgrade reopened， most of the children came back.

The Svratiste team has tried to help the children get to know their city by visiting playgrounds and theaters. An important effort has been to include them in the education system and make sure they stay. Bosko Markovic， now 18， first came to Svratiste five years ago. With the center’s help， he has finished high school and now wants to be a policeman. Therefore， Svratiste has made him a better person.

8. What can we learn about Svratiste？

A. It is a barbershop free for kids. B. It is a restaurant designed for kids.

C. It is a street full of working kids. D. It is a place for poor and homeless kids.

9. What is Paragraph 2 mainly about？

A. The kids Svratiste helps. B. Svratiste’s team members.

C. The efforts Svratiste has made. D. The way Svratiste helps the kids.

10. What does the underlined phrase “sealed off” in Paragraph 3 mean？

A. Changed. B. Separated. C. Closed. D. Decorated.

11. What can we infer about Bosko Markovic？

A. He has an impractical dream. B. He will repay Svratiste for its help.

C. He benefits a lot from Svratiste. D. He plans to attend college in his city.

D

Valerie Bolduc is exploring a path under a four-lane highway to fit wildlife cameras， when she gets stuck in the mud. “I am really stuck，” says the road ecology student， trying to pull her feet out of a stream bed that travels through the concrete culvert （涵洞） of Quebec Route 117. “I do not want to be a deer going through that.”

Bolduc’s bad experience makes the risks for wild animals using the same path evident.

A warming climate is pushing many animals to migrate toward higher latitudes （緯度地區(qū)） to remain within their desirable environments， but that comes with risks as they cross dangerous areas， such as highways. In eastern Canada， Bolduc and other researchers and conservationists are trying to preserve safe corridors （走廊） for wildlife.

The motion-activated cameras they have brought will record which species are using the tunnels. An outward-facing camera will identify what animals approach but do not enter， perhaps prevented by traffic noise， the tunnel’s size or other factors.

Bolduc explains that this highway running through southern Quebec separates a series of Canadian national and regional parks on either side， along with their animal populations. “It’s super important，” she notes， “because the animals want to move north and they encounter these. And then， can they move through？ Will they get hit by a car？ We’ll need to figure that out. And we need to help them. At least I want to help them.”

After finishing fitting their cameras on the northbound side of the highway， Bolduc and her team decide they need an alternate path to the other side to avoid another misfortune in the mud. “We’re generally trying to be safe，” Bolduc says， “but for the animals， this is their life！”

12. What can we learn from Bolduc’s experience of being trapped？

A. It is difficult to fit wildlife cameras.

B. She is out of luck during the exploration.

C. Road conditions of the highway are unexpected.

D. It is dangerous for wild animals to cross this area.

13. What do the animals move to higher latitudes for？

A. Less traffic noise. B. Favorable environments.

C. Warmer climate. D. Safe corridors.

14. What is the function of the motion-activated cameras？

A. To photograph wild animals in danger. B. To record the changes in traffic flow.

C. To figure out difficulties wild animals face. D. To record animals in and around the tunnels.

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

A. High Tech Protects Wildlife B. Animal Migration Is Under Threat

C. Ecologists Fear the Future of Wildlife D. Researchers Seek Paths for Animals to Migrate

閱讀七選五

It is easy to assume that wealth and poverty are caused by the choices we make， but chance plays a bigger role than most people want to admit. 16 But realize not all success is due to hard work， and not all poverty is due to laziness. Keep this in mind when judging people， including yourself.

Everything has a price. The price of a busy job is time away from friends and family. The price of spoiling （寵溺） kids is their sheltered life. Most of those prices are hidden. 17 Accepting this， you’ll view things like time and relationships as valuable as cash.

I believe the highest benefit of money is the ability to control your time. Being able to do what you want， when you want， where you want， with whom you want， for as long as you want， provides a lasting happiness greater than any fancy things can offer. 18 Having enough savings to give you time and options never gets old.

19 You have more control over it than your income （收入）. The person who makes $50，000 but only needs $40，000 to be happy is richer than the person who makes $150，000 but needs $151，000 to be happy.

As Napoleon defined， a military talent is the person “who can do the average thing when everyone else is losing his mind”. 20 You don’t need to do amazing things to end up OK. Avoiding terrible mistakes is more powerful than any fancy finance tips.

A. We’re not going to spoil you.

B. Managing money is the same.

C. I want you to believe in the values of hard work.

D. Learning how to live with less is very important.

E. You don’t have to mess up for long periods of time.

F. The excitement of having fancy things wears off quickly.

G. They’re often worth paying， but never ignore that they are true costs.

16. "17. "18. "19. "20.

（十）

閱讀理解

A

A walk through UK’s famous parks and gardens is a gentler way to soak up the country’s atmosphere.

Sheffield Botanical Gardens

The Sheffield Botanical Gardens are situated off Ecclesall Road in Sheffield， England， with 5，000 species of plants on 19 acres of land. Notable structures are the main gateway， the south entrance lodge and a bear pit containing an 8-foot-tall steel statue of an American Black Bear called Robert the Bear.

Hours： Mon—Fri 8 am—4 pm; Sat—Sun 10 am—4 pm

Kensington Gardens

Kensington Gardens are shared by the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea， and sit immediately to the west of Hyde Park， in western central London. The open spaces of Kensington Gardens， Hyde Park， Green Park and St James’s Park form an almost continuous “green lung” in the heart of London.

Hours： Mon—Sun 6 am—7：45 pm

Tatton Park

Tatton Park is owned by the National Trust， which administers it jointly with Cheshire East Council. Since 1999， it has hosted North West England’s annual Royal Horticultural （園藝的） Society Flower Show.

Hours： Mon Closed; Tue—Sun 10 am—5 pm

Glasgow Botanic Gardens

The botanical garden features several glasshouses. The Gardens have a wide variety of temperate and tropical flora （植物群）， an herb garden， a chronological bed with plants arranged according to their introduction to Scotland， the UK’s national collection of tree ferns （蕨類植物） and a world rose garden officially opened in 2003 by Princess Tomohito of Mikasa.

Hours： Mon—Sun 7 am—6 pm

1. Which garden can you visit if you are interested in various plants？

A. Tatton Park. B. Kensington Gardens.

C. Sheffield Botanical Gardens. D. Glasgow Botanic Gardens.

2. What is special about Kensington Gardens？

A. They open six days a week.

B. They are owned by the National Trust.

C. They have a world-famous bear statue.

D. They are considered a “green lung” of London.

3. What can you do in Glasgow Botanic Gardens？

A. Enjoy a variety of roses. B. Visit some royal palaces.

C. Go hunting in tropical forests. D. Attend an annual flower show.

B

When I was in primary school， my favorite place was the library. I was the kid who got shouted at for trying to bring home sixty books at a time because I just couldn’t decide which world I wanted to experience that week. I remember spending my weekends glued to a book， hungering for experiencing lives other than my own. Up until middle school， reading was a passion （酷愛） of mine.

Something changed after I entered senior high school though. All of a sudden， reading was a task that I could not avoid fast enough. The books that I read in school bored me， or even if I enjoyed the books themselves， the difficult homework we completed based on those books made me hate reading as a whole.

It actually wasn’t until recently that I rediscovered my love for reading. How？ You may ask. Audiobooks （有聲書）. Last summer， I spent every morning taking long walks while listening to them， and I would find myself lost in the stories for hours. And now I’m rediscovering my passion for reading. I feel that pull again. That desire.

My love story with reading may have had a happy ending， but not everyone is as lucky as me. What went wrong？

When a child is told to read for twenty minutes every night， they will read for the required amount of time and then check the task off on their list. In this way， reading has suddenly become a boring task instead of an exciting experience.

Making sure that kids keep their passion for reading will require us to rethink how we teach reading in schools and how we introduce books to children outside of school as well. There needs to be less of a focus on meeting reading requirement and more of a focus on creating an environment in which students are actually excited to read.

4. Which word can best describe the author’s love for books before high school？

A. Confusing. B. Crazy. C. Secret. D. Short-lived.

5. Why did the author once hate reading？

A. She couldn’t choose what to read. B. Reading was a task.

C. She was given too many books to read. D. High school books were difficult.

6. What does the underlined word “pull” in Paragraph 3 probably mean？

A. Attraction. B. Duty. C. Annoyance. D. Influence.

7. What advice does the author give in the last paragraph？

A. Give kids various reading tasks. B. Encourage kids to keep reading.

C. Ensure kids themselves want to read. D. Develop kids’ interest in audiobooks.

C

Sue Hendrickson is a self-taught fossil （化石） hunter. As a kid， Sue Hendrickson often walked with her head down. “People said， ‘Look up. Smile！’” she says. “Now， I realize I was born to look for things and just didn’t know it.”

Sue Hendrickson does more than look—she finds valuable things： Shipwrecks （沉船） with treasure， ancient sunken cities， and in 1990， she found Sue， the world’s largest， most complete Tyrannosaurus rex （T.Rex 霸王龍）.

“I limit the area where I’m going to look，” she says. No one knew the location of the sunken ship San Diego in the Philippines. For a year， Hendrickson and other researchers searched papers and sailors’ diaries. “The descriptions of the ship’s sailors led us to the wreck，” she says. The team also used a tool that can respond to metal. This tool found the San Diego. All the work paid off. The 400-year-old ship was complete， with valuable gold and silver coins.

To find the dinosaur she calls “the biggest animal that ever walked on Earth”， Hendrickson started with maps made to search for oil. What Hendrickson found was the largest and most complete T.Rex found to date. The T.Rex is 42 feet long with 200 bones！ Because it is so complete， scientists were able to infer that Sue walked at about 6 miles per hour and did not run faster than 15 miles an hour. Before Sue was discovered， they thought T.Rex was much faster. To learn more about T.Rex Sue， go to the Field Museum in Chicago.

There’s plenty left to be found， Hendrickson says， including answers to mysterious questions such as how T.Rex lived. “I tell kids that they need to grow up and work them out because all of us old persons haven’t yet！”

8. What is Paragraph 2 mainly about？

A. An ancient city. B. Hendrickson’s hobby.

C. The world’s largest T.Rex. D. Hendrickson’s findings.

9. How did Hendrickson find the sunken ship San Diego？

A. With a self-made tool. B. With the help of oil maps.

C. By starting with research. D. By following sailors’ lead.

10. What can we learn about T.Rex Sue？

A. It was the biggest dinosaur. B. It ran faster than any others.

C. It let people know how T.Rex lived. D. It helped scientists learn about T.Rex.

11. What does Hendrickson advise kids to do？

A. Explore mysteries. B. Respect scientific research.

C. Visit the Field Museum. D. Learn more about fossil hunting.

D

Birds’ feathers are some of the most strikingly variable animal features that can be observed by the eyes. The patterns that we see in birds’ feathers are made up of combinations of scales， bars， and patches （斑點）.

We already know why birds have colored feathers. Generally， the color of feathers may protect a bird from being noticed by the enemy in the environment， or it can make a bird more appealing to potential mates by helping them to stand out. These aspects are well known. A greater mystery has been how the patterns are created.

Dr Ismael Galván and his team studied the color of feathers to see what types of colors were present in birds’ complex feather patterns. The study shows they mainly consist of two types of colors： melanin （黑色素）， which produces a range of black， grey， brown， and orange colors， and carotenoids （類胡蘿卜色素）， which are used to create brighter colors.

Birds cannot produce carotenoids on their own. For feathers with bright colors， birds must consume food items that contain these paints， and the carotenoids circulate through the blood to the feather. Melanin， on the other hand， is produced by special cells in the birds’ bodies.

The team found that about 32% of the species studied have complex color patterns， with the vast majority of these complex patterns produced by melanin rather than carotenoids. If the birds were artists， they would use carotenoids as a broad brush to produce color patches， with melanin as a detail paint brush to produce more complex designs.

But a few birds are exceptions to this rule： Three bird families do have complex patterns without melanin.

12. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 2 refer to？

A. The color. B. The enemy. C. The feather. D. The environment.

13. What will happen if birds can’t get enough carotenoids？

A. They’ll be discovered more easily. B. They’ll get less bright colors.

C. They’ll gradually die out. D. They’ll have more patches.

14. What can we learn about birds from Paragraph 5？

A. They have complex color patterns. B. Melanin plays a greater part in their colors.

C. They are expert in choosing colors. D. 32% of their color patterns are from carotenoids.

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

A. How Do Birds Tell Different Colors？ B. Why Do Birds Have Colored Feathers？

C. Which Color Is Common to Birds？ D. How Do Birds Get Their Colors？

閱讀七選五

Lots of people give you advice on overcoming fear. 16 However， I want to tell you that a world without fear would be more dangerous， less rewarding. So we want to treat fear as a friend？ Here are three reasons.

17 Think about it. Do you get more nervous when you meet the girl （or guy） of your dreams？ Which is more fearful， talking to the boss of your company or to some of your friends？ 18 If you didn’t have fear to guide you， you might not know that！ Not so bad， right？

Next， fear encourages us to take action. Fear is a call to action. In the past， our ancestors didn’t run away in fear when they saw a tiger running toward them but tried to kill it for food. Now， most of us don’t face serious danger like hungry tigers every day， but we do face serious bosses or public speaking. So， what can we do？ 19

Lastly， fear lets you know you are alive. Why do we like roller coasters （過山車）？ 20 Same for horror movies.

So fear can guide you toward what’s important for you and encourage you to take action to improve. Don’t we all need that kind of friend？

A. Don’t fear to be wrong.

B. It frightens us in a mostly safe way.

C. Imagine what life would be like without fear.

D. The first is that fear is an excellent guide to opportunity.

E. They say if you can overcome fear， you will be successful.

F. Fear is showing you what is important and what matters to you.

G. Let fear provide us with the energy to do what needs to be done.

16. "17. "18. "19. "20.