高中英语阅读理解

The International Olympic Committee（IOC）Young Leaders programme empowers talents to make a positive difference in their communities through sport. Twenty﹣five Young Leaders are being selected every two years for a four﹣year period. They promote the Olympic values，spreading the message of sport for good.

To be an IOC Young Leader，you need to first complete the 4﹣Week Learning Sprint（冲刺）.

4﹣Week Learning Sprint

The 4﹣Week Learning Sprint，which will take place during November 2023，is a virtual learning programme. The sessions can be attended live or watched back after they are made available on the IOC channel. Each week，participants will be asked to complete a topic﹣specific reflection task.

The 4﹣Week Learning Sprint is open to anyone，with the target audience aged between 20 and 28.

After successfully completing the 4﹣Week Learning Sprint，you will need to submit a plan for a sport﹣based project，which you will work on if selected as an IOC Young Leader.

Requirements for the Applicants

•You have successfully completed the 4﹣Week Learning Sprint.

•You have completed your high school studies.

•You have at least one year of work experience.

•You have strong public speaking skills.

•You are self﹣motivated and committed.

•You are passionate about creating positive change in your community.

•You are open to being coached and advised by experts and peers（同伴）.

•You are able to work with people from different backgrounds.

（1）In the 4﹣Week Learning Sprint，participants will 　 　.

A．	create change in their community
B．	attend a virtual learning programme
C．	meet people from different backgrounds
D．	promote the IOC Young Leaders project

（2）If selected as an IOC Young Leader, one will need to 　 　.

A．	complete a reflection task each week
B．	watch sports on the IOC channel
C．	work on a sport﹣based project
D．	coach and advise their peers

（3）Which is a requirement for the applicants？ 　 　

A．	Spreading the message of sport for good.
B．	Having at least one﹣year work experience.
C．	Showing great passion for project planning.
D．	Committing themselves to becoming an expert.

Most of us associate learning with younger people-kids in school and college or recent graduates early in their careers. But at Udemy, an open university offering online courses, Artist Anneke Camstra is engaged in the pursuit of lifelong learning and displays her potential for teaching. She loves the experience of gaining new knowledge and also loves sharing it with others. "I'm retired, but an artist never retires," Anneke said. "The last few years on the internet have been a great joy for me. I've taken so many Udemy courses, and ifs such a great feeling to get my brain working again. I find just as much satisfaction in teaching animation (动画制作) too."

She reaches countless people with her online courses and exposes them to what they can accomplish on their own using animation software, such as GoAnimate and PowToon. Her motivation for teaching on Udemy is "to get the tools to the people." "You can go such a long way to make things that look professional but still have your own voice," she explained.

Most of Anneke's students start out thinking they're not creative and can't draw. Anneke understands how fear can get in the way of so many things people dream of doing. With her five-day challenge courses, she helps them get over the fear. Anneke loves the impact she has on her students. What makes her more proud of them is that they have gone from their first animation to creating their own works.

She encourages people of all ages, especially older people, to cultivate their curiosity for life. Grandparents, for example, can learn to use GoAnimate and make animations together with their grandkids.

"Tm an older woman, teaching and having fun learning again," Anneke said, and she wants others later in their lives to catch up with her on this journey.

56. What does Anneke enjoy doing after her retirement? (no more than 10 words)

57. According to Para. 2, what does Anneke expect her students to do with animation software? (no more than 10 words)

58. What is the main idea of Para. 3? (no more than 15 words)

59. Please explain the meaning of the underlined word in Para. 4(1 word)

60. What do you suggest old people learn to do? Please give your reason(s). (no more than 20 words)

Art is everywhere. Any public space has been carefully designed by an artistic mind to be both functional and beautiful. Why, then, is art still so widely considered to be "the easy subject" at school, insignificant to wider society, a waste of time and effort?

Art can connect culture with commercial products in a way that not many other things can; art generates money and holds significant emotional and cultural value within communities. When people attend a concert, they are paying for music, sure, maybe even hotel rooms, meals, and transport, but they also gain an incredible experience, a unique atmosphere and a memory that will go through the rest of their lives. People don't just want material things anymore, they want to experience life -- the arts are a perfect crossover （交迭） between culture and commerce.

Furthermore, the arts can bring communities together, reducing loneliness and making people feel safer. Social bonds are created among individuals when they share their arts experiences through reflection and discussion, and their expression of common values through artworks in honour of events significant to a nation's experience.

The arts clearly have a pretty positive impact on physical and psychological health. It is found that people who frequent cultural places or participate in artistic events are more likely to gain good health compared to those who do not; more engagement with the arts is linked to a higher level of people's wellbeing. The Royal Society of Public Health discovered that music and art, when used in hospitals, help to improve the conditions of patients by reducing stress, anxiety and blood pressure.

Children who are involved with the arts make greater achievements in their education: those engaged with drama have greater literary ability while others taking part in musical practice exhibit greater skills in math and languages. Kids with preference for the arts have a greater chance of finding employment in the future. Participating in the arts is essential for child development; encouraging children to express themselves in constructive ways could help to form healthy emotional responses in later life.

Vital to human life, art is celebrated and used by nations across the world for various purposes. Life without art would be boring and dead still, for art is a part of what makes us human.

51. Art products differ from most other commercial products because .

A．	most people purchase them for collection
B．	they are more expensive and less accessible
C．	they have both commercial and cultural values
D．	their prices may climb up as time passes

52. By sharing their arts experiences, community members can .

A．	keep the community safe from illnesses
B．	develop a stronger tie between them
C．	learn to appreciate their own works of art
D．	offer honourable solutions to their problems

53. What can we learn about people who are involved in artistic activities?

A．	They enjoy better living conditions.
B．	They like to compare themselves with others.
C．	They are particularly good at both music and art.
D．	They tend to be healthier physically and mentally.

54. How does kids' engagement with the arts benefit them?

A．	It promotes their academic performance and emotional growth.
B．	It gives them more confidence in exhibiting their learning skills.
C．	It inspires their creativity in designing their future career.
D．	It helps to make responsible people out of them.

55. What is the best title for this passage?

A．	How Art Cures Our Hearts
B．	Art: A Blessing to Humankind
C．	How Art Benefits Communities
D．	Art: A Bridge Between Cultures

In the fictional worlds of film and TV, artificial intelligence （ Al ） has been described as so advanced that it is indistinguishable from humans. But what if we're actually getting closer to a world where Al is capable of thinking and feeling?

Tech company UneeQ is heading for its "digital humans", which appear life like on the screen not only in terms of language, but also because of facial movements: raised eyebrows, a smile, even a nod. They look close to a human, but not quite.

What lies beneath UneeQ9 s digital humans? Their 3D faces are modeled on actual human features. Speech recognition enables them to understand what a person is saying, and natural language processing is used to work out a response. Meanwhile, another Al company, Soul Machines, is taking a more biological approach, with a "digital brain", that imitates aspects of the human brain to adjust the emotions "felt" and "expressed" by its "digital people".

Shiwali Mohan, an Al scientist at the Palo Research Center, is skeptical of these digital beings. "They're humanlike in their looks and the way they sound, but that in itself is not being human," she says. "Human qualities also involve how you think, how you approach problems, and how you break them down; and that takes a lot of algorithmic ( 算 法) design. Designing for human-level intelligence is a different attempt than designing images that behave like humans." She then continues, "If something looks like a human, we have high expectations of them, but they might behave differently in ways that humans just instinctively ( 直觉地) know how other humans react.

Yet the demand is there, with UneeQ seeing high adoption of its digital employees across the financial, health care, and commercial sectors （行业） . "Unless these sectors make their business models much more efficient digitally, they might be left behind," says Chetan Dube, UneeQ9s CEO.

Some other companies are taking their digital beings a step further, enabling organizations and individuals to create digital humans themselves using free-access platforms they provide. "The biggest motivation for such platforms is to popularize Al," Dube says.

Mohan is cautious about this approach, yet she supports the purpose behind these digital beings and is optimistic about where they are headed. "As we develop more advanced Al technology, we would then have to use new ways of communicating with that technology, she says. "'Hopefully, all of that is designed to support humans in their goals."

46. According to Para. 2, in what respect （ s ） do UneeQ9s "digital humans" resemble human beings?

A．	In the way they move around.
B．	In the way they act and react.
C．	In observation and analysis.
D．	In speech and facial expressions.

47. Soul Machines' digital brain is a technological breakthrough because it .

A．	learns to make proper emotional responses
B．	tends to imitate human beings' tone vividly
C．	recognizes the speech sounds it receives
D．	processes the natural language it hears

48. In Mohan's opinion, what human quality is lacking in digital beings?

A．	Calculating brain.
B．	B Language skills.
C．	Instinctive judgements.
D．	Problem-solving ability.

49. What makes many sectors employ digital humans?

A．	The fear of falling behind in efficiency.
B．	The urgency to promote e-commerce.
C．	The wish to spread digital technology.
D．	The need to upgrade the health care system.

50. What does Mohan think of the future of digital beings?

A．	It's well planned.
B．	It is promising.
C．	It is uncertain.
D．	It's quite hopeless.

When people ask me how I started writing, I find myself describing an urgent need that I felt to work with language. Having said that, I did not know for a long time what I was looking for. It was not until I followed this feeling to its source that I discovered I had a passion for writing. With some encouragement from my colleagues, I had one of my poems published. This bit of success, however, was the point where my problem began.

Back in 1978, I had to travel between three different campuses in the morning, teaching freshman composition. Afternoons I spent taking my daughter to her ballet and horse-riding lessons. I composed my lectures on the way, and that was all the thinking time I had. When I returned home, there was not enough of me left for writing after a full working day.

As a way out, I decided to get up two hours before my usual time. My alarm was set for 5:00 A.M. The first day I shut it off because I had placed it within arm's reach. The second day I set two clocks, one on my night table, and one out in the hallway. I had to jump out of bed and run to silence it before my family was awoken. This was when my morning writing began.

Since that first morning in 1978, I have been following the habit to this day, not making or accepting many excuses for not writing. I wrote my poems in this manner for nearly ten years before my first book was published. When I decided to write a novel, I divided my two hours: the first for poetry, the second for fiction. Well or badly, I wrote at least two pages a day. This is how my novel, The Line of the Sun. was finished. If I had waited to have the time, I would still be waiting to write my novel.

What I got out of getting up in the dark to work is the feeling that I am in control. For many people, the initial sense of urgency to create easily dies away because it requires making the tough decision: taking the time to create, stealing it from yourself if ifs the only way.

41. What motivated the author to start her writing career?

A．	Her strong wish to share.
B．	Her keen interest in writing.
C．	Her urgent need to make a living.
D．	Her passionate desire for fame.

42. What problem did the author face when she decided to begin her writing?

A．	She was too exhausted to write after a busy day.
B．	She had trouble in deciding on her writing style.
C．	She had to take time to discipline her daughter.
D．	She was unsure about her writing skills.

43. Why did the author place an alarm clock in the hallway?

A．	In case the clock in her room broke down.
B．	In case she failed to hear the ringing.
C．	To force herself out of bed.
D．	To wake up her family.

44. How did the author manage to finish her novel?

A．	By sticking to writing every morning.
B．	By writing when her mind was most active.
C．	By drawing inspirations from classic novels.
D．	By reducing her teaching hours at school.

45. What can we learn from the author's success in her writing career?

A．	It is never too late to change your job.
B．	Imaginative ideas die away if not taken in time.
C．	A tight schedule is no excuse for lack of action.
D．	Daily life provides ideas for creative writing.

When starting college, most students enjoy a week's stay on campus before classes actually begin. What should you do with that time? Below are several tips to ease （使熟悉） yourself into college life.

Participating in Campus Welcome Activities

Most universities host welcome events before the academic year officially begins, including freshmen orientations （迎新会）， campus picnics, and entertainments like concerts.

Participating in such events is a great way to learn about school facilities and understand campus culture: What do students do for fun? What are their favorite classes? What is the history of your university? It can help you observe campus life outside the classroom.

Exploring Campus

Getting to know where essential campus resources are-such as the student advising center, psychological services, and the tutoring center~~will make your first few weeks on campus a lot easier, because you won't have to look for them while still getting used to your classes.

Take some time to check out the buildings where your classes will be held. This will prevent you from getting lost in the first few days of classes, and familiarize you with how long it takes to get from place to place. If you're worried about taking classes one after another in different buildings, a quick test run won't hurt. That way, you will avoid potential time delays in getting to your classes.

Starting a Routine

Before getting too excited about all of the fun things you will be able to do during the week, remember that you do have a pretty big schedule change coming up. Starting classes means being in different places at different times, so it's a great idea to start getting used to that routine right this week.

What helps you most is to schedule your sleep. Following the planned time will ensure you have enough sleep to get to those early classes and stay wide awake.

If you have other daily routines, such as exercising or talking on the phone with family, work those into your day-to-day life before classes start so that you get a better idea of how they fit in with your schedule.

36. By participating in campus welcome activities, freshmen can .

A．	learn about campus culture
B．	get their course schedule
C．	have a physical examination
D．	take an entrance test

37. Why are freshmen advised to have a quick test run between buildings ?

A．	To see how many facilities they can use.
B．	To avoid being late for future classes.
C．	To help those getting lost on campus.
D．	To practice running on their way to class.

38. When is it best for freshmen to start getting used to the new routine?

A．	On the first day of their classes.
B．	Before the orientation week.
C．	After their first-day classes.
D．	During the orientation week.

39. What does the author suggest freshmen do to stay focused in class?

A．	Take physical exercise before class.
B．	Leave their phones powered off.
C．	Take early classes every day.
D．	D Keep to the sleep schedule.

40. What is the author's purpose in writing this passage?

A．	To offer some tips on making an easier start at college.
B．	To remind freshmen about the first day of school.
C．	To help freshmen organize campus activities.
D．	To share his college experience with the reader.

An Australian professor is developing a robot to monitor the health of grazing cattle, a development that could bring big changes to a profession that's relied largely on a low-tech approach for decades but is facing a labor shortage.

Salah Sukkarieh, a professor at the University of Sydney, sees robots as necessary given how cattlemen are aging. He is building a four-wheeled robot that will run on solar and electric power. It will use cameras and sensors to monitor the animals. A computer system will analyze the video to determine whether a cow is sick. Radio tags （标签）on the animals will measure temperature changes. The quality of grassland will be tracked by monitoring the shape，color and texture （质地） of grass. That way， cattlemen will know whether they need to move their cattle to another field for nutrition purposes.

Machines have largely taken over planting, watering and harvesting crops such as com and wheat, but the monitoring of cattle has gone through fewer changes.

For Texas cattleman Pete Bonds, it's increasingly difficult to find workers interested in watching cattle. But Bonds doesn't believe a robot is right for the job. Years of experience in the industry - and failed attempts to use technology - have convinced him that the best way to check cattle is with a man on a horse. Bonds, who bought his first cattle almost 50 years ago, still has each of his cowboys inspect 300 or 400 cattle daily and look for signs that an animal is getting sick.

Other cattlemen see more promise in robots. Michael Kelsey Paris, vice president of the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association, said a robot could be extremely useful given rising concems about cattle theft. Cattle tend to be kept in remote places and their value has risen, making them appealing targets.

12.What is a problem with the cattle-raising industry?

A．	Soil pollution.	B．	Lack of workers.
C．	Aging machines.	D．	Low profitability.

13. What will Sukkarieh's robot be able to do?

A．	Monitor the quality of grass.	B．	Cure the diseased cattle.
C．	Move cattle to another field.	D．	Predict weather changes.

14.Why does Pete Bonds still hire cowboys to watch cattle?

A．	He wants to help them earn a living.	B．	He thinks men can do the job better.
C．	He is inexperienced in using robots.	D．	He enjoys the traditional way of life.

15.How may robots help with cattle watching according to Michael Kelsey?

A．	Increase the value of cattle.	B．	Bring down the cost of labor.
C．	Make the job more appealing.	D．	Keep cattle from being stolen.

A British woman who won a S1 million prize after she was named the World's Best Teacher will use the cash to bring inspirational figures into UK schools.

Andria Zafirakou,a north London secondary school teacher, said she wanted to bring about a classroom revolution （变革）. "We are going to make a change，＂she said.＂I＇ve started a project to promote the teaching of the arts in our schools."

The project results from the difficulties many schools have in getting artists of any sort - whether an up-and-coming local musician or a major movie star - into schools to work with and inspire children.

Zafirakou began the project at Alperton Community School, her place of work for the past twelve years. "I've seen those magic moments when children are talking to someone they are inspired by - their eyes are shining and their faces light up," she said. "We need artists . more than ever in our schools."

Artist Michael Craig-Martin said: "Andria's brilliant project to bring artists from all fields into direct contact with children is particularly welcome at a time when the arts are being downgraded in schools." It was a mistake to see the arts as unnecessary, he added.

Historian Sir Simon Schama is also a supporter of the project. He said that arts education in schools was not just an add-on. "It is absolutely necessary. The future depends on creativity and creativity depends on the young. What will remain of us when artificial intelligence takes over will be our creativity, and it is our creative spirit, our visionary sense of freshness,that has been our strength for centuries."

8.What will Zafirakou do with her prize money?

A．	Make a movie.	B．	Build new schools.
C．	Run a project.	D．	Help local musicians.

9.What does Craig-Martin think of the teaching of the arts in UK schools?

A．	It is particularly difficult.	B．	It increases artists' income.
C．	It opens children's mind.	D．	It deserves greater attention.

10.What should be stressed in school education according to Schama?

A．	Moral principles.	B．	Interpersonal skills.
C．	Creative abilities.	D．	Positive worldviews.

11.Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．	Bring Artists to Schools	B．	When Historians Meet Artists
C．	Arts Education in Britain	D．	The World's Best Arts Teacher

I have worked as a keeper at the National Zoo.paris for 11 years. Spot and Stripe are the first tiger cubs（幼兽）that have ever been born here. Globally， a third of Sumatran cubs in zoos don't make it to adulthood, so I decided to give them round-the-clock care at home.

I've got two children - the younger one, Kynan, was extremely happy about the tigers arriving - but all of us really looked forward to being part of their lives and watching them grow. I wasn't worried about bringing them into my home with my wife and kids. These were cubs. They weighed about 2.5 kg and were so small that there was absolutely no risk.

As they grew more mobile, we let them move freely around the house during the day, but when we were asleep we had to contain them in a large room, otherwise they'd get up to mischief. We'd come down in the morning to find they'd turned the room upside down, and left it looking like a zoo.

Things quickly got very intense due to the huge amount of energy required to look after them. There were some tough times and I just felt extremely tired. I was grateful that my family was there to help. We had to have a bit of a production line going, making up "tiger milk", washing baby bottles, and cleaning the floors.

When Spot and Stripe were four months old, they were learning how to open doors and jump fences, and we knew it really was time for them to go. It was hard for us to finally part with them. For the first few days, Kynan was always a bit disappointed that the cubs weren't there.

I'm not sad about it. I'm hands-on with them every day at the zoo, and I do look back very fondly on the time that we had them.

4.Why did the author bring the tiger cubs home?

A．	To ensure their survival.	B．	To observe their differences.
C．	To teach them life skills.	D．	To let them play with his kids.

5. What do the underlined words "get up to mischief' mean in paragraph 3?

A．	Behave badly.	B．	Lose their way.
C．	Sleep soundly.	D．	Miss their mom.

6.What did the author think of raising the tiger cubs at home?

A．

Boring.

B．

Tiring.

C．

Costly.

D．

Risky.

7.Why did the author decide to send Spot and Stripe back to the zoo?

A．	They frightened the children.	B．	They became difficult to contain.
C．	They annoyed the neighbours.	D．	They started fighting each other.

Things to Do in Yorkshire This Summer

Harrogate Music Festival

Since its birth,Harrogate Music Festival has gone from strength to strength.This year, we are celebrating our 50th anniversary. We begin on 1st June with Manchester Camerata and Nicola Benedetti,presenting an amazing programme of Mozart pieces.

Dates:1 June-31 July

Tickets:£12-£96

Jodie's Fitness Summer Classes

As the summer months roll in, our Georgian country estate makes the perfect setting for an outdoor fitness session. Come and work out with our qualified personal trainer, Jodie McGregor,on the grounds of the Middleton Lodge estate.

We will be holding a free taster session on 23rd May,at 10 am, to demonstrate the variety of effective and active exercises. There are eight spaces available for the taster session. Advance bookings are required([e-mail])

Dates:23 May-11 July

Tickets: £7.50 per session

Felt Picture Making

Working from an inspirational picture,this workshop at Helmsley Arts Centre will teach you the techniques you will need to recreate your picture in wool.

We will also discuss the origins of felt（毛毡），what enables wool fibres to become felt and how the processes we use work.

Dates: 12 June-12 July

Tickets: £40 including materials

Figure It Out!-Playing with Math

A new exhibition in Halifax uses everyday activities to explain the hidden math principles we all use on a regular basis. Pack a bag, cut a cake, guess which juice container holds the most liquid,and much more.Discover how architects, product designers and scientists use similar skills in their work.

Dates:7 May-10 June

Tickets:Free

1.What should you do if you want to attend the taster session of Jodie's fitness classes?

A．	Join a fitness club.	B．	Pay a registration fee.
C．	Make a booking.	D．	Hire a personal trainer.

2. How much is the ticket for Felt Picture Making?

A．

£7.50.

B．

£12.

C．

£40.

D．

£96.

3.Which of the following starts earliest?

A．	Harrogate Music Festival.	B．	Jodie's Fitness Summer Classes.
C．	Felt Picture Making.	D．	Figure It Out!-Playing with Math.

Recent research suggests that if an argument gets resolved，the emotional response tied to it is significantly reduced or almost completely erased．Thus，it may be worth bringing up issues with your friends， family members，or classmates rather than holding them back．

There is a difference between arguing and fighting．Arguing is that you and your opponent present your concerns and discuss the feelings and issues related to those concerns．You can engage in an argument respectfully without stirring up（激起） anger．Fighting，however，usually involves personal attacks，raising of voices， and storming out．Discussing your issues and resolving them instead of stuffing them down can improve your emotional health．In a study，2.000 people were asked to record their feelings and experiences for eight days in a row．When people had an argument that they considered resolved， they had half the reactivity （情绪反应） of those who avoided an argument．Reactivity is an increase in negative emotions or a decrease in positive emotions．In other words，resolving an argument cuts your negative feelings by half．One day later， people who had a resolved argument reported no increase of negative emotions compared with those who avoided an argument． This means that resolving an argument can feel like you have reached a state of resolution-and you are less likely to be annoyed．

Moreover，the older you are，the more likely you will come to a resolution after an argument．This may be because more life experience usually leads to more defined priorities．You are more likely to distinguish between what matters and what does not．

It is easier to avoid a discussion，but risking talking about it may eventually lead to a better outcome．

40. According to this passage，what is arguing？

41. Why is it that "the older you are， the more likely you will come to a resolution after an argument"？

42. Please decide which part is false in the following statement，then underline it and explain why．

Resolving arguments can improve your emotional health，because it increases your reactivity and reduces the chance of you getting angry．

43. In addition to improving emotional health，what do you think are some other benefits of resolving an argument？ （In about 40 words）

Early fifth-century philosopher St．Augustine famously wrote that he knew what time was unless someone asked him．Albert Einstein added another wrinkle when he theorized that time varies depending on where you measure it．Today's state-of-the-art atomic（原子的） clocks have proven Einstein right．Even advanced physics can't decisively tell us what time is, because the answer depends on the question you're asking．

Forget about time as an absolute．What if，instead of considering time in terms of astronomy, we related time to ecology？What if we allowed environmental conditions to set the tempo（节奏） of human life？We're increasingly aware of the fact that we can't control Earth systems with engineering alone，and realizing that we need to moderate（调节）our actions if we hope to live in balance．What if our definition of time reflected that？

Recently，I conceptualized a new approach to timekeeping that's connected to circumstances on our planet，conditions that might change as a result of global warming．We're now building a clock at the Anchorage Museum that reflects the total flow of several major Alaskan rivers，which are sensitive to local and global environmental changes．We've programmed it to match an atomic clock if the waterways continue to flow at their present rate．If the rivers run faster in the future on average，the clock will get ahead of standard time．If they run slower，you'll see the opposite effect．

The clock registers both short-term irregularities and long-term trends in river dynamics．It's a sort of observatory that reveals how the rivers are behaving from their own temporal frame（时间框架），and allows us to witness those changes on our smartwatches or phones．Anyone who opts to go on Alaska Mean River Time will live in harmony with the planet．Anyone who considers river time in relation to atomic time will encounter a major imbalance and may be motivated to counteract it by consuming less fuel or supporting greener policies．

Even if this method of timekeeping is novel in its particulars，early agricultural societies also connected time to natural phenomena．In pre-Classical Greece，for instance，people"corrected"official calendars by shifting dates forward or backward to reflect the change of season．Temporal connection to the environment was vital to their survival．Likewise，river time and other timekeeping systems we're developing may encourage environmental awareness．

When St．Augustine admitted his inability to define time， he highlighted one of time 's most noticeable qualities：Time becomes meaningful only in a defined context．Any timekeeping system is valid，and each is as praiseworthy as its purpose．

31. What is the main idea of Paragraph 1？

A．	Timekeeping is increasingly related to nature．
B．	Everyone can define time on their own terms．
C．	The qualities of time vary with how you measure it．
D．	Time is a major concern of philosophers and scientists．

32. The author raises three questions in Paragraph 2 mainly to__________．

A．	present an assumption	B．	evaluate an argument
C．	highlight an experiment	D．	introduce an approach

33. What can we learn from this passage？

A．	Those who do not go on river time will live an imbalanced life．
B．	New ways of measuring time can help to control Earth systems．.
C．	Atomic time will get ahead of river time if the rivers run slower．
D．	Modern technology may help to shape the rivers' temporal frame．

34. What can we infer from this passage？

A．	It is crucial to improve the definition of time．
B．	A fixed frame will make time meaningless．
C．	We should live in harmony with nature．
D．	History is a mirror reflecting reality．

Hundreds of scientists，writers and academics sounded a warning to humanity in an open letter published last December：Policymakers and the rest of us must engage openly with the risk of global collapse．Researchers in many areas have projected the widespread collapse as"a credible scenario（情景） this century"．

A survey of scientists found that extreme weather events，food insecurity，and freshwater shortages might create global collapse．Of course，if you are a non-human species，collapse is well underway．

The call for public engagement with the unthinkable is especially germanein this moment of still-uncontrolled pandemic and economic crises in the world's most technologically advanced nations．Not very long ago，it was also unthinkable that a virus would shut down nations and that safety nets would be proven so disastrously lacking in flexibility．

The international scholars' warning letter doesn't say exactly what collapse will look like or when it might happen．Collapseology，the study of collapse，is more concerned with identifying trends and with them the dangers of everyday civilization．Among the signatories（签署者）of the warning was Bob Johnson，the originator of the"ecological footprint"concept，which measures the total amount of environmental input needed to maintain a given lifestyle．With the current footprint of humanity，"it seems that global collapse is certain to happen in some form，possibly within a decade，certainly within this century，"Johnson said in an email．

Only if we discuss the consequences of our biophysical limits, the December warning letter says，can we have the hope to reduce their "speed，severity and harm"．And yet messengers of the coming disturbance are likely to be ignored．We all want to hope things will turn out fine．As a poet wrote，

Man is a victi m of dope（麻醉品）

In the incurable form of hope ．

The hundreds of scholars who signed the letter are intent（执着） on quieting hope that ignores preparedness．"Let's look directly into the issue of collapse，"hey say，"and deal with the terrible possibilities of what we see there to make the best of a troubling future．"

28. What does the underlined word "germane" in Paragraph 3 probably mean？

A．	Scientific．	B．	Credible．
C．	Original．	D．	Relevant．

29. As for the public awareness of global collapse，the author is__________．

A．	worried	B．	puzzled
C．	surprised	D．	scared

30. What can we learn from this passage？

A．	The signatories may change the biophysical limits．
B．	The author agrees with the message of the poem．
C．	The issue of collapse is being prioritized．
D．	The global collapse is well underway．

I remember the day during our first week of class when we were informed about our semester（学期） project of volunteering at a non-profit organization．When the teacher introduced us to the different organizations that needed our help，my last choice was Operation Iraqi Children （OIC）．My first impression of the organization was that it was not going to make enough of a difference with the plans I had in mind．

Then，an OIC representative gave us some details，which somewhat interested me．After doing some research， I believed that we could really do something for those kids．When I went online to the OIC website，I saw pictures of the Iraqi children．Their faces were so powerful in sending a message of their despair（绝望） and need that I joined this project without hesitation．We decided to collect as many school supplies as possible，and make them into kits--one kit，one child．

The most rewarding day for our group was project day，when all the efforts we put into collecting the items finally came together．When I saw the various supplies we had collected，it hit me that every kit we were to build that day would eventually be in the hands of an Iraqi child．Over the past four months，I had never imagined how I would feel once our project was completed．While making the kits，I realized that I had lost sight of the true meaning behind it．I had only focused on the fact that it was another school project and one I wanted to get a good grade on．When the kits were completed，and ready to be sent overseas，the warm feeling I had was one I would never forget．

In the beginning，I dared myself to make a difference in the life of another person．Now that our project is over，I realize that I have affected not only one life，but ten．With our efforts，ten young boys and girls will now be able to further their education．

24.How did the author feel about joining the OIC project in the beginning？

A．	It would affect his/her initial plans．
B．	It would involve traveling overseas．
C．	It would not bring him/her a good grade．
D．	It would not live up to his/her expectations．

25. What mainly helped the author change his/her attitude toward the project？

A．	Images of Iraqi children．	B．	Research by his/her classmates．
C．	A teacher's introduction．	D．	A representative's comments．

26. The author's OIC project group would help ten Iraqi children to__________．.

A．	become OIC volunteers	B．	further their education
C．	study in foreign countries	D．	influence other children

27. What can we conclude from this passage？

A．	One's potential cannot always be underrated．
B．	First impression cannot always be trusted．
C．	Actions speak louder than words．
D．	He who hesitates is lost．

If you are planning to start a career in the field of education，science，or culture，then an internship（实习） at UNESCO will be ideal for you．

Who can apply ？

         You have completed your full-time university studies；or

         You are studying in a graduate program for a master's degree．

         Applicants in technical assignments must have reached the last year of their studies in a technical institution．

What are the requirements ？

         You must be at least 20 years old．

         You should have a good command （掌握） of either English or French．

         You must have an excellent knowledge of office-related software．

         You should be able to work well in a team and adapt to an international working environment．

         You should possess strong interpersonal and communication skills．

What do you need to prepare ？

         Visa：You should obtain the necessary visas．

         Travel：You must arrange and finance your travel to and from the location where you will do your internship．

         Medical insurance：You must show proof of a comprehensive health insurance valid（有效的）in the target country for the entire period of the internship．UNESCO will provide limited insurance coverage up to USD30,000 for the internship period．

         Medical certificate：You must provide a medical certificate indicating you are fit to work．

         Motivation letter：You should have your motivation letter ready before filling out the application form．

Your application will be accessed by UNESCO managers and will stay in our database for six months．We do not respond to every candidate．If selected，you will be contacted by a manager．If you do not receive any update within six months，it means that your application has not been successful．

21. According to this passage，applicants are required to_________．

A．	hold a master's degree in science
B．	have international work experience
C．	be fluent in either English or French
D．	present a letter from a technical institution

22. What will UNESCO provide for the internship period？

A．	Limited medical insurance coverage．
B．	Training in communication skills．
C．	A medical certificate for work．
D．	Financial support for travel．

23. What should applicants do before filling out the application form？

A．	Contact UNESCO managers．	B．	Get access to the database．
C．	Keep a motivation letter at hand．	D．	Work in a team for six months．