阅读理解

The Bay Area Science Festival is back! Going into its 11th year, the festival is offering a great mix of both in-person and virtual events for the curious of all ages. It previously was held in the fall, but due to regional wildfires, the festival has been moved to the spring this year and will begin on Thursday, April 21 — in time to celebrate Earth Day on Friday, April 22 — and run through April 30. Here are a few recommendations related to environmental science.

Changing Shorelines

April 25, 2022, 6 p. m. — 7 p. m.

This in-person tour and walk through the history of south San Francisco's shoreline will be an exploration of how both climate change and sea-level rise have affected the shifts in our shorelines—and you'll learn about ways to protect them.

Wildfire from Space

April 26, 2022, 7 p. m. — 8 p. m.

Our very own KQED event, hosted by Robert Simmons from Planet Labs, offers virtual and in-person opportunities to learn about wildfires through satellite imagery. See wildfires from space and learn how the latest satellite technology helps agencies and communities manage emergency response during burns.

Virtual Tour of Recology

April 27, 2022, 1 p. m. — 2 p. m.

What happens to the items you place in your roadside bins? This virtual event will help you learn about the history of Recology, what it takes to recycle all that stuff, and what you can do to create change that has impact.

Greywater and Wetlands

April 30, 2022, 2 p. m. — 4 p. m.

This in-person tour of the EcoCenter will explore environmental justice themes through the history of the Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood. You'll learn how a shipping terminal became a restored wetland habitat. Plus, you'll have a chance to transplant the native salt grass that helps restore wetlands and provides habitat for migrating birds.

1. （1） Which of the following is a suitable time for people to attend the Science Festival?

   A . On April 20. B . On May 21. C . On April 22. D . On May 30.
3. （2） If you are interested in the recycling of household waste, which event is the best choice?

   A . Wildfire from Space. B . Virtual Tour of Recology. C . Changing Shorelines. D . Greywater and Wetlands.
5. （3） What do the four events at the festival have in common?

   A . They are held in the fall this year.      B . They are designed for all teenagers. C . They are both online and offline activities.      D . Environmental science is a common theme.

 阅读理解

As the fifth of seven children, I went to the same public school as my three elder sisters and brother. Every year, my mother went to the same ceremony and had parent-child interviews with teachers. And every child participated in an old school tradition — the annual plant sale held in early May, just timely for Mother's Day. What was different was the child.

Third grade was the first time I was allowed to join in the plant sale. Originally, I wanted to surprise my mother. For lack of enough money, I went to my eldest sister and shared my thought, after which she supported me financially. When arriving at the plant sale, I carefully made my selection, inspecting each plant for the best geranium (天竺葵) and taking it home in secret. When Mother's Day arrived, I remember how proud and delighted my mother was to receive the special gift.

The year I was fifteen, my younger sister reached third grade. In early May, she came to me full of wonder and secrecy and told me that a plant sale was to be held at school. As my elder sister did for me, I gave her some money and off she went. She arrived home full of nervous excitement, the geranium hidden in a paper bag under her sweater. "I looked at every plant," she explained, "and I know I got the best one!"

When she gave my mother the geranium, they were both bursting with pride and delight. My mother also noticed me and gave me a soft, secret smile. With a tug at my heart, I smiled back. I had been wondering how my mother could pretend to be surprised at this gift from her sixth child, but as I watched her eyes light up with delight as she was presented with that most precious gift, I knew she was not pretending. 

1. （1） What can we learn from the first paragraph?

   A . Our siblings were from different schools. B . Mother repeatedly went for similar interviews. C . The annual plant sale was intended for recreation. D . The old school tradition was held every other year.
3. （2） Why did my mother give me a soft, secret smile?

   A . Because she didn't like the gift at all. B . Because she was pretending to be happy. C . Because she knew I gave money to my sister. D . Because she didn't want me to let out the secret.
5. （3） Which of the following best describes the author?

   A . Reliable. B . Considerate. C . Honest D . Frank.
7. （4） What's the suitable title for this passage?

   A . Secret smile B . Mother's Day C . Geranium of love D . Annual plant sale

 阅读理解

Campaigns to protect the natural world are getting increasingly ambitious. But although there is convincing evidence that protected areas prevent habitat loss, proof that they actually benefit wildlife is surprisingly scanty. Now, the first large study of its kind shows nature reserves can increase waterbird populations, but typically only if humans take an active role in their management. 

To understand the impact of nature reserves, conservation scientist Hannah Wauchope decided to analyze populations of waterbird species. First, the team identified 1506 protected areas that had population data from both before and after they were created. Then, they paired each reserve with one or more control sites — a similar patch of nearby habitat — that was unprotected. This setup helped the researchers understand how the protected area influenced bird populations. 

The researchers had hoped the analysis would clearly show protected areas benefit birds. However, only 27% of waterbird populations in protected areas increased after the creation of the reserve while 21% of populations were negatively impacted, compared with the control sites, after a reserve was established. A silver lining is that nearly half the studied groups neither grew nor shrank: At least those populations were stable. 

To figure out what was responsible for the population gains and losses, the team analyzed multiple factors, of which the most important was whether the site was specifically managed for waterbirds. That could mean keeping rivers and lakes at the right levels for the protected species, removing invasive weeds, or installing fencing to keep out invasive predators. 

"The modest success of these protected areas makes sense. " says Paul Ferraro, an environmental economist. In many policy contexts, he notes, most interventions work no better than the status quo. However, the new study's mixed results are what good science actually looks like and we need more studies like this one.

1. （1） What does the underlined word "scanty" probably mean in the first paragraph?

   A . Believable. B . Solid. C . Insufficient. D . Conflicting.
3. （2） What can we know about nature reserves from paragraph 3?

   A . Nearly half of the waterbird populations are in a stable state. B . A majority of the waterbird populations were negatively affected.

   C Nature reserves increased the waterbird populations as expected. 

   D. Protected areas make much difference to the waterbird populations.
5. （3） Which of the following is the leading cause of the failure of nature reserves?

   A . Small size. B . Human activities. C . Invasive weeds. D . Ineffective management.
7. （4） Why are the environmental economist's words quoted?

   A . To emphasize the value of the study. B . To show the drawbacks of intervention. C . To indicate the difficulty of more studies. D . To express satisfaction about the status quo.

 阅读理解

Welcome to the anti-climax, the often-experienced but seldom-discussed downside of achieving life's milestones. In psychology, the belief that achieving our goal will bring us a lasting feeling of happiness is called "arrival fallacy", which plays a big part in the feelings of emptiness that follow it.

It's a feeling that's all too familiar for Katie Ford, a veterinary surgeon. To gain an extra qualification, she put in countless hours of study and made lots of sacrifices along the way, but now instead of celebration and pride, she feels emptiness and confusion, which have the potential to develop symptoms of depression and low mood.

If you find yourself in a similar situation or you suspect working towards your milestones may be a letdown when you reach the finish line, there are steps to help get rid of anti-climax. First, instead of rushing for it to be done, slow down to enjoy the doing, and remember that lots of things in our lives are never truly done, but constantly evolve just like we do. Another vital step is acknowledging the small wins. We have lots of stepping stones to a big goal to pause on, so celebrate how far you've come from the first one, and look forward to the many stones in front. Third, anticipating anti-climaxes in the lead up to big milestones can also lessen their impact. Anti-climaxes are just as common as post-holiday blues, so we'd better normalize them.

Rather than downplaying your milestones or moving straight to the next, mindfully cherish the moment, recognize your progress and reward yourself positively. That way, you won't fall into the fallacy of having "made it". Instead, you'll see that you are happily "making it" along the journey that is an entire lifetime.

1. （1） What does the underlined word "it" in the first paragraph refer to?

   A . The belief. B . Achieving our goal. C . Arrival fallacy. D . A feeling of happiness.
3. （2） Why does the author cite the example of Katie Ford?

   A . To explain a rule. B . To clarify a concept. C . To draw a conclusion. D . To make a prediction.
5. （3） What does the third paragraph mainly talk about?

   A . Whether you fall victim to anti-climax. B . Whether you empathize with Katie Ford. C . How you can protect yourself from anti-climax. D . How you can identify the symptoms of anti-climax.
7. （4） What's the purpose of this article?

   A . To help us how to deal with anti-climax. B . To set readers thinking about anti-climax. C . To remind us of the danger of anti-climax. D . To discuss the necessity of preventing anti-climax.

 七选五

When heading to bed, people often do some things to promote sleep, such as drinking a cup of warm milk.  The answer is varied. 

"One reason that warm milk makes people sleepy is that it reminds you of the person who was kind enough to give it to you when you were younger," said psychologist Michael.  

On the molecular level, the tryptophan (色氨酸) in milk has properties which can promote sleeping.  Our bodies use the tryptophan from food, along with other things, to produce the brain chemical serotonin, which is transformed into melatonin, a hormone that helps you sleep. 

 That's because the body transforms it into hormones that enhance sleep. But in reality, it would take a lot of tryptophan to make a person feel sleepy. Even if a person drinks that much milk, it's unclear whether the high amount of tryptophan would be enough to make him or her feel sleepy. Milk, after all, contains many other materials that compete to enter our brain through the blood. Thus, the sleep-promoting effect of milk is limited. 

As for the temperature of the milk, there aren't any studies that suggest milk has to be warm for any of its psychological or physical effects to kick in.  It can in turn help to relax the body. 

A. The calming association may help to lower pre-sleep anxiety. 

B. In theory, taking food rich in tryptophan can make us feel sleepy. 

C. The body needs the tryptophan in the milk to calm ourselves down. 

D. Can the temperature of the milk accelerate the speed of our sleeping?

E. The body cannot produce tryptophan, so people must get it from the diet. 

F. But the warmth of the milk may help raise our internal body temperatures. 

G. But is there any scientific evidence that drinking warm milk will make you sleepy?

 完形填空

Life Rolls On

I was about nine the first time I got on a board. When I was twelve, I began to compete in surfing, 1  number one in Pacific Surf Series. Fortune favored me 2  ever since. 

Then came the day 3  my life changed. As I surfed, the wave 4  me in my back so fast that I had no time to respond. My whole body went numb — unable to 5 . Unsurprisingly, I was diagnosed paralyzed (瘫痪的). 

Bad as it was, I felt proud of myself by 6  the will to live. Instead of being afraid, I realized how 7  I had been the first seventeen years of my life, feeling blessed by God. 

That fall, I returned to school and ended up 8  on time. Shortly after that, I was even 9  by a University where I lived my life to the fullest from going out on water-skiing to playing wheelchair tennis. The 10  of my life came nearly four years after the accident. I ultimately got back in the 11  that I had missed so much — on a surfboard. Despite the challenges, I 12  my abilities, so I make my own path, my own decisions. 

I know I'll never realize my dream of being the world's 13 surfer, but I still have so many else to 14 . Life rolls on, 15 continue to roll on and I'm rolling in and surfing right along with it all.

 语法填空

Chinese seals are symbolic of identity, status and culture. With roots (date) back thousands of years, they are more than just a unique motif (图案). 

A Chinese seal (yìn zhāng) is a seal or stamp  (use) to mark important documents, or any other item that requires a signature.  (typical), the seals are made of stone, but they can also be made of wood, bamboo, etc. When the seals are used, they  (dip) in either red ink or cinnabar (朱砂) paste. 

It wasn't until the Ming and Qing dynasties that the seals were widely used, due to the (expand) of the arts. Artists used a stylized seal carving of their names (mark) the ownership of their works. Individuals also used a personalized stamp important documents.

Engravings (雕刻) on the seal face can follow several calligraphy styles,  master engravers spared no effort to develop. Today, seals are still used widely throughout China for marking important documents. Seals are often accompanied by hand signatures as a  (much) secure form of identification than just one type. 

Nowadays, along with calligraphy, painting and wax printing, seal carving is considered  traditional Chinese art. 

请你以学生会的名义，以"We Should Take the Family Responsibilities"为主题写一份倡议书，向全校同学发起倡议，内容包括：
1. 承担责任的必要性；
2. 如何承担家庭责任；
3. 发起倡议。
注意：
1. 写作词数应为80左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Dear fellow students,

The Students Union

 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

I always remember the quote, "when you are facing a challenge, no matter how hard it is, just bite the bullet, and you will get it over", which was passed down from my great grandmother in my family.

During my first year of middle school, I left my parents to live with my grandparents who were in another city. I can still remember the day when my mother's eyes turned red when I was about to enter the airport. Father tried to hug me but I refused, because I wanted them to know that I was mature enough to handle this myself. Soon, I regretted my decision. 

Although it was early in the morning, the airport seemed to be already filled with people. After I settled down, I still had some time left. I tried to read a book that I thought was interesting; however, no matter how hard I tried, I could not focus my attention on the book. As I looked around, there were children about my age with their parents. I seemed to be the only kid sitting on the chair alone. It was only 40 minutes before I entered the plane, but I felt I had sat there alone for years when I heard the flight attendant announced that we could board the plane. I had several experiences of taking a plane before, and I thought I could get it over with ease. But I was wrong. 

Sitting beside me was a middle-aged man, who looked like a businessman. After the plane took off, looking at the clouds outside the window, I started to think about the things that happened in the morning, my dad's voice, my mom's red eyes. I felt my eyes stinging, and when I rubbed them, a warm liquid washed my fingers-tears.

注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Then came a clear and gentle voice, "First time travelling alone?"

Encouraged and relieved, I decided to enjoy the rest of the journey.