第一部分:阅读(共两节,满分50分)
第一节(共15小题;每小题2.5分,满分37.5分)
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项。
A
Below is a list of activities that will get you excited and add a bit of fun into your schedule at the same time. Ready, set, play!
Join a team sport
Playing sport as part of a team can help you get active while making friends and feeling part of your community. This list of links will lead you through to sports clubs and fixtures（比赛）across the state,or you can use the My Community Directory to search for your sport of choice.
Make date night an active night
Date night（or any time you hang with loved ones or friends）doesn't have to be spent sitting in a cinema. Get active on your next date by going bowling, playing laser tag or paintball, or sinking balls at minigolf.
Catch and kick
Anyone with kids will know that sometimes entertaining them takes priority over looking after your own health. Kill two birds with one stone and take them to the park to kick a footy（橄榄球）or throw a ball back and forth. Once everyone's practiced their kicking, throwing and catching skills, take things to the next level by asking them to throw or kick long and make you run for it.
Take the stairs
An oldie but a goody,taking the stairs instead of a lift is great for working the major muscle groups in the legs. It might not seem like the most fun option for a workout, but you can fit a surprising amount of activity into every day by taking the stairs whenever they are an option. And if you get hooked（着迷）,you can even become a competitive stair climber.
1. In which section of a website is this text probably taken from? （）
A. Public health and wellbeing.
B. Research and reports.
C. News and events.
D. Strategic direction.
2. What is the advantage of joining a team sport? （）
A. You have more time for morning exercise.
B. You have a better way to interact with others.
C. It is a way to work the major muscles in the legs.
D. You will get an expert direction in the group.
3. Which would a father choose if he wanted to play with his 5-year-old son? （）
A. Join a team sport.
B. Take the stairs.
C. Catch and kick.
D. Make date night an active night.
B
It was a stormy evening,and all that Neil could hope was to find a shelter that could keep him protected from the chilly wind and cold rain. After work he had to get home on time,as his busy schedule was preventing him from spending quality time with his family. The bus stop on the way provided temporary shelter, where Neil was becoming increasingly agitated（焦虑不安的）with every passing minute. All his evening plans were washed out.
"Sir, why don't you buy a pack of groundnuts（花生）from me?" Neil looked around to see a man in rag standing by his side. "Oh,no,I'm not interested right now." "Fried groundnuts will do you a world of good now. Moreover, you can also take some for your family." The very mention of family brought a concern to Neil. His wife had specifically told him to come home early,if not for her sake,at least for the sake of their seven-year-old son.
When he was lost in thought, the groundnut seller had filled a bag with the remaining nuts and offered him an unexpectedly low price. But Neil refused to buy them,"I do not want to buy anything at this point!" Suddenly,he heard the voice of a kid. "Dad,I want some money to buy books for the school." He saw a ten-year-old boy,totally drenched from top to bottom,as though he had just run a race. He was talking to the groundnut seller. "Yes,yes,I'm ready to leave now. Come! How many books do you want? Why did you get wet in the rain? Your mother must be getting worried."
Neil turned to the seller. There was an instant when they both made the perfect eye contact. Neil had the look of what it is to be a father. The groundnut seller did not say anything and gave the packet of groundnuts without saying a word. Neil pulled a note from his wallet, placed it in the man's hand, and walked away without waiting for the change.
4. Why did Neil become more anxious at the bus stop? （）
A. The rain stopped him from getting home on time.
B. The chilly wind made him feel colder and colder.
C. He thought of his boring and heavy work.
D. He couldn't find a good place to keep off the rain.
5. Why didn't Neil buy the man's groundnuts at first? （）
A. He didn't have enough money on him.
B. His family doesn't like groundnuts.
C. He was in a bad mood at that time.
D. His family was a little poor.
6. What does the underlined word "drenched" in Paragraph 3 probably mean? （）
A. Wet through.
B. Very excited.
C. Well dressed.
D. Sweating heavily.
7. What made Neil buy all the seller's groundnuts? （）
A. The seller's generous action.
B. His having a pity for the seller.
C. The seller's greatness as a father.
D. His being moved by the seller's son.
C
New research has found a link between the height of ceilings in exam halls and the performance of students. While the shape of a room can't make you smarter, the environments we're in have an effect on us. The authors of the study suggest that big and open rooms,with high ceilings,make it harder for students to focus on what's in front of them.
A previous study from some of the same researchers, making use of brain mapping technology and virtual reality, had found a relationship between cognitive ability and the perceived size of a person's surroundings. Here,the team wanted to do some real-world testing.
"We were curious to apply our lab findings to a real-world dataset and see if being in a large space while having to concentrate on an important task would result in a poorer performance," says Isabella Bower.
The study analyzed exam results from 15,400 students over eight years and across three campuses, referencing their scores against what was expected based on the coursework they'd previously submitted.
In exam rooms with high ceilings,students tended to underperform compared to those taking exams in rooms with a "standard" ceiling height, even after accounting for age, gender, time, subject and prior exam experience—other factors potentially affecting the results.
"The key point is that large rooms with high ceilings seem to disadvantage students and we need to understand what brain mechanisms（机制）are at play,and whether this affects all students to the same degree," says Bower.
Those are questions that future research can find out. It's clear that environment matters—and that we might not give students the best chance for success by holding exams in rooms that aren't custom-built for the purpose.
"Examinations have been a key part of our education system for over 1,300 years, shaping students' career paths and lives," says Jaclyn Broadbent. "It's crucial to recognize the potential impact of the physical environment on student performance and make necessary adjustments to ensure all students have an equal opportunity to succeed."
8. Why did the researchers conduct the study? （）
A. To prove that large rooms have no effect on exam performance.
B. To apply lab findings to a real-world dataset and see the impact.
C. To show that standard ceiling height is the best for exam rooms.
D. To demonstrate that the physical environment has no influence on students.
9. What is future research expected to find out? （）
A. Whether exam rooms with high ceilings will disadvantage students.
B. Whether other factors could potentially affect the results of the study.
C. Whether students are equally affected in exam rooms with high ceilings.
D. Whether brain mechanisms affect students in exam rooms with high ceilings.
10. What is the author's view on the importance of the physical environment in exams? （）
A. It is crucial and can impact student performance significantly.
B. It is important but only affects a few students.
C. It is not important as it does not affect exam performance.
D. It is important but only in the context of large, open rooms.
11. Which of the following can be the best title for this passage? （）
A. The Impact of Room Shape on Intelligence
B. The Role of Physical Environment in Education
C. The Effect of Ceiling Height on Exam Performance
D. The Importance of Brain Mechanisms in Exam Rooms
D

语篇解读 本文是一篇应用文。文章主要介绍了可以给生活增加乐趣的四项活动。
1. A 文章出处题。根据第一段“Below is a list of... schedule at the same time.”和全文内容可知,本文介绍了四项体育活动,因此应该会出现在公共健康栏目。故选A。
2. B 细节理解题。根据第二段“Playing sport as part of... part of your community.”可知,参加这项活动可以交到朋友和更好地成为社区一员,因此有助于和他人建立良好的关系。故选B。
3. C 细节理解题。根据第四段“Anyone with kids will... looking after your own health.”可知,这位父亲应该会选择Catch and kick。故选C。
语篇解读 本文是一篇记叙文。文章主要讲述了Neil因为大雨无法及时赶回家与家人共度美好时光而郁闷,躲雨时被同为父亲的花生小贩的伟大所感动的故事。
4. A 细节理解题。根据文章第一段“After work he had to get home... time with his family.”以及“All his evening plans were washed out.”可知,他在公交车站感到焦虑的原因是大雨使他不能按时回家与家人团聚。故选A。
5. C 推理判断题。根据第一段“The bus stop on the way provided... plans were washed out.”可知,此时Neil心情很糟糕,因此没有心情买花生。故选C。
6. A 词义猜测题。根据第三段“... from top to bottom,as though he had just run a race.”以及下文“Why did you get wet in the rain?”可知,小男孩全身上下都湿透了,所以画线词意为“湿透”。故选A。
7. C 推理判断题。根据最后一段“Neil turned to the seller... of what it is to be a father.”可知,Neil被花生小贩同为父亲的伟大所感动。故选C。
语篇解读 本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了一项新的研究发现,考场天花板的高度与学生的表现之间存在联系,天花板很高的、宽敞开放的房间会让学生更难专注于眼前的事物。
8. B 细节理解题。根据第三段“‘We were curious to apply our lab findings to a real-world dataset and see if being... says Isabella Bower.’”可知,研究人员进行这项研究是为了将实验室的发现应用于真实世界的数据集,并观察其影响。故选B。
9. C 细节理解题。根据倒数第三段“The key point is that large rooms with high ceilings seem to disadvantage students... the same degree”以及倒数第二段“Those are questions that future research can find out.”可知,未来的研究有望发现不同学生在天花板很高的考场是否受到同等程度的影响。故选C。
10. A 推理判断题。根据倒数第二段“It's clear that environment matters—and that we might not give students the best... custom-built for the purpose.”可知,作者认为物理环境在考试中至关重要,可以显著影响学生的表现。故选A。
11. C 标题归纳题。通读全文,尤其根据第一段“New research has found a link between the height of ceilings in exam halls and the performance of students.”可知,文章主要介绍新的研究发现,考场天花板的高度与学生的表现之间存在联系,天花板很高的、宽敞开放的房间会让学生更难专注于眼前的事物。C选项“天花板高度对考试成绩的影响”最符合文章标题。故选C。