阅读理解C

网址

https://lamont.columbia.edu/news/planting-some-tree-species-may-worsen-not-improve-nyc-air-says-new-study

原文

Planting Some Tree Species May Worsen, Not Improve, NYC Air, Says New Study

New York is planting large numbers of trees in order to improve the city's livability. But emissions from some species interact with tailpipe and building pollutants to form smog.

By

Kevin Krajick

August 05, 2024

In line with longstanding initiatives to expand its green spaces, New York City is planting tens of thousands of trees each year. They provide shade, lower surface temperatures by releasing moisture, absorb a surprising amount of airborne carbon, scrub out soot and other floating pollutants, and provide wildlife habitat along with just plain beauty. What could go wrong?

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阅读理解D

网址

https://www.cam.ac.uk/stories/artistic-beauty-abstract-thinking

原文

Since the dawn of philosophy, thinkers from Plato to Kant have considered how beauty affects human experience, and whether it has the power to transform our state of mind.

Now, a new study from the University of Cambridge suggests that stopping to contemplate the beauty of artistic objects in a gallery or museum boosts our ability to think in abstract ways and consider the “bigger picture” when it comes to our lives.

Researchers say the findings offer empirical evidence that engaging with artistic beauty helps us escape the “mental trappings of daily life,” such as current anxieties and to-do lists, and induce “psychological distancing”: the process of zooming out on your thoughts to gain clarity.

People contemplate a painting in Kettle's Yard, the University's modern art gallery and site of the study's experiment.

A team of Cambridge psychologists conducted an experiment using the University’s modern art gallery, Kettle’s Yard, as a “living laboratory” to compare the cognitive effects of merely seeing art with actively judging how beautiful it is.

...

语法填空

全国一卷语法填空语篇聚焦中国传统“大集”的起源与功能，描绘了集市上美食飘香、人群熙攘、物产丰富的场景，展现中国乡土社会的繁荣景象与独特风情。

网址

原文

读后续写

一个女孩为找男友过圣诞节途中遇暴风雪、车子被困后得救的故事。女人想去多伦多跟男友共度圣诞假期。

网址

https://www.9and10news.com/2026/03/17/northern-michigan-residents-grateful-for-acts-of-kindness-after-snowstorm/

原文

TRAVERSE CITY — Residents of Northern Michigan say that they’re grateful for random acts of kindness they’ve seen following the brutal snow and ice storm.

From helping move a car to offering a place to sleep, locals say they’ve seen their community step up to help those in need.

Karin Chrostek is a mother who works at Munson Health. She says that after a 12-hour shift on Monday, she went to pick up her son east of Traverse City.

Chrostek’s car became stuck in a neighborhood she was unfamiliar with, multiple miles from her son.

Chrostek says shes was helped by a father and son, who worked to shovel the snow around her car.

“They were armed with shovels, and they started digging out. I did what I could with my snow scraper, my good mittens and my jacket,” she said.

While the three of them worked, conditions remained dangerous.

Chrostek says another stranger from the neighborhood offered to host her for the night, which Chrostek took her up on.

“We kind of talked about the storm and the state of things, and we both kind of reaffirmed that this was a step forward in terms of redemption of humanity,” she said.

Chrostek says that tough moments like these show how the community is often there to step up and help others.

“Honestly, without the three of them, I would still be stuck,” she said. “So I picked up my son this morning, and it was victorious, and we both came home and took naps. Just happy to be here.” Numerous strangers have also been seen helping out stuck cars, either with equipment or a simple push.

Two of those helpers are Brooklyn and Kayden from Sault Ste. Marie. They say they’ve helped 20 to 30 people in need of driveway shoveling or assistance with their car.

“It feels very good to help out people,” Kayden said. “If i was stuck in a ditch, I’d more than want a truck to come help pull me out or offer to help.”

They said they decided to help out while visiting from the UP, and even purchased some new equipment today to use. “Any time we see somebody struggling, like an older person struggling with shoveling snow, we’ll pull over and just say, ‘Hey, can we give you a hand with that?’” Kayden said.