高中英语 · 真题题库

I can’t believe I’m doing this! It’s 4:30 in the morning, pitch black and freezing cold. Nevertheless I find myself getting out of bed and getting dressed. A car horn sounds as I’m putting on a thick coat and wrapping a scarf around me. I grab a hat and join Jim in his car. He doesn’t seem to mind it’s cold and dark. In fact, he’s smiling. “You’re going to love this,” he says as we drive off to the nearest park. I’m not so sure.At any opportunity, Jim will be watching quietly, and sometimes excitedly, through his telescope at a bird. Don’t get me wrong. I like birds, but I just don’t get as crazy about them as Jim. Recently, when he found out that I had never heard the dawn chorus, he insisted that we meet at this unearthly hour and head for the local park.So here we are. Luckily Jim has brought hot coffee and a warm carpet to sit on. After ten shivering minutes there is a very faint light over the eastern side of the park, a suggestion of the day ahead.“Listen,” whispers Jim. I listen, nothing. Then clearly and loudly a bird starts singing. “That’s the robin. He’s usually the first.” After a few seconds another bird joins in. “A blackbird” and then another “A bluebird”. It’s amazing. Twenty minutes later the whole park is alive with the chorus, calling, singing of birds! And yes, it’s wonderful! The noise is incredible. The lighter the sky becomes, the louder the birds sing, an incredible birds’ concert.“Wow, so are they singing because they’re happy?” I ask in disbelief.“Not really,” Jim laughs, “in fact they’re hungry but they need to do two things. One is to defend their territory and the other is to find a female — by singing they can achieve both.” Jim sees my puzzled face and explainsWe listen together for a while and then slowly but surely, as the sun emerges above the trees, the birds stop singing. “Now it’s light enough to find food, and that’s the end of the show today.”1. What is the author’s first attitude to the early outing?2. What is paragraph 4 mainly about?3. Why do birds sing at dawn according to Jim?

In an age where digital products are everywhere, the term “screen time” has been discussed widely. Screen time seems easy to understand: It’s simply the time spent on digital products. But grouping all digital activities together misses how different types of screen use affect people. In our research, we divide screen time into four broad groups: educational use, work-related use, social interaction and entertainment. And we study how they relate to health outcomes such as stress, depression and loneliness.Screen use has both benefits and drawbacks, depending on how and why it is used. Online classes may improve problem-solving skills, but screen-based learning often contributes to poorer memory. Workplace screen time increases productivity through working together online, but using it too long may lead to stress. Similarly, screen use for social connection helps people interact with others, which can improve health outcomes, but endless social media scrolling (滚屏) can bring social comparison and loneliness. Likewise, while screen use for entertainment provides relaxation and stress relief, too much screen use may reduce well-being by limiting time for other meaningful activities.Screen time affects people differently based on factors like mood, social setting, and family environment. Your emotions before and during screen use can shape your experience. Positive interactions can lift your mood, while loneliness might deepen with certain online activities. The social context (情境) of screen use also matters. Watching a movie with family strengthen relationships, while using screens alone can increase feelings of loneliness, especially when it replaces face-to-face interactions. Family influence plays a role, too. For example, parents’ screen habits affect their children’s screen behavior, and planned parental guidance can help reduce overuse.Therefore, understanding screen use requires a more specific method than tracking the amount of time people spend on their screens. For policymakers, this means making rules that move beyond one-size-fits-all limits. The rules should match different activities and each person’s needs. For the rest of us, this awareness encourages a digital diet that balances online and offline activities for happiness.4. What does Paragraph 2 mainly talk about?5. What can be inferred from Paragraph 3?6. What does the author suggest policymakers do?

Imagine you’ve planned a wonderful trip for your family. But rather than being excited, your kids complain about missing an after-school club meeting at a neighbor’s house. Missing the event causes such intense FOMO (fear of missing out) that they don’t want to go on your amazing trip.If this kind of situation sounds familiar, you’re not alone. A recent study finds that FOMO often arises when people miss events with meaningful social connections. It’s not about the dinner or the food - it’s about missing the chance to connect with people who matter to you. Being left out can make you feel disconnected, even worried about losing your status (地位) in the group.Researchers conducted a series of experiments to find simple ways to reduce FOMO. In one experiment, 788 participants were asked to look through their social media until they saw a post of a missed social event. The researchers asked half of these participants to immediately describe how much FOMO they were feeling. The rest followed the same steps, except that before expressing how much FOMO they were feeling, they were asked to think back to a previous experience socializing with their friends. Encouragingly, there was a significant drop in the level of FOMO they reported.Therefore, missing out on social bonding experiences doesn’t have to be anxiety-provoking. In fact, in our activity-packed lives, missing some “must-attend” events may be a welcome relief -especially if you remind yourself that your place with your friends is safe, which has led to a recent wave called JOMO, or “Joy of Missing Out”.According to Stuart Smalley, the self-help expert of a 1990s TV show “Saturday Night Live”, reminding yourself that “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough and people like me!” might be just the trick to lessen FOMO.7. What may cause FOMO according to the study?8. What helps to reduce FOMO in the experiment?9. Why does the author mention Stuart Smalley in the last paragraph?10. Which can be a suitable title for the text?

11. 将下列几个部分(A、B、C、D和E)按题号排序，构成一个符合逻辑的完整语篇。A. So let’s work together to protect our environment, both now and for the future.B. Almost every country agrees that we cannot continue using so much plastic and that we need to remove microplastics from oceans. We also need to introduce new taxes to push companies toward recyclable packaging.C. These pieces are called microplastics. They are swallowed by fish and then enter the food chain.D. Today researchers announced that they have found tiny plastic pieces in water samples worldwide.E. Even more concerning is the fact that they are also in drinking water, which means that we are drinking plastic every day.________→________→________→________→________

Your culture is a huge part of who you are and the way you see the world. When you live in a place where your culture is the mainstream, you likely don’t have to put much effort into preserving it — it’s all around you! But what happens when younger generations lose contact with older generations? 12 Here are several things you can do. 13 Each culture has its own clothing, music, visual art, religious beliefs, and technology that make it special. Members of your cultural community will be overjoyed to teach or talk about their hobbies, jobs, projects, and what they do for fun.Attend or organize traditional cultural events. Your country, tribe, religious denomination (教派), or immigrant ethnic group almost certainly celebrates major holidays or cultural festivals. 14 If you can’t find any good events in your area, get some people together and organize your own.Cook family recipes handed down through generations. It’s never too late to whip up some recipes from your grandmother’s cookbook! 15 As you make noodles or bread, you’re sure to think back to memories from your childhood or the holidays. Just read an old recipe and you’ll know how much kitchen tools have changed.Spend time with other members of your cultural community. 16 Most importantly, that’s for ordinary meals and just conversation. Use these times to learn and keep alive the aspects of culture that are difficult to learn through books and museums, such as table manners, body language, and humor.

I used to be a lifeguard and wanted to be a member of London 2012 volunteers. I figured there’d be thousands of 17 for the role, so I didn’t 18 to hear back. But, a few weeks later, I was invited to a two-day exam. It was 19 . There were knockout (淘汰) stages and I only got one 20 . When I passed, I felt disbelief. It never hit me that I could be 21 the top athletes in the world.When you’re a lifeguard at the Olympics, you learn how to 22 everything from a suspected spinal injury to an asthma attack. You’re not a doctor, but you have the equipment and must be 23 . During my time at the Olympics, I 24 a few athletes who were so exhausted. We helped them out of the pool, made sure they were OK. I also 25 a couple of suspected broken noses in the water polo.I didn’t remember the race because I was so focused on 26 each athlete’s movements to see if anything didn’t look right. When I saw athletes celebrate, I celebrated with them. When they 27 , my heart broke for them. The Olympians 28 me — they knew I was there to 29 them. They’d sign autographs for me.Today, I’m no longer a lifeguard. But whenever I watch the Olympics, I always 30 the lifeguards. There’s 31 going on behind the scenes that no one realizes.17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31.

阅读短文，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)，或括号内单词的正确形式。The Sanfu days, also 32 (know) as the “Chinese dog days of summer”, mark summer’s hottest period of the year. During these days, many Chinese are keen on 33 unique treatment called Sanfutie, or Sanfu medicinal patch, 34 is a bandage made of traditional Chinese herbal medicine. Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) believe that 35 (receive) Sanfutie during the hottest summer days is 36 (effect) for coughs, asthma (哮喘) and arthritis (关节炎). In a word, it is a patchwork solution for winter 37 (disease) in summer.The treatment 38 (base) on the TCM principle of yin and yang, which believes the balance of both elements in the body is 39 great importance for good health. Sanfutie contains a paste of herbs that are “hot” in nature, and when applied to specific acupuncture (针灸) points, usually on the back and neck, it refills the yang elements.These patches 40 (use) in TCM since earliest recorded times, according to Huangdi Neijing (The Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor), more than 2,000 years ago, the time-tested textbook for TCM practitioners. Sanfu patch treatment became 41 (extreme) popular in the Qing Dynasty and has enjoyed a revival (复兴)in recent years as more patients turn to TCM treatment.

42. Caught in the severe storm, they searched for somewhere to shelter.

43. Lily, a reliable person, will not turn her back on her friends when they need help.

44. The design team’s originality helped them develop a range of products, which quickly became bestsellers in the market.

45. The girl held on to her opinion and our attempts at persuasion were in vain.

46. I have never pushed myself beyond my physical limits, which I regard as the recipe for happiness.

47. The suspect was put behind bars last night, charged with attempted murder.

48. Due to her passion and commitment, Anna earns respect and praise from all her students.

49. My mother often reminds me to behave myself on formal occasions.

50. If we fail to attach great importance to environmental conservation, our limited resources are running out.

51. She gave a brief account of her travels through China, which aroused the interest among her friends in its rich history and culture.

52. Learning a foreign language and finally mastering it can often be a long and slow ______ (过程). (根据汉语提示单词拼写)

53. The child constantly ______ (打断) the teacher during the lesson, which made it difficult for other students to concentrate. (根据汉语提示单词拼写)

54. Jane wishes that she had studied foreign trade instead of ______ (文学) when she was in college. (根据汉语提示单词拼写)

55. Vitamin D helps our bodies produce a special ______ (化学的) substance, which in turn affects our brains and makes us feel happy. (根据汉语提示单词拼写)

56. At present, animal rights activists are ______ (抗议) against keeping wild animals in the zoo. (根据汉语提示单词拼写)

57. The city is known for its pleasant c______, the temperature rarely reaching 30℃ in summer. (根据首字母单词拼写)

58. It took the firefighters five hours to r______ the boy from the heavy flood. (根据首字母单词拼写)

59. One of the most e______ ways to reduce stress is to talk about feelings with someone you trust. (根据首字母单词拼写)

60. The nation has a large reserve of oil, gas and other natural r______.(根据首字母单词拼写)

61. While space exploration is a reality, we still remain c______ about the mysteries of the universe. (根据首字母单词拼写)

62. _______________ (除了是科学家), he is also a talented musician. (根据汉语提示完成句子)

63. _______________ (过马路时，状语从句省略结构), always look both ways. (根据汉语提示完成句子)

64. While researching, the scientist _______________ (偶然发现了一种有希望的化学物质). (根据汉语提示完成句子)

65. With the wind and waves, we were going _______________ (朝着……的方向) the whirlpool. (根据汉语提示完成句子)

66. Without immediate action, many endangered species will remain _______________ (处于灭绝边缘). (根据汉语提示完成句子)

67. 你校英文报的“Youth Voice”栏目正在举办关于“中学生课外阅读习惯”的讨论，请你写一篇短文投稿，内容包括：1. 介绍你的阅读习惯（如阅读媒介、时间、频率等）；2. 谈谈课外阅读给你带来的好处。注意：1. 词数100左右；2. 请在答题卡的相应位置作答。________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Welcome to Arches National Park!A trip to Arches can be unforgettable. Plan ahead to make the most of your visit by using this trip planning guide!Discover a landscape of contrasting colors, land forms, and textures unlike any other. The park has over 2,000 natural stone arches, hundreds of soaring pinnacles, massive rock fins, and giant balanced rocks. This red-rock wonderland will amaze you with its formations, refresh you with its trails, and inspire you with its sunsets. In this planning guide, you’ll find tips to plan your visit, information on hikes, maps & more!Places to GoArches Visitor CenterStart at Arches Visitor Center for information on hiking, sightseeing, ranger programs, and current conditions.Park Avenue and Courthouse TowersView high walls, pinnacles, and monoliths from trails and viewpoints.Balanced RockTake a short hike around Balanced Rock and enjoy views of The Windows Section and the La Sal Mountains.The Windows SectionVisit Double Arch, Turret Arch, and North and South windows, some of the largest arches in the park.Delicate Arch and Wolfe RanchSee the world’s most famous natural arch and Wolfe Ranch, a historic homestead from the turn of the 20th century.Devils GardenVisit the Devils Garden area for a variety of arches connected by a network of hiking trails.Camping InformationOnly Devils Garden Campground offers overnight stays within the park. It has 52 standard sites with restrooms but no water, showers, or electricity. Bookable reservations open six months in advance via the official NPS booking website. Walk-in spots are extremely rare between May and September. No fires are permitted anywhere in the park from April to October to reduce wildfire risk.1. Where can visitors get all information about park activities?2. What can tourists visit at Balanced Rock?3. What can we know about Devils Garden Campground?

In the area around Tampa Bay, the remains of centuries-old mounds (土墩) hide under roads, in parks and neighborhoods, even by big-box stores. Shell mounds served as temple sites and as places to relax, sleep and eat. The Tocobaga people, who lived in the area in the 1500s when the Spanish arrived — and many inhabitants before them — gathered food from the rich estuaries (港湾) and hunting grounds. They piled bones and shellfish remains into mounds called middens that reached as high as 20 feet. They also buried their dead in sandy mounds nearby. Walker’s map is now in the Smithsonian’s archives. In an 1873 report, he described relics he’d found, including “immense quantities of broken pottery.” Starting in the 1500s, Spain claimed the region through a series of expeditions. The United States absorbed Florida in the 1820s, but it was only after railroads reached the beaches that outsiders began to settle. In 1880, Tampa’s population was about 700. Over the next 20 years, it exploded to nearly 15,000.In 1879, just before construction destroyed many traces of earlier civilizations, a newspaper reporter named Sylvanus Tandy Walker created an invaluable record of the Native earthworks. Walker was an amateur (业余的) naturalist and archaeologist who liked to sleuth out the area in his free time, and his map offered an intriguing (引人好奇的) study of a soon-to-be-altered landscape.Many of the shell middens became road fill, which was a particularly big loss: Shells are alkaline (碱性的), so they often preserve the items buried underneath them. But research continues, and the middens that are still standing today provide a glimpse into the lives of early Floridians.4. What was Walker's hobby in his spare time?5. Why is the loss of shell middens considered extremely regrettable?6. What does the underlined word “sleuth out” in Paragraph 3 most probably mean?7. What can be the best title for the text?

A 15-year-old boy rescued two men who had fallen from an inflatable toy boat off the Isle of Skye by sailing his own vessel to save them, beating the lifeboat service to the scene.Archie Law beat a volunteer crew of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) to the rescue on Saturday evening after the coastguard received reports of two off males in difficulty in the water off Bradford Bay at around 9 pm.The RNLI launched a lifeboat from its Kyle of Lochalsh station within 10 minutes of the emergency calls and rushed towards the last known location of the two men, who had been seen on what rescuers described as a toy blow-up inflatable boat.On the way there, the crew were told that Archie, who lives locally, had spotted the men in distress and had gone out in his own boat to help them. The crew discovered he had already managed to rescue both men and had taken them back to shore safely.Speaking to Radio Skye, Archie said he had noticed from inside his house that the men had got into trouble. “I could see them from my window, and they were paddling in circles out in the bay, drifting further away,” he said.“I made a decision to go and check if they were OK. As I got closer I could see it was a small kids’ dinghy. They seemed very cold and tired and thankful I had spotted them. I got them back to the wee pier and they were met with towels and warm clothes.”The helm at Kyle RNLI, Andrew MacDonald, praised the teenager for his quick thinking. He said it was thanks to Archie’s decisiveness that a more serious situation had been averted. “We’d like to remind people that blow-up inflatable toys should be kept for use in swimming pools and not open water, and to always ensure you have lifejackets on and a means of communicating to the emergency services if you get into any difficulty,” he said.8. How did the two men feel after Archie brought them back to the pier?9. What did Archie decide to do when he spotted the two drifting men out at sea?10. Which situation is most likely to lead to a drowning accident according to RNLI’s data?11. What key safety lesson does the RNLI emphasize from this incident?

Living and flying around cities, pigeons have adapted to an ever-shifting environment. But their environment isn’t the only thing that’s constantly changing. New research suggests the birds themselves avoid stability in their decision-making, instead choosing to live “at the edge of chaos.” As model species for learning and behavior, these birds are helping researchers test a century-old law about how humans and other creatures learn.When learning something new, people and animals alike tend to repeat behaviors that are rewarded. First proposed in 1898, this principle is so well established in psychology that it has become known as “the law of effect”. But a new study is challenging this idea. University of Iowa experimental psychologist Edward A. Wasserman and his colleagues conducted a test on pigeons. And the study’s results, published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Learning and Cognition, suggest these birds prefer variability.To see how rewarded behaviors vary, the researchers gave pigeons a series of five colorful buttons to peck (啄). They could peck any buttons in any order, but as long as they pecked five times, a treat (bird food) would appear. Based on previous theories of learning, the scientists expected the pigeons might eventually slip into a routine—perhaps choosing to repeat patterns they know work or simply pecking the button nearest to them five times. Instead they continued pecking in a variety of patterns.“There would be no reason not to expect that the animals would converge (汇聚) on a single favorite, but it never got to that point,” Wasserman says. “You could argue the birds are just completely resistant to locking into anything stable.”The team theorizes that pigeons’ devotion to variability might be an evolutionary advantage that aids handling new challenges in their environment — and they expect birds aren’t the only ones resisting uniformity. The researchers are currently conducting tests to see whether rewarded behaviors remain variable in different animals, which others in the field say might explain how the brain makes behavioral decisions while learning.12. In paragraph 2, “the law of effect” is described as ______.13. According to paragraph 3, the researchers originally expected the pigeons to ______.14. How does Wasserman sound in paragraph 4?15. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that variability ______.

Many would consider emotions to be a barrier to decision-making and, therefore, think that they would be better off without them. However, the latest research has proved that our emotions will drive the conclusions we make, and that our well-being may depend upon our ability to understand and interpret them. 16 Here are some suggestions.Start by understanding your emotions. 17 This mindful process of self-examination is important for healthy decisions, since emotions can influence our views and judgments.Emotions can act as a compass (指南针), pointing you toward what matters most to you. However, strong emotions can affect our judgment and make it challenging to think objectively and critically. 18 You should be aware that emotions that arise from past experiences might cloud your judgment. Separate the present situation from the past and focus on the relevant factors. 19 However, they should be connected with factual information. Take your time to gather crucial information before making important decisions. Analyse the pros and cons (利弊) of your options to make the best possible decisions.It’s beneficial to expand your viewpoint. When you see the big picture and are focused on your highest purpose, you are not distracted by smaller issues. Figuring out your deepest long-term goals and pursuing them will channel your emotions toward peace and harmony. 20 To sum up, emotions play a significant role in decision-making and, when used properly, they can improve the effectiveness of the decision-making process.

It was a chilling December evening when my family arrived at the airport, ready for our holiday flight. Our kids were excited, but tiredness was beginning to 21 . While waiting, we 22 a sign for a “Santa’s Magic Cottage” and took our kids there. Lily 23 to Santa that she wanted a doll with golden hair. Tom asked for a fire truck. We smiled, never expecting these wishes to be 24 .Soon we 25 the plane. The crew seemed unusually busy, but we thought little of it. When the plane finally 26 , we went to the baggage claim, 27 our suitcases. The belt started moving. Suddenly, instead of suitcases, brightly 28 boxes tied with ribbons appeared. Children gasped. One by one, boxes with 29 labels came down the belt. We spotted Lily’s name! She 30 tore it open and found exactly the doll she had described. Tom received his fire truck, too. Families around us were 31 surprise and joy.Later we learned the truth. While we were in the air, airline employees had 32 to local stores, purchased the gifts, wrapped them, and had them 33 appear on the belt at the right time. Tears filled our eyes. It wasn’t just about the gifts; it was about the 34 strangers went to create pure happiness. That Christmas, we learned the true 35 of the season: kindness can lift you when you least expect it.21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35.

阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。Alfred Brendel, the celebrated pianist and poet, died at 94. Born in 1931 in what is now the Czech Republic, he grew up in a family with no musical or artistic background, so he had to learn many things by 36 (he). He gave his first recital (演奏会) at 17. His studies 37 (interrupt) by the war, his teacher told him at 16 to continue alone. He recorded Beethoven’s complete sonatas (奏鸣曲) three times, an achievement that, by the time he finished, 38 (require) extraordinary 39 (dedicate). Despite his ten Grammy nominations, he never won, a fact that appeared 40 (cause) him no regret. Not only did he achieve fame as a pianist, but he also led a literary life, 41 (publish) several books. 42 he measured most, however, were the masterclasses of Edwin Fischer, without whom his artistic growth would have been 43 (complete). His playful manner, 44 (characterize) by winks at the audience, contrasted 45 his serious interpretations. He remains an inspiration.

46. 假定你是李华，你校引入了人工智能作业批改的服务，并将其在全校范围内应用。你校有部分学生表示反对，也有部分学生表示赞成，你认为这种服务具有一定的局限性。请你写一篇短文表达你对这一服务的综合看法，内容包括：(1)你的看法；(2)说明理由。参考词汇：Artificial Intelligence Assignment Grading 人工智能作业批改注意：(1)写作词数应为80个左右；(2)请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

47. 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 worked at a bookstore. An old man came in every Saturday at 3 p.m., and he bought one book, always. For years, he never missed a Saturday.Finally, I asked him, “Must be quite a collection you’re building.” He smiled and said, “I don’t keep them.” There was a confused look on my face, so he explained, “Every Sunday, I go to the children’s hospital, and I leave the book at the nurse’s station anonymously (匿名地), for whichever kid needs it most that week.”He told me that he had been doing it since his grandson was there with leukemia (白血病), and his grandson beat it after five years of scared nights. He remembered the random book that someone had left, and he said that it gave his grandson something to focus on besides fear. He never found out who left that book, so he decided to be that person for other kids and other scared families. He said that one book a week didn’t seem like much, but if it helped one kid forget they were scared for even an hour, it was worth it.I told my manager, and she got touched. We decided something together: every book he buys, we match it, so two books go to the hospital instead of one. I told him the next Saturday, and he cried in the middle of the store. He asked, “You’d do that?” and I promised, “Every single week.” Word spread, and other customers started asking to participate. And we had a program called “Books for Bravery.” Customers donated, we bought books, and we delivered them every Sunday.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。Six other people also joined us.___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The grandfather’s grandson came in the bookstore last month.___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

When do World Cup 2026 tickets go on sale?The ticketing process is currently in its most competitive phase:Phase 1: Random Selection Ballot (中签): This phase concluded in late 2025.Phase 2: First-Come, First-Served: This phase took place in April 2026 and standard inventory is sold out.Phase 3: The Official Resale Platform: FIFA’s official portal (门户) is currently open for fans to buy and sell unwanted tickets at face value plus a fee.Ticket Prices (Estimated)CategoryGroup StageRound of 32FinalCat 1$220$300$1500+Cat 2$150$200$1000+Cat 3$80$120$600+Residents (居民)$20$40$200+Pro-Tips: How to Secure Tickets on the Resale Portal1. Check Daily (and Randomly): Resale tickets do not drop all at once. They appear the exact moment another fan lists them.2. Be Logged In: Keep your FIFA ID logged in and payment details ready. When a ticket pops up, you only have minutes to check out before it is released back to the public.3. Focus on Less Popular Matches: Finding tickets for the Final or USA/Mexico group matches will be incredibly difficult. Target smaller matchups instead.4. Use Secondary Markets as a Backup: If you absolutely need a guaranteed ticket now, platforms like StubHub or Viagogo are your safest backup options, though they will be priced above face value.Cheapest World Cup 2026 Tickets & PricesTicket prices vary depending on:·Match stage (Group Stage is cheapest, Final is most expensive)·Seating category (Category 3 and 4 are typically the lowest priced)·Host country residency status·Team popularity and demandEstimated starting prices:·Group Stage: $80-$220·Round of 32: $120-$300·Final: $600-$1,500+Residents of the host countries (USA, Canada, Mexico) may have access to discounted “Category 4” tickets, which are traditionally the lowest-priced option.1. What can fans do to get tickets right now according to the text?2. How can fans secure tickets on the resale portal?3. Who bought the cheapest World Cup 2026 ticket?

Growing up in Toledo, a place lacking mountain views or clean lakes, I never had access to pure grand nature. My fondness of nature took root while gardening with my mom, who taught me to care for the plants that sustain bees and butterflies. As a kid, I dreamed of becoming a wildlife conservationist.In my second year of high school, my mom gave me a pink moth orchid (蝴蝶兰). Every day, I would spray its leaves, even though school was hard — classmates laughed at me for my torn skirt and my family’s old, broken car. But at home, my orchid waited for me. Then one day, its petals (花瓣) began to fall, and soon my beautiful orchid stood barren.Years later, I was accepted to Stanford, where I intended to study environmental science. Guilt, however, soon took over. My family was struggling back home, and I worried I couldn’t help them with a conservationist’s modest salary. So I switched to electrical engineering. But I felt barren. I had abandoned the kid who loved nature.Though I didn’t quit engineering, I decided to make a change. I founded a service group to help low-income students and assist local nonprofits by modernizing their technology and websites. I went on my first backpacking trip through a program and found a part of me that needed to explore mountains and forests. Now, I live in Tranco, a dorm dedicated to outdoor exploration and sustainability. We planted gardens, discussed environmental issues, and went on weekend hikes. I began exploring nature in ways I never could back home. Little by little, I watered the parts of me I didn’t want to lose.Over the summer, I went back home and visited my orchid. It is still there, waiting for me. It has one flower on it. It has lost its petals many times, but with enough water and care, it can always bloom again.4. What inspired the author’s passion for nature?5. What does the underlined word “barren” in paragraph 3 mean?6. What did the author do to change her life at Stanford?7. What message does the text convey?

Can you cook healthy food, manage money properly or sew a button? Most students cannot give a positive answer. Nowadays, schools attach great importance to academic grades, leaving practical skill lessons little room in tight schedules. Academic subjects always gain more attention, while basic life skills are treated as less important. I believe, however, that schools should teach practical skills as part of a well-rounded education.Though schools succeed in training excellent learners, they fail to equip students with necessary life abilities. Cooking, housework and first aid matter greatly for real-life survival. During the pandemic lockdown, many people fell into trouble when restaurants and home maintenance services stopped. Those lacking basic skills found it hard to feed themselves or deal with simple household problems. It is regrettable that many knowledgeable students struggle with easy daily tasks.Besides, practical skills remind students that good grades do not equal successful adulthood. A report shows numerous young people overspend easily, resulting in debts and hidden life risks. Modern society requires students to master more than textbook knowledge. Financial education helps prevent teenagers from blind consumption and heavy debts.Some argue parents should teach kids life skills. Yet busy working parents barely have spare time to do so. Increasing costs of living mean that for most families, both parents have to work to make ends meet. Furthermore, parents might be ill-equipped to teach these skills, with some struggling to manage their own finances or not able to even prepare a simple meal. Therefore, schools are the ideal place to offer systematic compulsory practical courses. After all, it is a place where children spend much of their time.As Sandra Carey, a writer, puts it, “Never mistake knowledge for wisdom. One helps you make a living; the other helps you make a life.” School is not simply a place to impart knowledge and prepare us for a career. By teaching us practical skills, it imparts wisdom that can help us build happy, healthy and fulfilled lives.8. What problem is pointed out in paragraph 1?9. Why is the pandemic lockdown mentioned?10. What does the author think of the idea of parents teaching kids life skills?11. What is the best title for the text?

If you want to know when mathematicians are about to have a breakthrough, you don’t need to look inside their heads. Just watch their movements at a chalkboard.“I’ve always been interested by the tension between how abstract mathematics is and how physical the actual activity of math is,” says Tyler Marghetis, a cognitive (认知的) scientist. He wondered whether he could use the “manual labor” of math to deduce (推演) what was happening in someone’s mind. In a recent study, Marghetis and his co-authors borrowed theoretical tools from other fields to show it’s possible.Complex systems sometimes suddenly change state. It can happen when metals become magnetic, or when a horse shifts from a walk to a run. Often a period of instability comes before the turning point. Research suggests that such a change also happens in the process of insight, — when the brain is stuck, wobbles, and then finds the right track. This study illustrates this process at work.The researchers recorded six mathematicians as they each spent about 40 minutes working on complex math problems and thinking aloud. Observers made a note each time a person shifted attention to different parts of the board by writing, erasing or pointing at math signs. The researchers also recorded exclamations of insight (“I see!”). By analyzing the data, they found that the places where attention shifted became much more unpredictable in the two minutes before a great discovery moment. It’s unclear where that unpredictability originated: Either a bubbling idea led solvers to connect puzzle pieces across the board, or solvers had grown frustrated and decided to physically search for new connections, which sparked a solution.Shadab, the lead author, imagines a “cool application” of their method: someday computer screens that track mouse or eye movements might know exactly when not to disturb someone nearing a breakthrough or when to offer timely tips.12. What does Tyler Marghetis’ study focus on?13. What does the underlined word “wobbles” in paragraph 3 probably mean?14. What can be inferred about the two minutes in paragraph 4?15. What does a “cool application” mean in the last paragraph?

Why Are Keyboards QWERTY?If you have ever wondered why the letters on your keyboard are in the order that they are, you can thank American history. In 1868, an inventor patented the first commercially sold typewriter. 16 During the years, he edited the arrangement of the letters in each row. Finally, in 1874, he unveiled what we now know as the QWERTY keyboard.There are several theories as to why the keys were arranged this way. One popular theory is that it helped prevent typewriters from jamming. In early machines, hitting two nearby keys at the same time could easily cause the mechanical arms to get stuck. 17 That slowed down the fast typing slightly, making the machine work more smoothly.Is QWERTY really the best arrangement of letters for quick typing? Many people think not. 18 Developed by an American psychologist in the 1930s, this alternative rearranges the order of letters on the “home row”, where your fingers typically rest. It hosts a vowel-heavy arrangement to encourage the writer to use different fingers for quicker typing. 19 However, QWERTY has always remained the standard globally. Perhaps humankind’s fondness for routine is the main reason. Once a habit is formed, it becomes extremely difficult for people to change. This traditional habit is sometimes called “the inertia of natural habits”. 20

For Canaan Elementary’s second grade in Patchogue, New York, today is speech day, and it’s Chris Palaez’s 21 . The kid is the joker of the class, who seems to enjoy public speaking.But he’s 22 . “I’m here to tell you today why you should… should…” Chris trips on the “-ld”, a pronunciation difficulty for many 23 English speakers. His teacher, Thomas Whaley, whispers 24 beside him. “… Vote for … me …” 25 some stumbles (磕绊), Chris does amazingly well. When he concludes, Whaley invites the class to 26 him.A son of immigrants, Chris 27 to learn English three years ago. Whaley recalls that at the beginning of the year, when called upon to read, Chris would 28 himself to go to the bathroom.Learning English as a second language can be painful. What you need is a great teacher who lets you 29 , giving you room to stumble before finding your footing. “It takes a lot for any student,” Whaley explains, “especially for one learning English as a new language, to feel 30 enough to say, ‘I don’t know, but I want to know.’”Whaley got the 31 for this second-grade presidential campaign project when he asked the children if they thought they could never be president. The answer 32 his heart. Whaley says the project is about 33 learning to read and speak in public. He wants these kids to learn to boast (夸耀) about themselves.“Boasting about yourself and your best 34 ,” Whaley says, “is how a child who came into the classroom not feeling confident begins to 35 their value and believe they belong.”21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35.

阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。Forks are commonly used on Western dinner tables. Yet in East Asia, chopsticks play a similar role as the fork but they hold far 36 (great) cultural importance, rooted in hundreds of years of tradition and subtle dining rules.Referred to 37 kuaizi in China, chopsticks are more than basic eating tools. Their origin can be traced back to the Shang Dynasty, 38 the findings of ancient bronze chopsticks have confirmed their thousands of years of history. As delicate cultural symbols, they 39 (pass) down through generations and gradually formed unique dining traditions.There is a 40 (fix) standard posture to use chopsticks correctly. People fix one chopstick between the thumb and middle finger as a support, and control the 41 one with the index finger to pick up food. It takes constant practice to master this skill proficiently.Apart from usage skills, following dining ways is 42 (equal) important. Inserting chopsticks straight into rice bowls is forbidden, since this gesture is similar to the act of honoring 43 dead and regarded as bad luck. Knocking bowls, biting chopsticks and playing 44 dining tools are all improper behaviors. When having meals together, people usually use special serving chopsticks to take shared food, 45 maintains table cleanliness and shows sincere respect to others.

46. 假定你是李华，你的英国朋友Chris正在学习中文，写信说不理解“家”这个字。请你给他回信，解释字形结构和文字内涵，并谈谈你的理解。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 Chris,Glad to explain the Chinese character “家” to you._____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Yours,Li Hua

47. 科技发展日新月异，给我们带来机遇的同时也带来了挑战，对此，你怎么看？字数80左右。_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

48. 介绍一次令你难忘的旅行经历。字数100左右。_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As summer draws on, many families may start wondering about back-to-school-related expenses, including school lunch costs. To find out what families may be facing, we examined four years of lunch-related food prices.Different Lunches, Different CostsAs the chart shows, lunch costs vary based on what is packed, and there is no one-size-fits-all brown-bag lunch these days. Based on our calculations, the average daily cost across the four options is US$6.15. For comparison, caregivers surveyed considered US$6.84 an appropriate daily price for a child’s lunch. Although the classic lunch is still the cheapest of the four options, its price rose the most in 2025, by 6%, driven by higher prices for apples, jelly, and single-serve milk cartons (盒装牛奶).Packed Lunches Stay PopularPart of what may drive the choice of where to obtain lunch is economics. Prices can vary by school level (elementary, middle, or high school) and region, but at an average of just about US$3.00, the list price for a school-provided lunch can be less than half the cost of bringing one. However, even though school-provided lunches are almost always cheaper, about 4 in 10 (42%) respondents’ kids bring lunch from home.Why Packed Lunches AppealSurvey results suggest why. Among caregivers whose children brought lunch from home, 69% thought it tasted better than cafeteria food, while 63% believed it offered better value and 52% more variety. Health is another reason, with 70% of respondents considering packed lunches healthier and more nutritious than school-provided ones.1. What do caregivers consider a reasonable daily lunch price?2. Which packed lunch rose the least in price?3. What does the survey suggest about families’ lunch choices?

Daryl, a specially trained rescue dog, owes his reputation to an unusual gift: the ability to pick up faint, days-old scents (气味) hidden within thick wild bushes. In late July, the six-year-old dog faced a test that would push this gift to its limit: locating 13-year-old Cody Trenkle Jr., who had disappeared for over three days.Cody had headed out on his skateboard to a friend’s home. Security cameras captured him passing by, with no further clues afterward. Investigators guessed he had lost control of his board and fell down a deep, tree-covered valley. Suffering head injury and partial consciousness, Cody dragged himself into shaded bushes to escape the burning heat, hundreds of yards off any road. Hours slipped by before his family realized he was missing.Relatives, firefighters and local residents launched a wide-ranging ground search yet failed to comb the valley’s deep, isolated areas. Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports spread that the boy had been seen in distant towns. Though his mother, Stephanie refused to believe them, she could not shake off the worst fear: the longer it went on, the more she had to prepare for the possibility of finding her son’s body. When Cody’s skateboard was eventually spotted at the valley edge, officials called in Gillam and his team.Gillam received the call with mixed feelings. “Look, given the three-day-old scent track, I could make no promises,” he told the officer. But the skateboard gave them a solid starting point, and his team would spare no effort to bring Cody home. He selected Daryl for the tough mission, for the dog performed best under hot conditions and on aged scent tracks.Following Daryl’s lead, rescuers made their way deep into damp woods and found Cody. Severely dehydrated (脱水) and badly hurt, he barely possessed strength to speak. Doctors commented that only a few more hours alone in the wilderness would have cost him his life. After weeks of recovery from brain injury, Cody visited the rescue center to express his gratitude to the four-legged hero who had given him a second chance at life.4. Why was Daryl chosen to search for Cody?5. What does the underlined word “them” refer to in paragraph 3?6. What can we infer from Gillam’s words on the phone?7. What can be a suitable title for the text?

Say you’re at a party, some exchanges are quite pleasant, while others are exhausting. Then you meet someone with whom you instantly connect. The conversation feels effortless. You find yourself saying things like “Yes!” and “Exactly!”.The mystery behind why we click with some people but not others has recently drawn scientists’ attention. Researches show that when we socialize, we not only mirror each other’s behaviors but also sync (同步) our physical states and even brain patterns. Neuroscientists call this “interpersonal synchrony (同频).” You can think of it as an unconscious signal that helps us understand whether someone is a friend or not. “We are wired to understand others through information that does not require conscious thought, such as their movements, expressions, and emotions.” says Dr. Eliska Prochazkova, a researcher at Leiden University.So what should we make of all this? Given the dynamic, subconscious and autonomic nature of interpersonal synchrony, we should all probably give ourselves a break if we cannot claim to like everyone we meet. After all, this is simply the natural order of things. “If I’m syncing with you, I can understand and respond to you more easily,” says Dr. Oliver Wilder, a researcher at MIT’s Affective Computing Group. “When we are out of sync,” he says, “the brain has to work harder to correct its predictions, making social interactions genuinely more laborious.” That is why, when you do click with someone, the connection is so special that it deserves your attention and care.However, synchrony can also become too much — such as when your partner’s stress makes you stressed, and you both become increasingly upset until a big argument breaks out. The key in such situations is to become aware that you may be unconsciously mirroring the other person’s emotions. Once you notice it, simple actions such as deepening your breathing, changing your posture and relaxing your facial muscles can gradually change the rhythm of the interaction, often encouraging the other person to calm down as well.“It’s your natural human tendency to sync with someone else,” says Dr. Richard Palumbo, a Synchrony researcher. “What’s not so natural is being aware of it.” Sometimes we need to disconnect to adjust ourselves, and stay true to who we are. However, the relationships that last are still the ones where you are in sync more than you are not. Grace is learning to ride the tide.8. Why does the author begin the passage with a party scene?9. What are scientists trying to understand?10. What does Dr. Wilder’s explanation mainly support?11. What does the author mean by “ride the tide” in paragraph 5?

While it’s widely known that chewing more improves digestion, research suggests it may also support brain health and potentially reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.Studies suggest that chewing food more thoroughly not only improves nutrient absorption but also slows down eating and reduces overall food intake. But its benefits may extend far beyond digestion and weight control: researchers are increasingly uncovering that chewing may help maintain brain health as we age. This proposed connection is supported by findings that tooth loss, often accompanied by reduced chewing ability, is associated with a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease.Supporting this connection, a survey involving more than 28,500 people older than 50 across 14 European countries found that participants with good chewing ability performed better on a series of cognitive (认知的) tests. They demonstrated significantly better word recall, verbal fluency, and numeracy skills than those with chewing problems. In another study of 273 healthy people between the ages of 55 and 80, scientists found that those who still had more of their natural teeth had better semantic memory (linked to knowledge and facts of the world) and long-term memory.But why does chewing ability have anything to do with memory? Some researchers suggest that chewing activates neural circuits (神经回路) connecting the mouth and jaw to the hippocampus — one of the first brain regions to be damaged by Alzheimer’s disease — and may therefore support learning and memory. Others suggest that chewing, especially fairly hard substances, may increase blood flow to the brain. “The theory is that chewing works like a pump, pumping blood to the brain,” explains Trulsson, a professor at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. This keeps the brain sharp and working well, he says.To determine whether poor chewing ability can actually cause cognitive decline and whether brain function can be improved, Trulsson’s team is currently replacing patients’ missing teeth with implants and studying their brain function before the procedure and for up to a year afterwards. MRI brain scans will also be used to examine whether white matter lesions (白质病变), a marker of poor brain vascular (血管的) health, become smaller after treatment.“Wouldn’t it be really exciting if we could improve brain function by restoring people’s teeth?” says Trulsson, who has included over 80 patients for the study so far.12. How is the proposed connection supported?13. Why does chewing help maintain brain health?14. What is Trulsson’s ongoing study intended to find out?15. What does the study encourage people to do?

Why are there penguins living outdoors in summer?The OZEANEUM in northern Germany has a rocky pool on its rooftop. Every now and then, a fluffy brown-and-white head comes out from one of the artificial nesting caves — a penguin.I had to look twice. 16 Yet these birds appeared perfectly comfortable. For a moment, I wondered if my eyes were playing tricks on me. Had someone forgotten to tell them they belong in Antarctica? No. These are Humboldt penguins, one of the few species that naturally live in warm regions of South America.I had always associated penguins with snow and ice. 17 The Humboldt penguin is native to the coastal area from Peru to central Chile. Some groups even live surprisingly close to the equator. The species was named after Alexander von Humboldt, who first observed them on his expedition. Unlike their Antarctic relatives, Humboldt penguins have spent millions of years adapting to warmer environments. Their feathers are lighter, and they have bare pink skin around their eyes for cooling. They also have a slimmer body shape to release heat more efficiently. 18 Yet even these adaptations cannot fully explain their success near the tropics. 19 During his expedition, Humboldt found coastal waters unexpectedly cold and identified a vast current from Antarctica. Today known as the Humboldt Current, it cools the sea and the air above it, creating a mild coastal climate. 20 Cold water rising from the deep carries rich nutrients to the surface, feeding huge fish populations and providing a reliable food source for the penguins. That’s why Humboldt penguins deserve the name: without the Humboldt Current, they would almost not exist.

I used to think I knew how to relax. When assignments piled high and stress took over, I would turn to social media or short comedies for a quick 21 . But this form of relaxation didn’t refresh me at all. The mindless online content provided rapid bursts of dopamine (多巴胺), designed to keep me 22 . I found myself scrolling through videos with an unfinished paper sitting right in front of me. An essential question 23 : Why did I keep turning to these distractions when I was painfully 24 of how harmful they could be?The answer, I realized, was that I was afraid to be 25 — afraid that my own thoughts might send me into a state of anxiety. Whenever I had free time, I preferred immediate satisfaction. If I didn’t give my mind any time to form real thoughts, there was no 26 of a stressful reminder slipping through. I was 27 in a cycle of work and consumption — not fully resting, but rather seeking distraction, and slowly losing my drive.Determined to break this 28 , I decided to try meditation (冥想). I found a free 10-minute guided meditation online and did it right after waking up, before checking my phone. At first, I became 29 halfway through. But once I trusted myself to relax, I kept trying. Throughout the day, I felt more emotionally 30 and more focused on each task.Later, a friend suggested using positive words to help focus when my mind 31 . Speaking small phrases like “I will make it through” gave me a sense of 32 and deepened my concentration. I also tried a yoga class, which forced me to be calm in a room full of strangers — an interesting exercise in self-restraint.By the end of the week, I had some 33 back. I focused longer when studying and found myself naturally 34 social media. I came to see that what had been scary was simply not giving myself 35 to think. Now I hope to continue this practice and make stressful seasons less difficult to handle.21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35.

阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。While kids in the city complain about a 10-minute walk to school, children in the 36 (deep) of Nizhu River Grand Canyon in Xuanwei, Yunnan Province have to climb 3 hours along narrow mountain paths just to get there. For generations in Nizhuhe, this was 37 (simple) what it meant to go to school.In 2022, with the opening of the scenic area’s 268-meter-high Qingyun Ladder sightseeing elevator and cable car system, the travel time 38 (shorten) to just 30 minutes, with permanent free access for all villagers and students. By the end of 2025, the system 39 (serve) nearly 1,000 student trips. To address the 40 (limit) capacity of a single elevator, the local government invested approximately 68 million yuan to build a second elevator, the Fuyao Ladder (288m tall), 41 went into operation on July 31, 2026. With both elevators 42 (run) in parallel, capacity has increased from 400 to 1,200 passengers per hour, and students and villagers enjoy priority access. The names of the ladders, Qingyun and Fuyao, also won people’s hearts for their 43 (culture) meanings.The story has moved many — not because it relocated the village, 44 because it built a bridge across the natural chasm (天堑), allowing children to “soar straight up” and see the beauty of their homeland. The simple contrast between 3 hours and 30 minutes serves 45 evidence of the warmth and progress of China’s development.

46. 假定你是李华，暑假你参加了“Healthy Life”杂志社举办的“健康生活”夏令营活动，请你给杂志社写一封信，反馈效果较好的活动，并说明理由。注意：（1）写作词数应为100左右；（2）请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。Dear Editor,____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Yours,Li Hua

47. 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段话，使之构成一篇完整的短文。My sister Sumi is a single mother, and her daughter Anna has always been called “Number 23.” Every time exam results came out, Anna ranked 23rd among 50 pupils — always 23, no matter the subject. The nickname worried Sumi a lot. Every time a report card came, Sumi would hold her breath, hoping for a change. But the number never moved.Sumi ran a small event-planning business. Most of her customers were parents, and they often talked about their children’s successes — piano prizes, math competitions, class leadership. Sumi would just nod and say nothing, feeling left out.One day at a big family dinner, the children were asked what they wanted to be when they grew up. “A pianist!” “A CEO!” “A famous actor!” Anna, however, was quietly passing around cookies. When asked, she smiled and said, “Uncle, I want to be a Montessori teacher. I love little kids — playing, singing, and dancing with them.” The room went quiet.That silence hit Sumi hard. She had pushed Anna hard — more lessons, extra homework, promises of gifts for improved marks. Anna tried her best, giving up her drawings and weekend sleep-ins. But soon she couldn’t eat or sleep well and got very sick. Sumi was heartbroken. So she stopped pushing.Slowly, Anna recovered her health and her smile. To Sumi’s relief, she began drawing again and even started making little paper animals from candy wrappers, leaving them on Sumi’s desk — a small bird, a tiny elephant. Sumi would smile and keep them in a drawer. One afternoon, she overheard Anna telling her cousin, “I don’t need people to cheer for me. I’d rather cheer for others.” The words stayed with her.One weekend, the whole extended family went on a trip. On the way home, the bus got stuck in traffic. The children grew restless and began to complain. Some sighed, some kicked the seats, and a few started to cry. The parents looked at each other, not sure what to do.注意：1．续写词数应为150个左右；2．请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。Anna turned around in her seat and decided to cheer everyone up.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________That night, Sumi sat down with Anna and said proudly, “Today I saw who you really are.”____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Theatres and EntertainmentSt David’s HallSt David’s Hall is the award winning National Concert Hall of Wales standing at the very heart of Cardiff’s entertainment centre. With an impressive 2,000-seat concert hall, St David’s Hall is home to the annual Welsh Proms Cardiff. It presents live entertainment, including pop, rock, folk, jazz, musicals, dance, world music, films and classical music.The Hayes, Cardiff CF10 1AHwww.stdavidshallcardiff.co.ukThe Glee Club Every weekend this is “Wales” premier comedy club where having a great time is the order for both audiences and comedy stars alike. It is hard to name a comedy star who hasn’t been on the stage here. If you are looking for the best comedies on tour and brilliant live music, you should start here.Mermaid Quay, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff CF10 5BZwww.glee.co.uk/cardiffSherman CymruSherman Cymru’s theatre in the Cathays area of Cardiff reopened in February 2012. This special building is a place in which theatre is made and where children, artists, writers and anyone else have the opportunity (机会) to do creative things. Sherman Cymru is excited to present a packed programme of the very best theatre, dance, family shows and music from Wales and the rest of the world.Senghennydd Road, Cardiff CF24 4YEwww.shermancymru.co.ukNew TheatreThe New Theatre has been the home of quality drama, musicals, dance and children’s shows for more than 100 years. Presenting the best of the West End along with the pick of the UK’s touring shows, the New Theatre is Cardiff’s oldest surviving traditional theatre. Be sure to pay a visit as part of your stay in the city.Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3LNwww.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk1. Where is the Welsh Proms Cardiff hosted?2. What can people do at the Glee Club?3. Which website can you visit to learn about Cardiff’s oldest surviving theatre?

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."4. What will Zafirakou do with her prize money?5. What does Craig-Martin think of the teaching of the arts in UK schools?6. What should be stressed in school education according to Schama?7. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

How steady you are on your feet can indicate how likely you are to live a longer, healthy life. The ability to remain upright and steady is something that we take for granted, until something goes wrong.The balance system is made up of lots of different sensory components, explains Nicola Harris, a health expert. Good balance depends on correct sensory information from your eyes, muscles, tendons (腱), and joints, and the balance organs in the inner ear.The most obvious benefit of good balance is that it helps prevent falls and therefore injuries, and simply makes daily activities easier and safer to perform. Unless you develop a balance disorder, the first time people become aware of balance issues is when they get older.Harris says that people with balance problems at her clinic often talk about the loss of the ability to look from side to side as they cross the road because they feel unsteady. “That is fundamentally because the balance system as a whole starts to get worn,” says Harris.Pilates, dance and tai chi are all good exercises to maintain good balance. “Other things that work your balance slightly differently, but again are really good, are ball games. Anything involving hand-eye coordination, such as tennis or table tennis,” says Harris.However, she warns against just doing strengthening exercises in the gym using machinery: “That’s not going to improve your balance.” Including tree weights and resistance bands into your workout will not only strengthen your bones and muscles, but your balance, too.8. What does the underlined word “components” in paragraph 2 mean?9. Which statement is true about a balance disorder?10. What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?11. Which column is the passage probably taken from?

When was the last time you talked proudly about being sensitive? Most likely, the answer is never. There are plenty of characters we take pride in, but being “sensitive” is usually considered as a weakness. The message sensitive people get isn’t to celebrate who they are. It’s that they should “overcome” their sensitivity.However, sensitivity is largely genetic (遗传的), and not something you can turn off. It is a character connected to talent and something we should embrace. In fact, according to thirty years of research, it’s not only a healthy character, but it also serves as a big advantage.As a personality character, being sensitive means you take in more information from your environment, and you do more with it. Sensitive people process information more deeply than others do. This changes the way you see the world. You probably notice what others miss, think, and feel deeply.The most well-known sensitive gift is creativity. Sensitive people tend to be highly creative, and many — perhaps most — artists, musicians, and actors are themselves sensitive people.But creativity doesn’t end with the arts. The same ability changes into innovation. Many of our greatest thinkers and scientists throughout history have been sensitive people, like Charles Darwin. Sensitive people have this ability to innovate because they tend to be deep thinkers who spend more time and energy turning problems over in their heads — and end up seeing more possibilities and solutions.Sensitive people do pay a price for these gifts, however, by becoming overstimulated. Overstimulation is what happens when there is simply too much information for the brain to deal with. But sensitive people can learn to deal with it. For them, a little bit of quiet alone time goes a long way.If any of this sounds like you, you might be more sensitive than you realize. If so, you have probably felt the pressure to hide it. But that’s a trap. You can’t make yourself less sensitive than you are and trying to do so only cuts you off from your gifts.Instead, the single most important step you can take for yourself is what society has told you not to do your whole life: Stop hiding from your sensitivity. Embrace it, and show it to the world.12. What phenomenon does the author mention in paragraph l ?13. Why does the author think of sensitivity as an advantage?14. Why is Charles Darwin mentioned in the text?15. What is a sensitive person recommended to do?

Four Things You Must Know About College DegreesAre you getting ready to begin college, to head back to school after a few years off, or are you just exploring your options? 16 Here’s a quick overview of several key facts that will serve you well as you aim for an education certificate. Online study can ‘save you big bucksIn modern society, it’s becoming easier to attend school online. If you choose a school’s online program, it’s possible to save as much as 50 percent over in-person. 17 Be aware that institutions that offer online study sometimes have a more limited range of courses and majors for those e-degree programs. Check if your desired subjects are part of the e-curriculum. 18 Getting your degree and paying for it are two completely different challenges. That’s why it’s essential to get financing arranged before you choose your college or pick your major. If you don’t have the money situation taken care of, schools simply won’t let you begin the coursework. The good news is that you can take out a student loan from a private lender and get the entire payment issue resolved quickly. Do career research before choosing a majorIt’s important to choose a major that has realistic job prospects for graduates. You might love art history or linguistic philosophy. 19 Accounting, IT, advertising and engineering are all sensible choices. Ask the school administrators what their most popular majors are, what job placement rates are，and whether they offer internships for seniors in their fields of study. Concentrate on application essaysWhen you fill out applications for the schools that interest you, don’t just rush through the paperwork. Some of it is merely standard, fill-in-the-blank information. 20 You’ll need to be careful when filling out these kinds of items as admissions offices tend to focus on your essay, scores on standardized tests, grades, and job history.

On a Saturday morning, Tara and her new bridegroom, Sam, were drinking coffee when their doorbell rang. She exchanged a curious glance with her husband, 21 who could be visiting at this early hour.Upon opening the door, Tara found Tina, her closest 22 since childhood, standing there and smiling. In her arms, she held a 23 young creature with beautiful eyes. At the sight of the little cat, Tara was 24 drawn to its innocence.“Surprise!” Tina cried, and 25 the kitten for her to see. “I thought this little one could 26 a loving home, and who’s better than you and Sam?” This 27 gift was unlike anything Tara had ever imagined, and she was deeply moved by her friend’s gesture. “Thank you, Tina,” Tara managed to say, her voice 28 with emotion and her heart full of appreciation, “This means the world to us.”Tara and Sam named the kitten Charles, who quickly became the centre of their universe, bringing 29 joy and laughter to their home. As days passed, Tara’s 30 with Charles deepened. Charles was very 31 to her moods, curling up beside her when she was lost in thought or sank into sadness. Its company became a constant source of 32 to her. It was the unconditional love of the furry friend that could heal the deepest wounds and comfort her 33 heart.Their home was now filled with the 34 of playful meows and soft steps of the little cat, who had woven a beautiful thread into their life and 35 it with warmth and love.21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35.

阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容 (1个单词) 或所给单词的正确形式。The market for wearable technology in the past few years has been on a rapid rise. We seem to have too much attachment to data accessible on those devices. 36 is it a good thing that we’re relying on technology more often than not, recording every step we take? Can those tools really maximize your workout benefits? The real question 37 (surround) not the wearable, but the wearer. The challenge for athletes 38 (look) to up their game with data is finding the type of information that is most helpful. If you are hoping to run faster and want to try moderating your pace based on heart rate “zones,” 39 wearable can help you do so. However, for professionals and those who are new 40 working out, less is more. Earlier this month, Sara Hall, a professional marathon runner competing in the U. S. Olympic marathon trials, actually 41 (throw) away her GPS watch midrace to avoid distraction. Similarly, for beginner runners, it’s more important to learn to listen to your body’s signals — tiredness, 42 (ache), bursts of energy — 43 to track your pace or heart rate. Depending on what those goals are, there might be ways to achieve them that are more cost 44 (effect), more fun, more convenient. Dr. Ethan Weiss, a physician at the University of California tells his patients that a different item 45 (attach) at your wrist, like a leash, is more likely to pull you toward more activity.

46. 本学期你校开设了每周一节的英语文学阅读课，请你就此写一篇短文向学校英文报 “Student Voice”栏目投稿，内容包括：1.课程介绍(目的、内容、上课方式等);2.你的收获。注意：1.写作词数应为80个左右；2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。English Literature Reading Class Opens a New World_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

汉译英47. 个人的 adj. ___________48. 静止的；仍然，尽管如此 adj. / adv. __________49. 成功 n. ___________50. 预料，期待 v. ___________51. 直接地 adv. ___________52. 当前的；礼物；呈现 adj. /n. /v. ___________53. 误导 v. ___________54. 敏感的 adj. ___________55. 可接受的 adj. ___________56. 考虑；认为 v. ___________57. 专业的；专业人员 adj. /n. ___________58. 有创造力的 adj. ___________59. 普及，流行 n. ___________

汉译英60. 野生的；狂野的 adj. ___________61. 执行，表演，表现 v. ___________62. 情况，条件，状况 n. ___________63. 简化，使简单 v. ___________64. 成就 n. ___________65. 特别的，挑剔的 adj. ___________66. 有规律的，定期的 adj. ___________67. 身体上的 adj. ___________68. 强迫，力量 v. /n. ___________69. 使满意 v. ___________70. 费用，负责，充电，控告 n./v. ___________71. 信用；称赞 n. ___________

72. It was most generous of you 72 (forgive) me, but I would rather not be forgiven. (所给词的适当形式填空)

73. He was ashamed of himself and asked for 73 (forgive). (所给词的适当形式填空)

74. The moment she left the market, she found herself 74 (cheat) when dealing with the seller. (所给词的适当形式填空)

75. The boy who was caught 75 (cheat) in the exam asked the teacher’s pardon. (所给词的适当形式填空)

76. No matter 76 your revision strategies are, it is important to stick to them. （用适当的词填空）

77. He says that if it 77 (rain) tomorrow, he won᾿t go fishing. (所给词的适当形式填空)

78. By comparison, we find him more 78 (rely). （所给词的适当形式填空）

79. The girl was more than 79 (guilt) when hearing her careless operation had resulted in a terrible accident. (所给词的适当形式填空)

80. Under the 80 (guide) of the teacher, the gifted student had made great progress in geometry. (所给词的适当形式填空)

81. The man is a 81 (crime). How could the people elect him to office? （所给词的适当形式填空）

82. I’ll never forgive her 82 what she did. (用适当的词填空)

83. 83 we don’t stop climate change, many animals and plants in the world will be gone.

84. With prices rising all the time, he could 84 (bare) make ends meet. (所给词的适当形式填空)

85. The drug is suspected 85 having caused over 200 deaths. (用适当的词填空)

86. The old man donated most of his 86 (saving) to the local school. (所给词的适当形式填空)

87. She has a gift for creating an atmosphere 87 students can express themselves freely.(用适当的词填空)

88. He passed the driving test at his first attempt, 88 made him excited. (用适当的词填空)

89. According to the rules of the company, the applicant 89 application is not approved will be informed over the phone. (用适当的词填空)

90. Her mother doesn’t approve 90 her going to study in the United States alone.(用适当的单词填空)

91. Many people expressed a strong 91 (prefer) for the original plan. (所给词的适当形式填空)

You already know and love Zion National Park in Utah, US for hiking, camping, mountain biking, scenic drives, and stunning landscapes. But if you’re going to bed right after sunset, you’re really only experiencing half the park. Come to experience the other half.As soon as the sun goes down below the Navajo Sandstone canyon (峡谷) walls of Zion National Park, the entire region falls into darkness. That’s because, although there are a handful of communities around Zion National Park, there’s very little light pollution here. The closest big city is Las Vegas, which is about 160 miles away — more than enough distance to keep Zion National Park’s skies dark. The 229-square-mile park became an official International Dark Sky Park in 2021, and the nearby town of Springdale followed suit in summer 2023.The tour to bookThough you can easily stargaze (观星) on your own, we recommend letting the guides at Stargazing Zion show you around the night sky. Their two-hour tours are guided by professional astronomers who give every guest a pair of stargazing binoculars and use their high-powered telescopes to bring distant wonders right before your eyes, like far-away galaxies or nebulae.Where to stayStay overnight at one of Zion National Park’s comfortable camping resorts, such as Open Sky Zion, AutoCamp Zion, Under Canvas Zion, or Zion Wildflower Resort. While there are plenty of great hotels in the area, at these places you’ll be more willing to stay up late to watch stars while gathering by a campfire, relaxing in your own wooden hot tub (桶) or just hanging out in front of your tent.1. What makes Zion National Park have very dark skies at night?2. What can visitors experience during a tour with Stargazing Zion?3. What is the text?

Brad Szczecinski was in need of a second kidney transplant (肾移植). The father of two lived with a donated and functioning kidney for about 29 years until he experienced kidney damage in 2021. His doctors told him he needed a new kidney.That’s when Allie Szczecinski, Brad’s wife, started to spread the word in their community, including at her workplace and on social media. She shared a hospital form for potential donors to fill out and sign up for more information.Johnston was one of multiple people who filled out the form and she felt determined to sign up to get tested because she had grown up seeing her mom donate blood on a monthly basis, and when she had her third child, she required a blood transfusion (输血) that ultimately saved her life. “The line from a movie ‘If there’s a whisper in your heart’ really got to me, because I thought, There’s more than a whisper in my heart. I just felt really strongly about helping, Johnston said. They’ve gone from being strangers to family now, connected by Johnston’s lifesaving action. Johnston thinks people should know about the field of living organ donation. “I would really like people to know that organ donation is very common, and it’s not as risky as we think,” Johnston said. “You can have confidence that you will be OK… and obviously, you have the chance to really make a difference in someone else’s life.”Brad said, “There’s about half a million people nationwide on dialysis (透析) right now, about 100,000 people on the transplant list. I would love it if both of those numbers were a lot smaller… There are very few things that we can do while we’re walking this planet that can compare to giving another person life through actually, physically giving them a part of you. I think it’s very special.”4. What happened to Brad Szczecinski?5. What particularly motivated Johnston to help Brad Szczecinski?6. What does Johnston want to do through her behavior?7. What does Brad Szczecinski’s words mean in the last paragraph?

A new report from an institute indicates that China leads the global automotive (汽车的) transformation, largely driven by advances in electrification, charging systems and services, and AI-enabled driver-assistance systems. Based on 26 key industry performance data and survey responses from over 22,000 consumers across 22 countries, the report highlights that China takes the lead in electrical vehicle (EV) market share, charging network and AI-driven automotive technologies, gradually widening the gap with other regions.Statistics from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) show that 1.71 million new energy vehicles (NEVs) were sold in China in October, accounting for 51.6% of total vehicle sales that month. Of these NEV sales, pure EVs made up 33.1% with 1.1 million units sold.Meanwhile, research from a market research and consulting company and Tongji University finds China’s smart car cabins (座舱) are becoming increasingly intelligent. Additionally, Chinese automakers take only 24 to 40 months to launch new models, much faster than the 48 to 60 months required in Europe. This fast launch speed is driven by strong domestic demand for EVs — 95% of Chinese people who were once surveyed said they would consider an EV for their next purchase (购买).In the past year, the share of EVs in China’s new car market rose from 22% to 25%, while the European market remained stuck at 12%. Consumer enthusiasm for EVs in Germany, Japan and the United States has declined, with relatively low repurchase willingness among existing EV owners there.The global automotive industry is developing into distinct regional ecosystems. European automakers are increasingly relying on Chinese partners.The institute suggests that the future of global automakers depends on their ability to combine strategic cooperation, software skills and readiness for market differences. The report also notes that China’s continuous development in technology and related services will keep it ahead of Europe, which is experiencing slow development in automotive transformation.8. What mainly makes China the leading role in the global automotive transformation?9. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?10. Why can Chinese automakers launch new models faster than European ones?11. What does the institute suggest automakers do in the future?

Going meatless may not be just a matter of willpower, according to a new study. The study found that there are genes (基因) associated with how well someone is able to stick to a vegetarian lifestyle. “Genetics plays a significant role in vegetarianism and some people may be genetically better suited for a vegetarian diet than others,” said lead study author Dr Nabeel Yaseen.In addition to religious and cultural practices, health, moral and environmental reasons all rank among the factors that motivate people to reduce or remove their meat consumption—but they aren’t always so successful. “A large part of self-described vegetarians actually report consuming meat products,” he said.“This suggests that many people who would like to be vegetarian are not able to do so, and our data suggest that genetics is at least part of the reason. The study hasn’t been able to identify who would or would not be genetically predisposed (倾向于) to vegetarianism so far,” said Yaseen.Dr José Ordovás, a professor of nutrition and genetics at Tufts University in Massachusetts, said, “The study highlights the complicated (复杂的) connection between our genes and our dietary choices, suggesting that in the future, we might have more personalized dietary recommendations based on genetic predispositions.”Several of the genes that the study found to be associated with vegetarianism had to do with metabolizing (新陈代谢) fats. Plants and meat differ in the complexity of their fats, so it may be that some people genetically need some fats offered by meat. “This may have to do with genetic differences in fat metabolism and how it affects brain function, but more research is needed to examine this hypothesis,” Yaseen said.“This study shines a light on a relatively under-explored area of research—the genetics behind dietary preferences,” Ordovás said. “The association of genes with long-term strict vegetarianism suggests a biological basis for this dietary choice, beyond just cultural, moral, or environmental reasons.”12. What can explain someone’s sticking to a vegetarian diet according to the study?13. What is the significance of the study according to Ordovás?14. What does the underlined word “hypothesis” in paragraph 5 mean?15. What can be the best title for the text?

Want to create a beautiful backyard landscape that will attract birds, butterflies and wildlife? It’s really not that hard. Here are four steps that will help you create your own backyard.Develop a landscaping plan 16 . Where is the area you will most likely be sitting and viewing the backyard? What is the focal point of the landscape? If you are adding a water feature, you will probably want to make that the focus and develop your plan with that in mind.Break down the plan into sectionsBreak your yard down into manageable sections and begin working on section one. If you are adding a pond and stream or waterfall, this will be your starting point. Remember though, you are most likely to make changes to each section throughout the years. 17 . The important thing is to get started. 18 Remove the grass as much as possible, then plow (犁) the area completely. Mix in fertilizers, maybe some sand, and whatever your local flower shop might recommend to make the soil rich. The richer the soil, the better your plants will grow, and the less weeding and upkeep you will have.Plant according to heightTaller plants need to go at the back of each section. Low plants and flowers should be at the front. 19 . This seems rather basic but surprisingly, it’s often ignored.Know the best time to plant your plantsRead the instructions that come with the plants. Trees are usually best planted in the fall so they can develop a solid root system before the heat and rain arrive in the summer months. Most bulbs (鳞茎) are also best planted in the fall and grow in the spring. 20 .

Deborah started each day by walking barefoot in her garden. It was her way to relax. As an investor (投资者), she 21 city life often kept people away from nature. So, when a businessman 22 a new app idea, she agreed to help.The app, called Wildling, had a clear 23 : to map the UK’s wild and green spaces. It 24 places from small city gardens to large coastlines, making them 25 to find. With more than 1,500 locations listed, it aimed to 26 the common excuse — not knowing where to go.Deborah became an important supporter. Big nature groups also 27 . They shared their knowledge and added their sites to the app. Wildling was more than a map; it 28 guides for outdoor activities to encourage families to play 29 .For Deborah, Wildling was a useful 30 . It helped her quickly find nature nearby. Others had similar 31 like an office worker in London who found a peaceful riverside path very close to his workplace.However, the Wildling team wanted to do more than just 32 people to find nature. They hoped to encourage people to protect it. They added new 33 that let users donate to nature protection groups or find local volunteer work.Wildling’s story shows us that 34 is often nearer than we imagine. By guiding us to the wild places around us, it doesn’t just show us where to walk — it can change how we see the world. A simple walk can become a 35 to connect with and care for nature.21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35.

阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。With a rising 36 (aware) of health and well-being, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) cuisine is gaining popularity among consumers in China. TCM drinks, bread, ice cream, hot pot — there has been 37 trend (趋势) in the catering industry of adding Chinese medicinal ingredients into various food and drinks. They have become unique, 38 (especial) among youngsters.At the Peerless Tea Delights shop in Xining, northwest China’s Qinghai Province, various Chinese herbs are on show in glass boxes. Meanwhile, waiters serve porridge (粥) that can 39 (strength) the spleen (脾) and stomach, desserts that can relieve the summer heat, and tea that can improve immunity. It 40 (run) by a TCM clinic that the family of Wu has opened for about 100 years.Many 41 (lead) TCM companies are investing in the food sector, tapping into the potential of a market yet to be fully explored. An investigation 42 (launch) by the National Bureau of Statistics showed that happiness and wellness ranked third in the consumption rankings of young people aged 18 to 35.On the one hand, young people in China joke about themselves being “crispy (酥脆的) skin youngsters”, making fun of their poor health. 43 reality, it’s more a complaint about stress and depression from overwork.On the other hand, many young Chinese 44 want to stay healthy find it hard to abandon unhealthy habits such as staying up late and eating junk food. “Therefore, products that claim 45 (be) able to balance taste and health are favored,” experts said.

46. 假定你是李华，你校英文报计划增加一个新专栏，现有Figure、Travel和First Aid三个专栏等待大家投票决定。请你用英语给负责此事的外教Mr Steve写一封邮件，内容包括：（1）你的选择；（2）你的理由。注意：（1）写作词数应为80个左右；（2）请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。Dear Mr Steve,___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Yours,Li Hua

47. 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。Dylan is an educator at a high school in his town. One day, Dylan’s son, Tim, was getting ready for his first formal event that required a tie. From the bathroom, the 8-year-old called for Dylan and asked for help with his tie. Dylan went into the bathroom, standing behind his son. He had his hand on Tim’s shoulder, lovingly putting his tie on. With all done, Tim was looking into the mirror with satisfaction. That’s when Dylan found himself back in high school twenty-three years ago, remembering what happened to him at that time.During Dylan’s teenage years, he had been living with his grandparents. That year, when Dylan was 11 years old, he was getting ready for a formal school event that required a tie. However, he realized he had no idea how to knot (把……打成结) it. And his grandparents couldn’t do it either.With no other choice, he had to do it on his own. He sat in front of the mirror and fruitlessly tried and failed, over and over again, to twist (旋转) the tie into different knots that might make it look like it was supposed to. As he realized that he wasn’t going to be able to figure it out no matter what he did, there were some tears of frustration that started to bubble up in his eyes. To make matters worse, he thought it represented so much of the failure and hurt he was feeling in his life at that time.Dylan lost heart, feeling upset, and he shoved (随手扔) the tie in his suit coat pocket and headed to the event without wearing a tie. As he was waiting in line to get in, his head was down and he was in low spirit.注意：（1）续写词数应为150个左右；（2）请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。It was at that time that the principal Mr Smith noticed Dylan in the crowd.___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The incident had a deep effect on Dylan later in his life.___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

If you’re planning a self-drive tour of Scotland, there are many scenic routes that will take you through breathtaking landscapes, charming towns and beautiful coastlines.Moray Firth RouteThis 80-mile route takes you from Inverness to Loch Fleet, passing around the Beauly, Cromarty and Dornoch firths in the north-east Highlands. The drive takes about 1 hour 50 minutes. It is a good choice if you want a relatively short trip while still enjoying the scenery of northern Scotland.SnowRoads Scenic RouteRunning from Blairgowrie to Grantown, this 90-mile route crosses the eastern part of Cairngorms National Park. It takes drivers along some of Britain’s highest public roads, which often close first when it snows. Visitors should allow about three hours for the drive.Argyll Coastal RouteFor mountain scenery and sparkling loch views, try this 129-mile journey from Tarbet to Fort William. The route follows Scotland’s west coast and can be completed in about 2 hours 55 minutes. It is especially suitable for travellers who enjoy a mixture of mountains, water and coastal landscapes.South West Coastal 300This circular road trip begins and ends in Dumfries and covers 300 miles. Along the way, travellers can enjoy unspoilt coastline, striking scenery and many places to stop and explore. Unlike the shorter routes, this trip normally takes three to four days, making it better for visitors with more time.The routes above vary in length and driving time, so you can choose one that best suits your schedule and interests. No matter which route you choose, take litter away and book accommodation in advance.1. Which route is the shortest in distance?2. What makes the South West Coastal 300 different from the other routes?3. What should travellers consider most when choosing a route?

Few women were studying for a PhD in chemistry when Dell Chilton entered graduate school in 1960. Fewer still were focused on the mysteries of how genetic information is stored in the beautiful double-helix structure of DNA.“I always felt like I didn’t want to be hired or advanced because I was a woman,” Dr. Chilton later said. “I wanted to be advanced because I was the best. So I made myself the best.”Conducting experiments with a tiny microbe, Dr. Chilton helped start an agricultural revolution, leading a research team that developed the first genetically modified (转基因) plant in 1982. Her work broke new ground in genetics, leading to honors including the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, and contributed to the rise of a new era of genetically modified organisms or GMOs.“Millions of farmers all over the world have Dr. Chilton to thank for protecting their crops from disease, pests and climate shocks,” said Tom Vilsack, the CEO of World Food Prize Organization. In 2013, Dr. Chilton was awarded the World Food Prize, together with two other scientists with whom she sometimes competed and sometimes cooperated.A determined yet generous researcher — she and her husband were known for hosting visiting scientists and young researchers at their home, which was lovingly called the “Chilton Hilton (希尔顿酒店)”. They treated the visitors much like their extended family, with beer and pizza on Friday evenings, a collective lunch every working day. “She always encouraged her researchers to follow their curiosity, wherever it led them,” said Mike Bevan, who worked with Chilton for 30 years. Chilton was fondly called as the “queen of agrobacterium (农杆菌)”. “She was a wonderful leader,” said Mike Bevan, “enthusiastic and engaged, hugely supportive, and a highly knowledgeable and well-connected guide.”Growing up in the Chicago suburbs at a time when girls were seldom encouraged to study science, Dr. Chilton found her passion in a telescope-making group. “My mother showed me by example that women can do things in this world,” Dr. Chilton said of her mother, a successful businesswoman who had supported her scientific curiosity from a young age. Dr. Chilton passed away on June 24, 2026, at the age of 87, leaving behind a lasting legacy in agricultural science.4. What was Dr. Chilton’s major scientific contribution?5. What does the nickname “Chilton Hilton” suggest about Dr. Chilton?6. What can we learn about Dr. Chilton’s early life?7. Which best describes Chilton’s attitude to being a woman in science?

Eric Stallard, a brain researcher, began looking into the rate of dementia (痴呆) among elderly Americans. He was so shocked by his findings that he put off publishing his first paper for two and a half years while he double-checked his work. “I wanted to be absolutely certain,” he recalls, since the numbers went against all expectations. Instead of confirming the widely-held belief that dementia was becoming an increasingly serious problem in America, they showed that the proportion old people suffering from it was in fact decreasing rapidly.“I was shocked by the declines,” he says. Stallard has been working for a decade to confirm this discovery. His findings have, if anything, become even more striking.Last year he and some colleagues published research showing that, while 40 years ago three in ten Americans aged 85-89 had dementia, by 2024 just one in ten had it. America is not the only one to benefit from this trend. Between 1988 and 2015 the share of older people being diagnosed with dementia fell by 13% per decade across six countries in North America and Europe, according to a study of almost 50,000 people.But the good news is largely limited to rich countries, at least for now. The single biggest risk factor for dementia is age. The rate doubles roughly every five years after 70. In America in 2016, just 4% of people aged 70-74 had dementia, but the rate jumped to 9% for those who were 75-79 and again to 18% for 80- to 84-year-olds.This pattern, combined with long life expectancy, has led to alarming predictions. A study predicts that the global population of people with dementia will almost triple from around 57 million in 2019 to 153 million in 2050. But if dementia rates continue to fall, these predictions may be too pessimistic. Researchers have identified 14 changeable risk factors, including education, hearing loss, high blood pressure, and social isolation. They estimate that about 45% of dementia cases could be delayed or prevented by addressing these factors.8. Why did Stallard delay publishing his findings?9. What was Stallard’s most surprising finding?10. What can be inferred about dementia from the last two paragraphs?11. What is the main message of the passage?

People working with artificial intelligence (AI) tend to outperform those without it on tasks well-suited for AI, such as writing text, organizing research and generating ideas. In controlled experiments, researchers have seen great improvements — at least in the short term.In a 2026 study, Ethan Mollick at the Wharton School and his colleagues reported what happened when they gave AI assistance to hundreds of consultants at Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Those using AI completed 12% more tasks and finished them 25% faster on average. For tasks within AI’s abilities, the work quality was judged to be much higher.However, other research paints a more worrying picture. A team led by Grace Liu of Carnegie Mellon University tested how AI affected people’s thinking ability to solve math problems. When people who had used AI later lost access to the tool, they performed worse than those who had never used AI at all. The effect appeared after just 10 minutes of AI assistance — people became less capable of solving problems on their own.Another team led by Steven Shaw from Wharton explored this further by controlling the accuracy of AI answers given to participants. In their 2026 study involving more than 1,300 people, they observed something they called “cognitive surrender” — a state in which users simply agree with the AI’s judgment as their own without thinking critically. When the AI was correct, accuracy jumped 25% above the usual level. But when the AI was wrong, accuracy dropped 15% below. Either way, people felt more confident in their answers.A 2024 review of 106 AI experiments in the journal Nature Human Behavior revealed a key finding: when humans are better than AI at a task, the human-AI team performs better than either working alone. But when AI is better, the team actually performs worse than the AI by itself, probably because people cannot tell when to trust the machine and when to trust themselves.Evidence is also building that AI harms learning when it removes mental effort. A large study of 27,000 Chinese students found that test scores dropped when students used AI to speed through their homework. But students who asked AI for explanations and follow-up questions, rather than just for answers, largely kept their learning. As one researcher wisely put it: “The goal shouldn’t be to use AI to avoid thinking. It should be to use AI to deepen thinking.”12. What’s the result of the Boston Consulting Group study?13. What does “cognitive surrender” in paragraph 4 refer to?14. What does the 2024 review of 106 AI experiments find?15. What does the study of Chinese students suggest about using AI for learning?

If you ask people how today’s children are doing, you will likely get an earful of complaints and concerns. Many believe that children today are less resilient, less empathetic, and less mentally healthy than previous generations. Headlines frequently warn of a youth crisis, and many parents quietly worry about the future. 16 Studies suggest that young people today are, in many ways, doing better than those of previous generations. Their basic literacy (素养) and curiosity have improved. They are more empathetic, more open-minded and inclusive than those 50 years ago. 17 Konrath and her colleagues surveyed nearly 700 adolescents and found that 73% had volunteered or donated to charities. 18 Many factors are probably at play, but experts believe that changes in parenting and educational styles could be an important driver. One significant change in parenting is a greater focus on emotional literacy. “Over the past 15 years of clinical work, many young children have come in with a richer emotional vocabulary than those I saw earlier in my career,” says Tracy, a clinical psychologist. Meanwhile, more schools have introduced social and emotional learning programs that encourage empathy and self-control.What about the role of social media? It is often blamed for damaging young people. Even experts support banning smartphones in schools. 19 Some studies, however, find that technology may be helping kids connect with others, find support, and learn about world issues. “It can make them more thoughtful, conscious citizens,” Konrath says.So why does the negative view of young people remain so common? One reason is that our minds are built to notice threats. Our ancestors who noticed danger were more likely to survive, which may explain why negative information attracts more attention than positive news. Cognitive (认知的) biases also make people remember the past as better than it actually was. 20 Today’s young people are, on the whole, doing quite well.

Erling Haaland was walking slowly, head down, around the field against Brazil. It was the biggest match in Norwegian football history, but he was trying to look 21 , like a tired giant waiting for a bus. When a teammate advanced down the wing, he started a slow jog. The cross (传中球) came in, and in a sudden burst of 22 and finesse (技巧), Norway’s first great footballer sped in, jumped and headed it into the net. His two goals 23 Brazil, granting Norway their first ever World Cup quarter-final. Thanks to Haaland, tiny Norway has a (n) 24 to become world champions.Haaland was born in England. His sporting 25 is impressive. His father was a professional footballer and his mother was a champion athlete. Normal-sized until his late teens, Haaland then 26 to 1.93 meters and 88kg. He is faster than a giant should 27 be.He is a natural who also works non-stop. “I think about football all the time,” he has said. He reads scientific articles to 28 his sleep and diet, and meditates (冥想) to clear negative thoughts.His scoring 29 may be unique. With 62 goals in 54 internationals, he is averaging twice as many goals per game as any other Norway player.But this superstar remains 30 . Haaland has always treated others as 31 . He is always hugging supporters. When he left his former club, he gave specially made watches to 20 staff members. Other players threw used training tops (上衣) on the ground, but Haaland 32 his clothes neatly and handed them to the staff.He also knows opponents will build their entire game plan around 33 him. “He studies them, he waits, he understands exactly when a defender loses 34 . Then, in one second, he is gone,” observed a coach. “Football is decided by moments, and he is the best in the world at 35 those moments.”21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35.

阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。The wrapper of a Chinese milk candy from 60 years ago has become unexpectedly popular. White Rabbit, 36 (launch) in 1959, has long been a household name in China. It was born in an era of material shortage, when sweets were a rare luxury. Although the times have improved, its packaging has remained 37 (virtual) unchanged. The wrapper, 38 (feature) a seated white rabbit against a red background, won a national packaging award in 1983 and now draws millions of views overseas. On platform X, a post 39 (receive) about 6 million views and 260,000 likes since.Shi Anbin, 40 professor from Tsinghua University, linked the trend 41 what he described as a broader movement, in which young people overseas have embraced traditional Chinese practices. He argued that original Chinese designs can bridge both generational and cultural divides.Zhang Di, from Renmin University of China, 42 (strike) a more practical note. He attributed the wrapper’s appeal to its visual language — bold colors and simple composition , 43 requires no specific cultural knowledge for interpretation. He added that short-term online buzz does not guarantee lasting market recognition. Product 44 (fundamental) — taste, quality, convenience and adaptability — are what ultimately keep customers. He advised heritage brands to use any current attention to study target markets 45 , accordingly, adjust their offerings.

46. 你校英文报“Opinion”栏目正在征稿。请你就“同伴一起学习”（peer learning）与“自主学习”（independent learning）哪一种学习效果更好发表看法，并阐述你的理由。请你写一篇短文向该栏目投稿。注意：（1）写作词数应为80左右；（2）请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。Which Works Better: Peer Learning or Independent Learning?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

47. 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。Jared Miller had spent most of his seventeen years avoiding any activities that made him sweat. While his classmates signed up for basketball and cycling, he stayed indoors with his books. At every school sports meeting, he found an excuse — a stomachache, a library duty, a forgotten uniform. Nobody made fun of him; they simply forgot he existed on the field.Everything changed when Mr. Foster took over the PE class this term. The new teacher announced that every student would run 1,500 metres at the end of the term, and the result would count toward the final grade. Jared’s heart sank. That evening, he complained to his grandfather, expecting sympathy. However, the old man put down his newspaper and smiled.“When I was a bus conductor,” Grandpa said, “I climbed the stairs of a double-decker (双层公共汽车) bus two hundred times a day. I never trained for it. My legs grew strong, one stair at a time.”“A bus is not a running track,” Jared argued.“The stairs to our flat aren’t a track either,” Grandpa replied. “Or the road to school. You pass a hundred ‘tracks’ every day and never run on any of them.”So Jared started small, almost as a joke. Instead of taking the lift, he raced up the stairs to the sixth floor at school. When the bus came near his stop, he got off two blocks early and jogged home. Between classes, he took the long way to the lab, quickening his pace until his breathing grew heavy. None of it felt like training. Yet slowly, wonderfully, the stairs stopped burning his legs, and the two-block jog changed into five.One evening in the third week, his grandfather timed him with an old stopwatch (秒表) as he climbed. “Forty seconds faster than the day you started,” Grandpa announced, as proudly as if he were reporting a world record. Jared laughed, but that night he drew a simple chart on paper and pinned it above his desk, adding a fresh mark each day.Still, a doubt was in his mind: the other boys had trained for years. Could climbing stairs really work?注意：1.续写的词数应为150左右；2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。On the morning of the test, Jared walked to the starting line.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When Jared finally crossed the finish line, his classmates were shouting his name.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1. Where does the conversation most probably take place?

2. What will the man do next?

3. What does the man think of the apartment?

4. Why does the man give up using the AI painting tool?

5. What are the speakers mainly talking about?

听下面一段对话，完成下面小题。6. Why does the man fail to see the street sign?7. What is the man going to do on Maple Street?

听下面一段对话，回答以下小题。8. What is the relationship between the speakers?9. Why did the woman start her vegetable garden?10. What might the man do next spring?

听下面一段对话，回答以下小题。11. What position is the man applying for?12. What is required for the job?13. What is provided for the job?

听下面一段对话，回答以下小题。14. Why does the woman call the man?15. When does the woman’s meeting end?16. What does the man say about the restaurant after 7:30?17. What is the woman’s final decision?

听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。18. What worried the speaker most last summer?19. What did the speaker start in the community?20. What is the purpose of the talk?

China’s meat consumption has increased rapidly and diversified (多样化) in the last 60 years. The chart below shows the amount of meat available for consumption in different periods.Go back to China in the 1960s, and you’ll find that the average person ate very little meat. This isn’t surprising—almost the whole country lived in great poverty at that time while it has always been a fact that meat consumption is closely connected with and mostly depends on income: as countries get richer, they are more likely to have meat-heavier diets.However, as the chart shows, meat supply per person has increased significantly over the last sixty years. In 1962, annual consumption was just 4 kilograms per person. By 2022, it had increased almost 18-fold to 70 kilograms.It’s not only the amount of meat consumed that’s changed. In the 1960s and 1980s, almost all meat came from pork. Today, pork is still the biggest share, but is joined by more poultry and beef.This change in diet matters for various reasons. More diversified diets, which are not only about animal products, tend to be more nutritious than monotonous staple-heavy (单一的，以主食为主的) diets that are common for people living in poverty. But this increase in meat consumption also comes with a large environmental impact and consequences for the good of animals.21. How much did pork consumption per person increase from 1982 to 2022?22. Why did the average person in China eat little meat during the 1960s?23. Which of the following matches people’s present diet?

For hundreds of years, my town has been having a commemoration (纪念) day to honor late heroes making a big difference in our town. The event has always been organized by a team of volunteers until they age and pass the task onto the next generation. We always close our ceremony by reading the names of the late heroes over a soft drumming (击鼓). As the years passed and memories faded, the names of the dead were becoming a blur (模糊的记忆) and in some cases meaningless. More townspeople had difficulty appreciating the significance of the day and fewer were willing to join the team to continue the tradition, there being one volunteer taking charge for a twenty-year period. Attendance was suffering as well. Eventually, the celebration had become boring and uninspired. Our senior volunteers were worried that if townspeople continued to lose sight of heroes’ contribution, our commemoration day would evolve into something unrecognizable. Something needed to be done. Specially selected volunteers were sought to help ease the team’s burden. It was an honor for me to be asked to assist. I volunteered to give a speech for the coming commemoration day. The focus of my planned speech would be to change the reading of the names and honorable title of our late heroes from something routine into something that would make it clear that these were genuine heroes who once walked among us. I tried contacting their family members, distant relatives, and old friends. Amazed, everyone was so thrilled to share so many fond stories and old photos of their loved ones that I felt as if I knew each hero personally. I integrated all those into my speech, which turned out well received, acting as the catalyst (催化剂) that got our commemoration day observance back on track. Townspeople, once reminded, were happy to dive in and show their respect.24. Why was the commemoration day becoming less popular in the town?25. What specific change did the author make to the ceremony?26. How did townspeople respond to commemoration day after the speech?27. What can be the best title for the text?

AI fakery (伪造) is quickly becoming one of the biggest problems confronting us online. Deceptive pictures, videos and audio are increasing as a result of the rise and misuse of generative artificial intelligence tools. With AI deepfakes cropping up almost every day, it’s getting harder to tell what’s real from what’s not. Video and image generators like DALL-E, make it easy for people without any technical skills to create deepfakes — just type a request and the system spits it out. These fake images might seem harmless. But they can be used to carry out fraud and identity theft. Here is how to avoid being cheated by deepfakes. Face-swapping is one of the most common deepfake methods. Experts advise looking closely at the edges of the face. Does the facial skin tone match the rest of the head or the body? Are the edges of the face sharp enough? If you suspect video of a person speaking has been doctored, look at their mouth. Do their lip movements match the audio perfectly? Sometimes the context matters. Take a beat to consider whether what you’re seeing is reasonable. The Poynter journalism website advises that if you see a public figure doing something that seems “exaggerated, unrealistic or not in character”, it could be a deepfake. Another approach is to use AI to fight AI. Microsoft has developed an authenticator tool that can analyze photos or videos to give a confidence score on whether it’s been manipulated (操控). Chipmaker Intel’s Fake Catcher uses algorithms (算法) to analyze an image’s pixels (像素) to determine if it’s real or fake. All this being said, artificial intelligence has been advancing with breakneck speed and AI models are being trained on Internet data to produce increasingly higher-quality content with fewer flaws. That means there’s no guarantee that this advice will still be valid even a year from now. Experts say it might even be dangerous to put the burden on ordinary people to become digital Sherlocks because it could give them a false sense of confidence as it becomes increasingly difficult, even for trained eyes, to spot deepfakes.28. What is the concern regarding AI fakery?29. Which image is likely generated by AI deepfake technology?30. Which of the following is the method for an AI tool to detect fake media?31. What is the author’s attitude towards the public’s ability to detect deepfakes?

For as long as there have been gifts, we have naturally made choices based on the personality and tastes of the recipient (接受者). In fact, a recent online survey conducted by psychologists Lauren Human and Lara Aknin confirmed this tendency. However, what if we have been wrong all along and might actually benefit from turning things around?Curious about this possibility, Human and Aknin wondered whether this common approach to giving gifts missed an important way we connect with others. So they sent 78 volunteers into a shopping centre before Mother’s Day. Half were told to buy a card that “reveals (揭示) your knowledge of the recipient” while the others set out to buy a card that “reveals your true self”. After buying the card, the givers who had thought partly of themselves reported feeling emotionally closer to their mothers than those who focused only on the recipient. To find out how that approach went down with recipients, the psychologists did another test, asking more than 100 students to choose a song on iTunes for a friend, partner or family member. Each half of the group received the same instructions as the card buyers. Results revealed that recipients of songs that revealed something of the givers felt more connected than those who received purely recipient-focused gifts. This proved balanced gift-giving builds stronger relationships. Human and Aknin suggest this finding might apply to all gifts. “If building stronger social connections is the underlying (潜在的) goal of a gift — and surely it should be — then we may well be advised to offer more self-expressive gifts.” In short, for a present to be truly meaningful, you need to give away a bit of yourself, even if there is a risk that the gift might not fully meet the recipient’s practical needs or tastes. But a note of warning here: what the research does not examine is the potential risk in repeated, thoughtless giver-centered giving, which, according to Human and Aknin “could signal selfishness” — and nobody wants to reveal that about themselves.32. What is learned from the Mother’s Day card test?33. Why should we give gifts according to the text?34. How do the researchers view self-expression in gift-giving?35. What’s the purpose of the text?

Every day we are surrounded by people of different cultures. It’s important to expose (使接触) our children to other cultures early in life. Here are a few ideas for introducing your child to different cultures.Watch documentaries and read books from different cultures.A great way to expose your child to other cultures is by watching documentaries and reading books worldwide. 36 And they include beautiful illustrations of diverse landscapes, foods and traditions. You can also find documentaries online that highlight (突出) important historical events and cultural traditions from different parts of the world. 37 If you live in a city with a lot of diversity, chances are there are lots of great museums and cultural centers to visit. Many museums and cultural centers also offer programs and events specifically for kids. 38 Talk to friends who are from different cultures.If you know someone from a different culture, take the opportunity to talk with them about their heritage. This is a great way to understand what life is like in their country or community. 39 It can help your child feel more connected to the person you’re talking to.Learning a new language can be a fun and rewarding (值得做的) experience.If you’re looking for a deeper experience, consider taking part in some language classes. 40 And, if there aren’t any classes available (可获得的) in your area, you may be able to find an online program that’s perfect for your child.

I had just moved out of my father’s house, finally breaking free from his control. But I had no stable place to stay, no money, and no job to 41 myself. Overnight, I became homeless and had to stay with a family that treated me as a charity. In moments of 42 , I thought about going back. Wouldn’t that be better than the 43 I saw in their eyes?One of my saviors was Karl, my manager. Working with him, I found his manner cold and 44 . Yet he was one of the few people to 45 a helping hand to me. He saw unusual 46 during that time, and when he learned about my situation, he 47 me and even gave me money to get by. I felt deep 48 for having judged him so unfairly.One evening, he took me to dinner. I acted as if everything was fine, but eventually I admitted how uncomfortable I felt, living under someone else’s 49 . “This will change,” he said. Then he looked at me gently but 50 , “But you don’t have to pretend with me.” I 51 a little, letting my guard down while not fully admitting defeat.Later, things began to 52 . I found a job and moved out. To repay Karl, I emailed him. His 53 was unexpected: “You owe me nothing. Just pay it forward!”That day I made a promise to be kind and 54 to anyone in need, just as he had been to me. It was his guidance that led me to make that promise and 55 who I am today.41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55.

阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。AI:Transforming Our Daily LivesArtificial intelligence(AI) 56. (become)an indispensable part of our daily lives in recent years.From voice assistants on our phones to smart home systems,AI is changing 57. we live,work,and communicate.In the field of education,AI-powered learning platforms can provide personalized learning plans 58. (base)on students’ learning progress and habits.These platforms can also grade assignments automatically, 59. (save)teachers a lot of time and energy.In healthcare,AI is used to analyze medical images,helping doctors detect diseases 60. (early)and more accurately.AI robots can also assist in surgeries, 61. (reduce)the risk of human error.However,AI also brings some challenges.For example,the use of AI may lead to job losses in some industries,and there are concerns about 62. (person)data privacy.Therefore,it is important 63. (develop) AI in a responsible and ethical way.As students,we should learn to use AI 64. (wise)to improve our learning efficiency,while also being aware of its potential risks.We need to develop critical thinking skills to distinguish between reliable and unreliable AI-generated information,and use AI as a tool 65. (help)us grow and achieve our goals.

66. 假如你是红星中学高一学生李华。你的英国好友Jim发来邮件，表示他对自己的形象不满，因此感到十分烦恼。请你用英文给他写一封电子邮件，内容包括：1.表示理解；2.提出建议。注意：1.词数100左右;2.开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。提示词：形象、外貌look Dear Jim,__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Yours, Li Hua

67. 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。It’s a great pity that I had not put forth the amount of effort required. I had spent too much time playing with my friends instead of improving myself. I had let down my teacher, who was the kindest, sweetest, and prettiest one I had ever known. She laughed often, and never threatened any of us, yet she was able to “read” the children, control the class, and teach effectively. Miss Pratt put a lot of herself into her work. Every day near the close of school, she would read to us, or even better, tell us stories about when she was a little girl. Most importantly, she made us feel that she cared about us and that we were important. Because of a serious car accident when I was three and a half years old, I had a sear (伤疤) below my nose that was the result of a torn upper lip. Everything else had healed up without any after effects physically, but my emotions remained scarred. Meanwhile, having been called “Chief Running Nose” and “Scarface” by many children, my confidence had suffered. Although my parents and relatives referred to me as pretty, I did not see myself that way. Focusing on my scar, I could not appreciate any redeeming features (可取之处). At the end of one school day, I remained in my classroom, waiting for the arrival of my mother, who was coming to take me to an appointment close to the school. Miss Pratt sat at her desk with a fellow teacher and chatted. I glanced at the clock and realized it was time to get ready to leave. I put on my wool coat and hat. The teachers looked at my clothes and seemed to admire it. I was able to read their lips a little and my ears perked up to hear, “Who is she? She is really cute.” My teacher Miss Pratt answered, “I agree. Bernice is quite pretty.”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。“Pretty” caught my attention since it was almost my favorite word.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________About two months later, the final exam result was announced and I got the first place. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yuanshan Education FoundationThe MissionEducation is a fundamental way to change the future. Yuanshan Education Foundation in Beijing, China is a non-public foundation, providing special STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) courses and other high-quality educational resources to primary school students in rural China.The foundation aims to develop the students’ learning capacity and interest in STEM, being committed to using technology to promote the balanced development of education for the students in rural areas through the Internet.The Project DetailsWe independently develop STEM courses through our project. It adopts the co-teacher teaching mode, which allows an expert teacher to give live STEM lessons online, and a local teacher to assist the class and guide the students offline. The courses start with the most urgently needed subjects in the countryside.The project will carry out 12 STEM courses in a semester and provide rural students with experiment materials (four students share one experiment kit). In the class, guided by the two teachers, students will learn knowledge in engineering, architecture, transportation, media, and so on through an experimental approach, which will create their interest in STEM subjects and improve their learning capacities. At the same time, various STEM competitions will be held for students.The History and NeedWithin approximately 7 months, 80 STEM courses were delivered, covering 12 schools, 40 classes, 40 teachers, and more than 1,800 rural students. This project has also delivered 12,000 experiment kits to the local students.Your help means a lot to us and the kids. In the future, the funds we receive will enable more rural children to take STEM courses, learn science knowledge, and improve their learning capacities. Come and build a brighter future for the kids together! For more information, click here.1. What is the main purpose of the foundation?2. What do we know about the project?3. Where can the text be taken from?

A book fair is an event where different types of books are displayed and sold. I, a curious boy, visited the Ekushey Boi Mela this year. It is one of the biggest book fairs in Bangladesh, usually held in February. On the very first day, I walked over to visit the exhibition immediately after school. I entered the fair and began to move from one stall (摊位) to another with great interest.There were many people at the exhibition. Most were school children like me. I saw all sorts of books such as fiction, textbooks, dramas, children’s books, and reference books. One good thing about exhibitions is that they usually offer free gifts. This exhibition was no different. Men, women, and children of all ages and backgrounds gathered there. At a counter near the entrance, I registered to be a member of the book shop and I received a small calculator as a gift.Inside the main hall, I was amazed by the number of books on display. There were books on computers, science, technology, music, cookery, travel, business, self-help, and general interests. Other items on display included encyclopedias, maps, novels, magazines, and even greeting cards. In addition, there was a huge collection of dictionaries. Also available were computer software, CDs, and other digital media.Next, I moved on to less crowded areas and looked at the books. There were many that I would love to get my hands on but my financial status did not allow it. So I looked through as many as I could. In that way, I happily whiled away a whole afternoon. I enjoyed my visit to the book fair very much. It reminded me of the simple joy of reading.4. What is the author’s purpose in writing paragraph 1?5. What benefit did the author get by registering at the counter?6. What aspect of the book fair does paragraph 3 mainly cover?7. What does the underlined phrase “whiled away” in the last paragraph mean?

According to an official report, with more than 40% of US teenagers reporting ongoing feelings of sadness or hopelessness, Dr Kenneth Barish, a child psychologist, believes grandparents may be an important part of the solution. He says the decline of extended family involvement has been identified as a contributing factor to a continuing crisis in child and adolescent (青少年) mental health.“We did not evolve to raise children with as little extended family and community support as most American parents have now,” says Dr Barish. “Children need grandparents, and they always have.”In his new book, Dr Barish draws on 40 years of clinical experience, as well as findings from neuroscience, child development studies, and educational programs, to argue that grandparents can play a meaningful role in helping families navigate today’s parenting challenges.Dr Barish says grandparents offer more than just practical support for parents. They also provide what he describes as “molecules of emotional health”, small but meaningful moments of encouragement, attention, and understanding that help strengthen children’s “emotional immune systems”.“A child’s confident expectation that someone will listen and understand is the best protection against the emotional pathogens (病原体) they will experience throughout their childhood. More than anything else, children need someone in their life who listens, who helps them feel less alone, and who teaches them that problems can be solved, relationships can be repaired, and bad feelings do not last forever,” Dr Barish explains.Ultimately, Dr Barish argues, “Helping children thrive (茁壮成长) depends less on teaching specific skills and more on fostering emotional strength, confidence, and meaningful relationships. Our children will then work harder, bounce back more quickly, show more caring and kindness toward others, and pursue interests with greater enthusiasm, commitment, and a sense of purpose.”8. What does Dr Barish think contribute to the ongoing crisis in child mental health?9. What lays the foundation of Dr Barish’s new book?10. Which can be the molecules of emotional health?11. What is crucial for children to thrive according to the last paragraph?

Experts are calling for a global effort to identify “positive tipping points” to accelerate the green transition and have devised a method to find them in a new academic paper. A tipping point is a threshold (临界点) where a small change can cause a significant, often irreversible (不可逆转的), transformation. Positive tipping points in human societies and economies can bring about rapid reductions in emissions and other environmental harm, even as climate breakdown becomes increasingly damaging and dangerous.Some positive tipping points are already happening — with solar power and electric vehicles rapidly replacing fossil-fuelled alternatives — but many more are needed to ensure a sustainable future.“The global economy is decarbonising (脱去……的碳) at least five times too slowly to meet the Paris Agreement target of limiting global warming to well below 2℃,” said Professor Tim Lenton, from the Global Systems Institute at the University of Exeter. “The challenge now is to identify potential positive tipping points, and the actions that can bring them forward — while avoiding wishful thinking about their existence, or oversimplification of their nature, drivers and impacts.”The paper sets out a method for identifying positive tipping points, assessing their proximity, identifying the factors that can influence them, and the actions that can lead to them. This includes looking for evidence that a system, or a similar system, has “tipped” in the past.Another factor is whether there is potential for “self-pushing uptake” of zero-or low-carbon behaviors. For example, as more people buy electric cars, the performance, price and infrastructure improve — making it easier for others to follow, and therefore accelerating the transition.“We know positive tipping can happen in sectors such as power and road transport,” said Dr Steve Smith, also from the Global Systems Institute at the University of Exeter. “In other sectors, there is little sign of approaching tipping points and in a few, such as nuclear power and concrete production, we should not expect there to be tipping points at all.”12. How does the author present the topic in the first paragraph?13. What is the current situation of positive tipping points?14. What is Dr Steve’s attitude to the tipping points of nuclear power?15. Which can be the best title for the text?

Have you noticed how often you forget even simple things and instantly reach for your phone to check them? In a world where answers appear in seconds, our memory has started to work differently. Dates, facts, phone numbers, and even personal memories get handed over to devices for safekeeping. 16 American psychologists once published an article in Science. 17 In an experiment, participants were asked to read and type 40 interesting facts. Half of the participants were told that these facts would be saved on the computer, while the other half were told that they would be deleted. Everyone was then asked to write down as many facts as possible from memory.People who thought the information would be saved remembered less than those who believed it would be lost. 18 If the brain knows that important information can be obtained from external storage, it sees no reason to waste energy trying to memorize it.Neuroscientists argue that the strength of memory is directly linked to how often we review what we memorize. 19 At the same time, the rise of search engines and quick access to knowledge have made turning to our own memories less necessary. Why make the effort to remember something when online search tools can find the exact answer in a second? 20 It moves some knowledge outside and makes information available with a single click. However, the strength of the human mind does not lie in the amount of data we memorize. True intelligence lies in the ability to ask questions, understand connections, doubt, seek evidence, and create something new.

For nearly ten years, Lara worked in the circus as a costume maker. She had been living in 21 spaces, usually a van (面包车). Then animal welfare rules 22 the entertainment industry gradually. Instead of losing heart, she chose to build something new on her van.She had no building experience. As she 23 it in an interview, she began with “a drill from a supermarket”. Still, she was 24 . With research, help from handy friends, and the 25 to learn, she started building her own hand-built tiny home. “It was challenging, but really fun,” she says about the 26 . Today, that decision has transformed Lara’s life. She not only lives in the home she built herself, but also 27 a new path as an interior designer. 28 , the entire hand-built tiny home cost just around $16,143 from start to finish, thanks to her own free 29 and the extensive use of recycled materials.Her home 30 mainly on solar panels but can connect to mains electricity when needed. Built-in seating 31 as storage, a smart choice in such a small space. With such design, everything Lara needs 32 the space. Surrounded by colorful fabrics, the design reflects her costume-making 33 .Warm, simple, and full of 34 , her hand-built tiny home stands as proof that courage and creativity can reshape a life — even when it begins with nothing more than a basic drill and a(n) 35 idea.21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35.

阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。Inside the Swallow Cave in Guiding County, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, the digital world disappears. Cell phone signals drop just 100 meters beyond the entrance, 36 (leave) only the sound of rhythmic dripping and the heavy breathing of explorers. After 30 minutes of crawling and climbing along slippery rock walls, explorers reach 37 temporary rest point. 38 (seat) against the cool stone, with strange stalactites (钟乳石) hanging overhead, they find 39 (they) face to face with ancient fossils embedded (嵌入) in the rock.This “underground disconnection” is exactly 40 a growing number of young Chinese travelers are seeking. Guizhou, a province known for its karst (喀斯特) landscapes, is seeing its tourism industry dive deeper, 41 (literal) moving from traditional sightseeing at famous scenic spots to immersive adventures in the remote countryside.The numbers tell a story of rapid 42 (grow). During its eight-day trial run around the May Day holiday this year, Swallow Cave 43 (welcome) more than 300 explorers. Notably, a “cave cafe” in the Xixiu District of the city of Anshun achieved over 3 million yuan just three months after opening, while attracting over 9,000 visitors during the May Day holiday.“It’s incredibly comfortable 44 (drink) coffee and watch the waterfall inside a cave,” said Danila, a young Russian working in Guiyang in Guizhou, 45 drove over an hour with friends to visit this spot.

46. 假定你是李华，学校英文报正在举办题为“My Ideal Major”的征文活动。请你写一篇短文投稿，内容包括：（1）简述你的理想专业；（2）选择该专业的理由。注意：（1）写作词数应为80个左右；（2）请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。My Ideal Major____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

47. 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。At eighteen, I had been allowed to drive alone for only a week. One Friday night, my mother asked me to take a bag of books to my aunt, who lived across town. The roads were familiar, and I was proud of myself for being trusted with the little blue car.On the way home, however, a road repair sign forced me away from my usual route. I followed the arrows through streets I hardly knew. Rain had made the road shine, and the lights of other cars looked doubled on the ground. At a wide crossing, I saw a green arrow and turned quickly, only to realize I had entered the wrong lane. Headlights rushed toward me.I panicked and pulled the car onto a raised concrete island between the lanes. There was a terrible scraping sound, and then the car stopped. The engine was still running, but the front wheels were hanging in the air. I could neither move forward nor reverse. Drivers slowed down to stare. I waited, embarrassed. My phone had only two percent battery. I tried calling my father, but the call failed before I could explain where I was.A couple in a small van stopped near me. The woman asked if I was hurt. When I shook my head, she pointed across the road to a brightly lit truck stop. “Someone there may know what to do,” she said. I thanked her, though the idea of walking into the noisy place alone made my mouth dry.Inside, the smell of coffee and fried food filled the air. A cashier looked up from a crossword puzzle. I told her about the car, my voice shaking. She leaned over the counter, glanced through the window, and then turned toward a table where several truck drivers were eating.注意：（1）续写词数应为150个左右；（2）请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。The cashier called out, “Lenny, this girl needs help.”____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I got back into the car, my heart still beating fast but now with relief.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1. Where does the conversation take place?

2. Why does the woman feel so tired?

3. What are the speakers talking about?

4. What will the woman do next?

5. What does Karen think of doing community work?

听下面一段对话，回答以下小题。6. Why does Jenny want to seek a job change?7. What do we know about Jenny?

听下面一段对话，回答以下小题。8. Why does the man refuse the woman’s invitation?9. What is the secret to the man’s grandma’s long life?10. When can they get off work today?

听下面一段对话，回答以下小题。11. How does Paul feel when seeing Deborah?12. Why is Deborah in Manchester?13. Where are the speakers probably?

听下面一段对话，回答以下小题。14. What is Ron busy doing?15. Why is Ron unwilling to wear a hairpiece?16. What is Ron’s concern about the medical treatment?17. What does the woman advise Ron to do?

听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。18. How did Zarougui master the art?19. What is a key step in creating Ebru art?20. Why does the speaker give the talk?

Over the past year, more athletes have questioned whether they can use running shoes for tennis — or vice versa. The short answer: don’t interchange them regularly.About Tennis and Running ShoesFunctionally, tennis shoes and running shoes serve distinct biomechanical roles. Tennis shoes are engineered for multidirectional movement. In contrast, running shoes are optimized for repetitive linear (直线的) motion — each big step generates peak force at the heel (脚后跟) or midfoot.The confusion often arises because both types aim to reduce injury risk and enhance comfort. However, their structural priorities differ sharply. Using a running shoe on the tennis court risks instability during sharp cuts; using a tennis shoe for jogging leads to inadequate cushioning (减震) and increased joint fatigue (疲惫) over time.Pros and Cons of Different Types of ShoesShoe TypeBest ForPotential DrawbacksBudget Range (USD)Tennis ShoesLateral movements, frequent court play, quickness drillsPoor cushioning for running, heavier weight$80 ~ $150Running ShoesLinear motion, road / trail running, daily mileageRisk of ankle strain on court, rapid sole wear$90 ~ $160Cross-TrainersGym workouts, light sports, walkingNot suitable for intense sessions in either category$70 ~ $120★For those who do both sports mildly, a quality “cross-trainer” might work. But for serious engagement, specialized footwear wins. Use the table above as a starting point.How to Choose the Right Shoe1 Identify your primary activity: Are you logging 5+ miles weekly or playing doubles every weekend?2 Assess your movement pattern: Do you stop / start frequently (tennis), or maintain steady rhythm (running)?3 Check your current wear patterns: Look at old shoes — do heels show uneven wear or toe scuffing (磨损)?4 Try before you buy: Walk in the store. Runners should test stride bounce; tennis players should simulate side steps.21. What may occur when one uses running shoes on the tennis court?22. Who tends to choose cross-trainers?23. What should purchasers consider when choosing the right shoe?

The first time I saw an elderly gentleman head to toe in shining buttons sewn into his black suit, I was fascinated by what he was wearing. I later learned he was a member of the Pearly (珍珠) Kings and Queens Association.At the heart of the century-old tradition stands Henry Croft. Raised in an orphanage (孤儿院), Henry became a road sweeper. He grew close to the market traders known for their community pride and outfits dotted with pearl buttons. Motivated by their fashion and their spirit of mutual aid, Henry created a suit decorated with pearl buttons to catch the eye while raising money for his childhood orphanage.Henry’s suit became a symbol and so did he. Hospitals and charities across London called on him to aid them in fundraising. Henry turned to the market traders to meet demand. In 1875, the Pearly Kings and Queens were born, a network of 28 pearly families — one for each London borough (自治区) — who have passed the titles and responsibility for charity down through the generations. Once in the Pearlies, members make a lifelong commitment to raising money for charity.The Pearlies now have a social media presence and a new generation of young Pearlies. I reached out to Harman, a younger member, who spoke about the tradition. “It’s a way of connecting with my history — my family has been part of the Pearlies for over 100 years. There’s something special about putting on buttons, knowing I’m continuing the work my family devoted themselves to,” she said. “It’s also an important part of London’s history and a living working-class tradition, born out of community and the responsibility of looking after those in need. At a time when many communities are struggling, that spirit feels more relevant than ever.”I visited many more of the Pearlies, including Phyllis Broadbent, the most senior member at 98. On the importance of the Pearlies being multigenerational, Broadbent says, “Like any family, it only works with a mix of experience, knowledge, and energy. Every member of the association brings something vital that keeps it going.”24. Why did Henry Croft initially create the pearl-button suit?25. What is required of a Pearly member?26. What does Harman illustrate about the Pearly tradition?27. Which of the following best describes the Pearlies?

Bus shelters tend to be practical structures. They offer protection from severe weather. Seating while you wait. Maybe an ad to grab your attention. But a green bus stop movement is seeking to create gardens on bus shelters. These installations, first popularized in the Netherlands, have been spreading across Europe.Green bus shelters typically involve five key components. The green roof structure must support significant weight, so a brand-new roof is ideal. Above the roof comes the root barrier, an impermeable (不可渗透的) layer of fabric, plastic, or rubberized material that prevents plant roots from growing downward. On top of this barrier sits the drainage (排水) system, which collects and stores rainwater for the plants and gradually lets out extra water without flooding city drains.The soil for a green roof should be lighter and more mineral-based than typical houseplant soil, to increase rainwater retention. For vegetation, native plants are ideal, as they support local biodiversity. Zoe Davis, senior project manager for Boston, noted that their plant selections have attracted butterflies, birds and squirrels.One key advantage of green bus shelters is their ability to fight urban heat islands. Living roofs can provide more shade than glass roofs, and they don’t absorb and release heat the way a blacktopped roof would. Instead, they can hold water long enough for it to evaporate (蒸发), producing a cooling effect. Living roofs have been documented to reduce surrounding air temperatures by up to 6℃.For Utrecht, a city in the Netherlands, one goal of building green bus shelters was to address a rapid decline in the bee population. Some green bus shelters in the US are primarily demonstration projects. These novelty installations may influence how people think about vegetation in their surroundings. Boston estimates that if all 8,000 of its bus stops featured living roofs, it would create about 17 acres of green space — roughly the size of 13 football fields. And when living roofs are installed on a larger scale, they can have real environmental effects.28. What distinguishes green bus shelters from common ones?29. Which picture shows the appropriate green roof structure?30. How does the author mainly explain the cooling effect in paragraph 4?31. What does Boston’s estimation in the last paragraph imply?

Nearly half of all Americans and around 40% of Britons now use smartwatches or phone apps to track their sleep. Are these devices accurate and do the users get a better night’s rest?Not enough sleep can cause health problems. A new study, published in Nature, finds a U-shaped relationship between how long people sleep and markers of biological ageing. Those who got between 6.4 and 7.8 hours of shut-eye a night seemed to experience slower ageing than those who slept either more or less.Sleep trackers promise to help people hit this sweet spot. Apps typically record movement and sound, sometimes inferring breathing rates from the audio. Smartwatches record movement and measure blood flow by shining low-intensity light onto the skin and detecting how much reflects back.Most trackers are very good at distinguishing sleep from being awake. Several studies have compared them to polysomnography (多功能睡眠记录仪), which uses electrodes (电极) to record eye movements, brain activity and heart rate, and is the gold standard for measuring sleep. One paper, published in Sensors, found three tested popular trackers agreed with polysomnography around 95% of the time in telling sleep from wakefulness across the night.When it comes to identifying the different sleep stages, trackers are less accurate. A good night requires cycling between rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep, in which dreams take place, and several stages of non-REM sleep ranging from light to deep. Wearables agree with polysomnography on sleep-stage classification only around 50-80% of the time. “That merits a C+ to B+,” says Rebecca Robbins, a sleep scientist at Harvard.Despite trackers’ shortcomings, Dr Robbins says they give people a better, more objective sense of how long they slept. Plus, they do seem to improve sleep habits. In a survey, 55% of adults who reported using sleep trackers said they had changed their behaviour and improved sleep quality after learning from the data.Too much data can have downsides, though. Unlike trying to eat healthily or exercise, putting more thought into sleeping can backfire. As many as 30% of those who track their sleep report feeling anxious. But sleep data is not worth losing sleep over, because there is an alternative to sleep tracking: whether you wake up feeling rested is the best indicator of how good your night was.32. What is the author’s purpose in writing paragraph 2?33. What do the underlined words “this sweet spot” in paragraph 3 probably mean?34. What aspect can trackers measure most accurately?35. What’s the best title for the text?

You may have this kind of frustrating experience: You know exactly what needs to be done — clear the mail off your desk, put away the laundry — but can’t seem to begin. It is often made worse by all-or-nothing thinking. That is, “If I can’t do it all, I’m just not going to start”. 36 Instead of seeing a few dishes, the brain jumps ahead to the entire job — making the kitchen look like a showroom.One simple way to change the situation is the “five things” approach: 37 Doing just five things can interrupt the cycle of paralysis (瘫痪) by making the task feel manageable. “It’s small enough that the nervous system doesn’t see it as an overly taxing demand,” therapist Margaret Sigel says. 38 It shows the brain in real time that action is possible and that the environment is becoming more manageable, which can help reduce that sense of threat. “When getting those safety cues, people often find that they can keep going.” Sigel explains. In other words, even if you haven’t cleaned everything, you’ve changed your brain’s perception (感知) of the task.Once that shift happens, something else often follows: motivation. After putting away five things, you might pick up a few more. 39 Any amount counts. The point isn’t to force productivity — it’s to prove to yourself that starting is possible.There’s another way to ensure this approach changes how you think about effort. You can rate expected difficulty and relief before, and actual feelings after putting away five things. By keeping track, you’ll find that getting started is not tough. 40

I used to be a writer and editor. A severe stroke (中风) in 2021 41 me of the use of my left hand and much of my cognitive (认知的) function. I could no longer type, edit texts or even 42 simple daily tasks like reading a calendar. Months of treatment brought minor 43 . In my “old” life, I was 44 about serving delicious meals. But then I saw the passion 45 by the stroke. I felt worthless.One day, I had enough of feeling sorry for myself and decided to move forward. I did have a 46 right hand, so I could at least write or type out messages on my phone. I decided to reach out to others who just might be feeling more 47 than I was.I started my “Mindful Mission 2022”. The 48 was to encourage at least three people every day through Facebook, cards and letters, phone calls, and visits. The 49 were often simple but were always encouraging. As I started to 50 , I cooked meals for my elderly neighbor and picked up flowers to cheer lonely people.Slowly, the fog of despair 51 . I found myself smiling again. I was starting to like this “new me.” And the “old me”, 52 enough, seems to be integrating with the woman I’m slowly getting to know.Suffering may break down our old 53 , but it never takes away our 54 to create meaning in life. We cannot choose what hardships life sends, yet we hold the power to 55 our own life story.41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55.

阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。The Liziba Observation Deck (观景台) transformed into a stage for an unusual sight. Crowds of international visitors stood in a line with mouths open — not for a taste 56 the Chongqing’s cuisine, but to take pictures of a train seemingly 57 (slide) into their mouths as it passes through a nearby 19-story building.During a recent visit to the city, Erling Haaland, a Norwegian soccer player shared a viral video of himself 58 (merry) “eating” the iconic monorail (标志性单轨铁路). “It’s like a 3D version of kung fu for the mouth, and I’m just amazed by the 59 (wise) and architectural engineering achievements that Chongqing has got,” Janet Yang from California said. “My friend thought it was AI,” said Tsakiris, from Dubai. Suitably 60 (inspire) after hearing about the monorail, she decided to bring her sons to Chongqing 61 (witness) the phenomenon firsthand.Due to the geography of Chongqing — a 62 (mountain) city with a large population — transportation can be challenging and creative. In 2004, Chongqing built its first urban rail CRT Line 2, 63 was China’s first monorail in southwestern China. A decade later, Liziba Station 64 (become) a must-see attraction for adventurous tourists, gaining international fame through social media. In a city where the skyline looks borrowed from a sci-fi movie 65 the food is as fiery (热烈的) as the locals’ passion, the monorail has become an unexpected yet fitting attraction.

66. 假定你是李华，上周你在校园科技节上体验了两项科技活动项目——与机器人同台表演和使用AI制作海报。请你写信给你的英国笔友Peter，分享其中一项，内容包括：1．活动内容；2．你的感悟。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 Peter,____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Yours,Li Hua

67. 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。When I turned sixteen, I could not wait to leave my quiet and ordinary hometown. My father was a local carpenter (木匠), quiet and always buried himself in his woodwork. He seldom talked about feelings or offered warm words of encouragement. Passionate about painting and fine arts, I dreamed of entering a big-city art college and starting a brand-new life far away from my plain small town. Gradually, I formed a misunderstanding that my father could never understand or support my pursuit of art.One rainy afternoon, a little disagreement led to a violent quarrel. I complained that he only cared about wood carving skills, turning a blind eye to my artistic ambition. I shouted that his silent love was meaningless to me and that I would succeed on my own without his outdated ideas. Before my father could explain, I rushed out of the room and slammed the door, leaving him standing alone. In the following months, I kept a cold distance from my family on purpose. I devoted all my energy to academic review, determined to prove to my father that I could achieve my dream independently.Shortly before the college entrance examination, I returned home to pack up my belongings. The whole house was extremely quiet and empty. My mother told me that my father went to his wooden workshop early every morning and returned late at night, spending most of his time alone with his tools.When I walked into my bedroom, a delicate little wooden bird came into my sight, lying quietly on my desk. Its wings were smooth and polished, and every tiny detail was carved carefully. On close observation, I found tiny modified traces on its tail and wings, which implied that my father had revised and polished it repeatedly. My mother told me every night after finishing his carpentry work, he sat alone carving this wooden bird, hoping it could accompany me and remind me to hold on to my dream bravely. Reaching out for the wooden bird, I caught sight of a folded note lying beside it.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。Driven by curiosity, I picked up the note.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Holding the wooden bird, I hurried to my father’s workshop.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1. What was the speakers’ original plan?

2. Where does the conversation probably take place?

3. When will the volleyball match start?

4. What does the woman think of living in a dorm?

5. Where did the cat usually stay?

听下面一段对话，回答以下小题。6. Why does Janet make the call?7. What does the man ask Janet to do in the end?

听下面一段对话，回答以下小题。8. What will Thomas mainly discuss on the show?9. What can we learn about upcycling?10. What will the show do next before the demonstration?

听下面一段对话，回答以下小题。11. What did Tim think of the family tree websites?12. What did the woman discover on the website?13. Why did the woman track her family history?

听下面一段对话，回答以下小题。14. How are the speakers talking?15. What are the speakers mainly talking about?16. How long did the man spend in meetings per day on average last month?17. Which department does Alex probably belong to?

听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。18. What is the first step in identifying false news?19. What turned out to be false about the video in 2018?20. What might indicate an account is false?

Oklahoma School Testing Program for English Language ArtsPurposeThis testing assessment system utilizes different types of assessment to gather multiple pieces of evidence to provide timely, relevant, actionable, and reliable information about what students know and can do relative to a set of standards.Test Structure, Format, and ScoringThe English Language Arts operational test is meant to be administered in two sessions within one day with a break between sessions or on two instructional days in a row. Each section of the test consists of 25 operational items and 5 field-test items.Short constructed-response items provide students with the opportunity to respond to items in their own words. A typical response is 1-3 sentences. Each multiple-choice item is scored as correct or incorrect. Technology-enhanced items are worth one point and are scored as correct or incorrect.Test Administration DetailsPaper/pencil testing is administrated in this test. Due to the nature of a paper test booklet, students may have to flip pages to read passages and to read the associated test items.Students will be able to use scratch paper and/or unmarked grid (方格) paper for the paper. The scratch paper must be collected and destroyed by the test administrator immediately following the test.21. How many test items are there in total?22. What is prohibited in the test?23. Where is the text probably taken from?

When my 89-year-old father said he heard I “went virus,” I gently corrected him: “I went viral (走红).” Every visit, I reminded myself to keep it light. Love, in our house, had always arrived indirectly, through rules and self-control.“Your brother said you went virus,” he repeated. “Viral,” I said again. “On Instagram.” When he asked what Instagram was, I hesitated. Over the years, I had learned to stop offering pieces of my life that were politely ignored.“Just videos,” I said. “What kind?” he asked, his voice carrying something unfamiliar — concern. I briefly described the show — how I cried recording it, and how it was shared by tens of thousands. I spoke carefully, not wanting to seem like I was asking for approval.He fell silent, then said softly, “Mary, your brother mentioned people were talking about you. I didn’t get it.” He met my eyes. “Maybe… maybe I should.” When he insisted on watching, I realized he was serious.Later, on the couch, I felt myself tensing up as the show unfolded. I stole glances at him. His face was unreadable, but he never looked away. After it ended, the room felt different.“I didn’t know,” he said. “Didn’t know what?” I asked. “What it was like,” he said. “For you.”The sentence sat between us, unmissable. I thought of all the years I had wanted him to see me as a person whose inner life mattered. I told myself I no longer needed that recognition — but my body reacted before my philosophy could intervene (干预). We talked afterward about my life now and his slowing down.As I was leaving, he stopped me. “I’m glad you are going viral,” he said.Driving home, I thought about how love often arrives late, when people are finally tired of defending themselves, how close “virus” was to “viral” — both implying spread and contact — and how love works the same way, moving unpredictably between people, finding openings where it can.24. Why was the author unwilling to explain Instagram at first?25. How did the author feel when her father watched the show?26. What does the underlined part indicate about her father in the last but one paragraph?27. What message does the story convey?

I sometimes feel I’m in a daily struggle not to become a shallower version of myself. The driver of shallowization is technology, the way it reduces attention span, fills the day with unnecessary distractions. So I’m trying to take countermeasures. I flee to the arts.I’m looking for those experiences we all have as kids: becoming so enveloped by an adventure story that you refuse to put it down to go to dinner; getting so entirely swept up in some piece of music that you feel primeval (原始的) passions thumping within you; encountering a painting so beautiful it feels like you’ve walked right into its alternative world.The normal thing to say about such experiences is that you’ve lost yourself in a book or a song — lost track of space and time. But it is more accurate to say that a piece of art has quieted the self‑conscious ego voice that is normally chattering away within. A piece of art has served as a gateway to a deeper realm of the mind. It has opened up that hidden, semiconscious kingdom within us from which emotions emerge, where our moral sentiments (情绪) are found.The arts work on us at that deep level, the level that really matters. You give me somebody who disagrees with me on every issue, but who has a good heart — who has the ability to show sympathy with others, participate in their woes (困难), longing and dreams — well, I want to stay with that person all day. You give me a person who agrees with me on every particular, but who has a cold, resentful heart — well, I want nothing to do with him or her.Artists generally don’t set out to improve other people; they just want to create a perfect expression of their experience. But their art has the potential to humanize the beholder.Art does this not by argument, but by offering a form of experience. When you stand before a great painting, listen to a symphony or read a novel, you are invited to feel what another person felt, to see the world through another’s eyes. You emerge with a slightly expanded sense of what human life is like.28. Why does the author turn to the arts?29. According to the writer, how does art work on people?30. What message does the writer convey in Paragraph 4?31. What is the value of engaging with the arts according to the passage?

Ariel Procaccia has thought a lot about how to cut a cake over the last 15 years. As the father of three children, he knows how hard it is to divide a birthday cake to everyone’s satisfaction. But it’s also because Procaccia’s work focuses on exploring the mathematical rules for dividing stuff up fairly. One way to do that is to think abstractly about dessert.For decades, researchers have been asking the seemingly simple question of how to cut a cake fairly. The answer reaches far beyond birthday parties. A mathematical problem at its heart, cake cutting connects strict reasoning to real-world issues of fairness, and so attracts not only mathematicians, but also social scientists, economists and more. “It’s a very elegant model in which you can distill what fairness really is, and reason about it,” Procaccia says.The simplest approach is called the “divider-chooser” method, where one person cuts the cake into two equal pieces in his view, and the other person picks first. Each receives a piece that they feel is as valuable as the other’s. But when personal preferences are taken into account, even the easiest rule becomes complicated. Suppose Alice and Bob are to divide a cake, and Alice knows Bob prefers chocolate, she may knowingly divide the cake unequally so the smaller piece contains more chocolate. Then Bob will choose according to his preference, and Alice will get the larger piece. Both of them are satisfied with what they get, but the meaning of fairness changes in this situation.The cake is a symbol for any divisible good. When cake-cutting principles are employed to settling disagreements, they are potentially helping the world find solutions. Procaccia has used fair division algorithms (算法) to model food distribution. Social scientist Haris Aziz is exploring situations ranging from how to divide up daily tasks to how to best schedule doctors’ shifts in hospitals.Even after decades of investigation, cake cutting isn’t like a simple jigsaw puzzle (拼图) with a well-defined solution. Instead, over time, it has evolved into a kind of mathematical sandbox, a constructive playground that brings together abstract proofs and easy applications. The more researchers explore it, the more there is to explore.32. What does the underlined word “distill” in paragraph 2 mean?33. What can we learn about fairness from the example given in paragraph 3?34. What is paragraph 4 mainly about concerning cake cutting?35. What is the best title for the text?

Ambivalence (矛盾心理) refers to the frustrating and all-too-common experience of being “on the fence” about making some change. For example, you must have said, “I should start exercising, but it’s tough to find the time.” 36 Yet how often do we view ambivalence as some sort of interloper (干涉者), an unwanted and unexpected roadblock on the path to a better life? 37 When we lack understanding about the uncertainty, our ability to effectively resolve it becomes limited. Furthermore, without a clear understanding of the underlying reasons, we risk employing harmful labels that may conveniently but inaccurately explain the reason for our inaction and that of others. “I must be lazy.” “She has no self-discipline.”A helpful standpoint for us to better understand the roots of indecisiveness comes from a research-based therapy approach called motivational interviewing. 38 You can also make a difference via this method, no matter whether you decide to eat less junk food, lose weight, or reduce screen time.From a motivational interviewing viewpoint, the root of ambivalence is related to the extent of importance and confidence in making a change. If we don’t feel strongly that it’s important to make a change or we lack confidence in being able to take the necessary steps, chances are very high that we will waver (动摇) on moving forward. 39 The widespread presence of ambivalence in the face of change is commonly present in human life. It’s true for us, and it’s true for others, including our family members and friends, and those we encounter and serve in our professional lives. 40 By doing this, we can more clearly see and skillfully address the root causes of ambivalence.

I was young and determined to take an adventurous trip. But 41 nearly 875 yards out of a cable car (缆车), with a rubber band attached to my ankles, was not part of my plan. It’s 42 how a simple trip can turn into a life-threatening adventure.Staring over the 43 of the cable car, my heart was in my throat. I 44 heard the others behind me counting down. How could I have let myself be 45 into this? It was crazy!My palms were 46 , and my heart was pounding.“Five.” They started the 47 for the second time, ignoring my useless protests.“Four.”“Three.”“Two.” In that instant I 48 my mind a million times and came to the final 49 that there was no way I could allow myself to leap out of the cable car, suspended so high off the ground. 50 my ankles please!Then…“One.”I let go and leaped out as far as I could. If there had been time to 51 it for another second, I would have stopped myself. But instead, I jumped.It felt as if all my fears, insecurities, and doubts were being let go. An enormous sense of 52 rose up in me. As I fell toward the earth 53 first, I saw my new friends waiting for me on the ground and could hear them 54 my victory over fear.Jumping out of the cable car put me on 55 of the world, and that’s where I am determined to remain for the rest of my life.41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55.

阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。Urban farming is not a new idea, but it 56 (gain) fresh momentum in cities around the world currently. On rooftops, in vacant lots, and even on vertical (垂直的) walls, people are growing vegetables 57 they live. Supporters say that urban farms reduce the distance food travels, in turn 58 (lower) carbon emissions. 59 critics point out is that these farms often require significant resources, such as water and electricity, 60 (produce) meaningful yields. Nevertheless, many cities have started to integrate farming 61 their urban planning, making 62 a key part of city development. In Singapore, for instance, the government aims to meet 30 percent of the nation’s nutritional needs 63 (local). To achieve this goal, it has invested heavily in high-tech solutions like vertical hydroponics (水培). The 64 (grow) of urban farming, however, depends on government support. Whether urban farming can feed entire cities remains 65 open question. But for now, it offers city residents a way to reconnect with the food they eat.

66. 假定你是李华，你校志愿者协会在英语报上发布了三个暑期志愿服务项目，面向全校学生招募志愿者：·Project A: Clean up the Community·Project B: Help at an Animal Shelter·Project C: Volunteer at a Children’s Hospital请你给负责人Mr. Johnson写一封申请邮件，内容包括：1．选择其中一个项目；2．陈述个人的相关优势。注意：1．词数80词左右；2．可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯3．开头已为你写好，不计入总词数Dear Mr. Johnson,I am Li Hua from Class 3, Senior 3. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Yours,Li Hua

67. 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。续写的词数应为150左右。It was one of the hottest days of the dry season. We had not seen rain in almost a month. The crops were dying. Cows had stopped giving milk. The streams were long gone back into the earth. If we didn’t see any rain soon we would lose everything. It was on that day that I learned the true lesson of sharing and witnessed the only miracle I have seen in my life.I was in the kitchen making lunch for my husband and his brothers when I saw my six-year old son, Billy, walking toward the woods. I could only see his back. He wasn’t walking in his usual way. He was obviously walking with a great effort, trying to be as still as possible. Minutes after he disappeared into the woods, he came running out again, toward the house. I went back to making sandwiches, thinking that whatever he had been doing was completed. Moments later, however, he was once again walking in that unusual way toward the woods. This activity went on for over an hour: walking cautiously to the woods, then running back to the house. Finally, my curiosity got the best of me. I crept out of the house and followed him on his journey.He was cupping both hands in front of him as he walked; being very careful not to spill the water he carried. I followed him secretly as he went into the woods. Branches and thorns(刺) slapped his little face but he did not try to avoid them. He might have a much greater purpose, I thought. As I leaned in to spy on him, I saw the most amazing sight. Several large deer appeared threatening in front of him. But Billy walked right up to them, at the sight of which I almost screamed for him to get away. A huge buck(雄鹿) was dangerously close. But the buck didn’t threaten him nor even move as Billy knelt down. And then I saw a baby deer lying on the ground, obviously suffering from thirst and heat, lift its head with great effort to lap (舔)up the water cupped in my beautiful boy’s hands.注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；2.请按如下格式在相应的位置作答。When the water was gone, Billy jumped up to run back to the house.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Instead of scolding him like his father, I decided to help him.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Composition of E-WasteNowadays, e-waste is one of the world’s fastest-growing waste streams. Waste electronics contain harmful substances like lead and mercury, posing serious environmental and health risks.However, e-waste also represents a valuable “urban mine”. It holds an estimated 31 million tons of metals, 17 million tons of plastics, and 14 million tons of glass. One ton of circuit boards (电路板) can contain up to 800 times more precious metals than a ton of gold-bearing rocks in the natural mines. Despite this, less than 1% of rare earth elements are recycled.Recycled e-waste is a valuable resource for sustainable industries. Its metals, e.g. gold and copper, are reused in electronics, vehicles, and renewable energy systems. Recovered plastics find new life in durable products, while glass is processed into building materials. This circular (循环的) approach cuts energy use, reduces mining demand, supporting both the economy and the environment.The e-waste management market is projected to more than double by 2027. While 81 countries have adopted Extended Producer Responsibility laws, collection rates still fall behind policy goals.To improve recycling, governments should strengthen EPR laws, and invest in facilities. Institutions can promote research and public awareness. Individuals should properly drop off e-waste at collection points, mend items rather than throw them away, and support brands with strong environmental commitments.1. What percentage do screens and cables account for in all e-waste compositions?2. What is a key advantage of e-waste compared to natural mines?3. What is suggested for individuals to help recycle e-waste?

My small backyard had been neglected for years with overgrown weeds and dry soil. Last summer, I determined to transform it: I bought seeds, soil, and basic tools, eager to start my gardening project.The first few weeks were disheartening. The seeds either failed to grow or were eaten by birds. I watered tirelessly every day, adjusted sunlight, and tended to them constantly, yet nothing grew. I was ready to quit, convinced I had no talent for gardening. One afternoon, my neighbor Mr. Henderson, who tended his roses daily, watched me and said gently: “You’re trying too hard. Plants need care, but also space to grow on their own.”His words made sense. I relaxed: watered less often, let rain do its part, and stopped overthinking. Soon, tiny green buds emerged. By August, my backyard bloomed with color and scent; I’d sit there evenings, tasting tea, amazed by their beauty.Then a storm hit — strong winds knocked over my sunflowers. Heartbroken, I planned to pull them up, but Mr. Henderson appeared again: “Don’t give up. The strongest plants survive storms — they’ll heal if you give them a chance.”Weeks later, those sunflowers stood taller and stronger, their golden heads turning to the sun. I realized gardening wasn’t just about growing plants. All things have their own rhythm of recovery; what we struggle to control often fails, while what we gently trust finds its way back to light. The world does not always bend to our hurry, and neither do the things we care for. Some winds are meant to strengthen us, not break us.This summer, I’ll plant more seeds, both in the garden and in my heart. Growth takes time, and even life’s hardest moments are our greatest teachers.4. Why does the author think she has no talent for gardening?5. How did the author respond to Mr. Henderson’s advice?6. Why are the sunflowers mentioned in the text?7. What can be inferred about the author?

Dawn had yet to break over Edmonton, Alberta, as the temperature had plummeted sharply. Still, Tanis Smith bundled up and prepared to run up and down hundreds of stairs among the trees in the Saskatchewan River Valley. When she arrived at 6 a.m., ten other people joined her. It wouldn’t be the last time they risked freezing their feet off to get in a workout before the rest of the world woke up.Since that winter of 2013, Smith has seldom missed a workout with the group, known as the November Project, a network of free outdoor group exercise classes that started in Boston. No matter the month or weather, participants roll out of bed before daybreak at least once a week.It started when a pair of friends challenged each other to exercise every morning for the month of November. By the end of the month, they were persuading others to join them. “A party is better when there are more people around,” said Bojan Mandaric, who co-founded the project with Brogan Graham in 2011. Soon, their meetings were attracting a few dozen people. Now there are 52 chapters in eight countries.Workouts begin with jumping and a call-and-response chant (反复呼喊的话语) to loosen people up physically and mentally. How the classes continue varies depending on the location and day of the week, but most include running and body weight exercises. They also include playful activities that are typical of childhood breaks in the schoolyard. One workout in Boston involved a kind of Easter egg hunt, where participants searched for plastic eggs as quickly as possible, and broke them open to find tasks such as walking like a gorilla (大猩猩), or throwing grass at Mandaric’s head. The point is to help people make connections, said Jason Shaw, co-leader of the Indianapolis chapter. He called the project “a chosen family”, the very thing that he appreciates most.8. What does the underlined word “plummeted” in Paragraph 1 mean?9. What can we learn about the November Project?10. What is Paragraph 4 mainly about?11. What is a suitable title for the text?

Many people take vitamin D supplements (补充剂) to keep their bones strong and their immune (免疫) system healthy, especially during winter when sunlight is not enough. However, not all supplements are the same. There are two main types: vitamin D2 and vitamin D3. Recent research from British universities reveals a surprising fact: taking vitamin D2 might actually lower the body’s levels of vitamin D3, which is the form our bodies produce naturally from sunlight and use most effectively.A study published in Nutrition Reviews examined data from several trials. It found that people who took vitamin D2 saw their vitamin D3 levels drop compared to those who did not take D2. In many cases, their D3 levels fell even lower than the average. Emily Brown, the lead researcher, explained that while supplements are vital between October and March, choosing the wrong type could be counterproductive. This finding supports earlier research showing that D2 and D3 play different roles in immune function. Professor Colin Smith noted that only vitamin D3 seems to activate a key part of the immune system called the type I interferon signalling system. This system acts as a first line of defence against viruses and bacteria. Therefore, maintaining healthy levels of vitamin D3 could help prevent infections, whereas D2 does not appear to offer the same protection.Experts emphasize the need for further research to confirm these differences. Professor Cathie Martin highlighted the importance of making plant-based vitamin D3 available in the UK, as current options are often limited. With vitamin D deficiency being a major public health issue, especially in winter, choosing the most effective supplement is crucial for national health.In conclusion, while taking vitamin D is important, the type matters significantly. To best support your immune system and overall health, it may be wise to choose vitamin D3 over D2. As science continues to uncover the unique functions of these vitamins, consumers should stay informed to make the best choices for their well-being.12. What is the main disadvantage of taking vitamin D2 supplements mentioned in the text?13. Why is vitamin D3 considered more effective for immune protection?14. What can be inferred from Professor Cathie Martin’s statement?15. What is the author’s purpose in writing this text?

We all want to make lasting changes to our daily behaviors from time to time — perhaps exercise more or spend less time on our phones before bed. But how long does it take to build a habit? 16 This number first appeared in a book by Dr. Maxwell Maltz. He reported that his patients needed at least 21 days to change the mental image of how they looked.Since then, many people have applied the “21-day rule” to all habits. 17 Some may need more than three weeks to become habits.How long it takes to form a new habit may depend on the habit, on you, and on what methods you’re using to build and maintain it. Studies have shown that habit formation may take anywhere between 18 and 254 days.The average amount of time needed for a behavior to become a habit is 66 days. 18 For example, those who were asked to develop a habit of drinking a glass of water at breakfast tended to (往往会) be more successful than those who were asked to do 50 sit-ups each day.In addition, self-efficacy (自我效能感) is the key to developing and maintaining habits. 19 Put simply, a person who doesn’t think he can maintain new behaviors will be less likely to keep his habit,It’s also important to make a goal more attractive. Mark Vahrmeyer, a doctor who helps people deal with mental health problems, says,“If the process of building your habit involves nothing but self-sacrifice (自我牺牲) with no reward, you are unlikely to stick to your goals.” 20 For example, if the goal is to go to the gym three times a week, a person should pick a gym with a convenient location.

My carefree daughters should have been a gift to my task-driven nature, but I was too busy to see it.Whenever they 21 my schedule, I thought to myself, “We don’t have time for this.” 22 , the words I most commonly spoke were “Hurry up”, even though they did nothing to increase their 23 .Then one day, everything changed. As we got ready to leave, I heard my older girl 24 to her sister, “You are so slow.” As she crossed her arms in an 25 manner, I saw that I was 26 a child who simply wanted to enjoy life. With an unsteady voice, I looked into my younger daughter’s eyes and 27 , “I’m sorry for always making you hurry. I 28 that you take your time.” While both daughters were 29 , my younger one’s face softened with acceptance.From then on, I began giving them a little more time to 30 if we had to go somewhere. And when they 31 to admire something on the way, I would 32 my schedule and simply observe them. I 33 expressions on their face I’d never seen before. That’s when I finally realized they were a 34 to my anxious soul.I gave my daughters a little time, and in return, they taught me that 35 comes easier when you stop rushing through life.21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35.

阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。Chinese literature took center stage at the London Book Fair (LBF) on March 11, 36 (demonstrate) active literary and publishing exchanges between China and the United Kingdom.“Literature, as 37 key form of cultural expression, continues to serve as a bridge for mutual understanding between civilizations,” Li Liyan, minister counselor for cultural affairs at the Chinese embassy in the UK, said at the opening of a series of signings and launch 38 (ceremony).In recent years, he noted, a growing number of Chinese works 39 (translate) and published abroad, allowing international readers to gain a vivid view of contemporary China.During the event, the “Young Chinese Writers International Promotion Program” 40 (official) launched, marking a major step toward 41 (introduce) contemporary Chinese voices to global audiences. Initiated by literary organizations, the program is led by China Publishing & Media Journal.Over the next two years, it aims 42 (spotlight) at least 50 emerging Chinese authors through 43 (variety) cultural activities.Held from March 10 to 12, the London Book Fair is one of the world's most influential platforms, 44 attracts thousands of publishing professionals worldwide. The annual event brings together people in the industry 45 trade and cultural communication.

46. 假定你是李华，你校即将举办 20 周年校庆(20th anniversary)。你班外教 Peter提议同学们以“机器人+中华传统武术(martial arts)”为主题给校庆设计一个节目。现请你阐述你的设计，内容包括：1.让机器人表演中华武术；2.你对科技与传统文化融合的认识。注意：1.写作词数应为80个左右；2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。Dear Peter and classmates,__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Thank you!

47. 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。“Another A+, and I’ll get you that new game you’ve been wanting,” my mom said with a smile. It was just the motivation I needed. I was usually a pretty good student, but with that extra push, I was determined to do well on my next math test. Every evening, I buried myself in my notes, practicing problems. My confidence grew with every completed practice test. When the big day arrived, I felt ready. I took a deep breath as I entered the classroom and tried to keep calm. But despite all the preparation, my nerves got the better of me. Halfway through the test, I blanked on a formula, and time was running out. I scribbled down the best answers I could and handed in my paper, hoping for the best. A week later, I got the test back. My heart sank as I saw the big red “A-” at the top. “No game,” I thought miserably. It wasn’t a bad grade, but it wasn’t enough. Disappointed, I stared at the grade, wishing it could magically turn into an “A+”. I could almost hear my mom’s voice, full of pride, congratulating me on my hard work. The idea gnawed (啃咬) at me until I did something I never thought I’d do. I changed the “-” into a “+”. The moment I got home, I handed the test to my mom with a forced smile. She looked at it and congratulated me, hugging me proudly. Then she turned to walk toward her bedroom. My heart raced-part excitement, part a sharp twist of guilt I couldn’t ignore. A moment later, she emerged holding a black box, the logo of the game I’d begged for glinting in the lamplight. “I picked it up yesterday, just knowing my hardworking kid would pull through,” she said, pressing the box into my hands. I forced a thank-you, my voice tight. 注意：（1）续写词数应为150个左右；（2）请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。Later that night, I tossed and turned in bed, lost in reflection. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The next morning, I decided to tell her the truth even if it meant losing the game. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Fascinating Non-Fiction Science Books For Curious mindsWhether you’re a lifelong learner or someone dipping their toes into science for the first time, the following science books might just be your ideal companions, promising to amaze, inspire and make you a little more knowledgeable about the world around you.Astrophysics For People In A Hurry — Neil deGrasse TysonFor those captivated by the cosmos but short on time, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry is the perfect introduction to the wonders of the universe. In this snappy, engaging book, Neil deGrasse Tyson simplifies complex ideas — from the Big Bang to dark matter, from the origins of time and space to black holes — into bite-sized, accessible explanations.The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat And Other Clinical Tales — Oliver SacksIn The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, Oliver Sacks examines neurological disorders through poignant cases. By combining clinical details and empathetic storytelling, he creates absorbing human narratives. A truly essential read.Your Inner Fish: A Journey Into The 3.5-Billion-Year History Of The Human Body — Neil ShubinIn Your Inner Fish, paleontologist Neil Shubin explores how human body developed over time, tracing traits like arms and organs back to ancient fish through fossils. His engaging storytelling bridges past and present, making complex science relatable and awe-inspiring — a must-read for those curious about life’s origins.The genius Of Birds — Jennifer AckermanFrom pigeons that outperform humans in visual memory tests to crows capable of complex reasoning, Jennifer Ackerman challenges the phrase “bird-brained” with a fascinating exploration of birds’ intelligence. Based on the latest cutting-edge research and fascinating field studies, Ackerman reveals how birds demonstrate incredible problem-solving skills, memory, creativity and even the ability to use tools. This popular science book will open your eyes to the surprising cognitive abilities of birds.1. What does Astrophysics for People in a Hurry focus on?2. What does Neil Shubin mainly do in the book Your Inner Fish?3. What’s the common belief of “bird-brained” when it comes to birds?

John Arrillaga Sr, the pioneering Silicon Valley developer, was one of Stanford’s greatest benefactors (捐助者), leaving a legacy literally built into every corner of campus.Over decades, Arrillaga’s generous donations and hands-on efforts reshaped Stanford’s campus. Though best known for athletic facilities, his true impact extended far beyond. As his longtime friend John Etchemendy noted, “Hundreds of projects bear his mark, yet rarely his name.” Nowhere was this quiet dedication clearer than in the reconstruction of Stanford Stadium. He personally funded and oversaw every detail — from selecting palm trees to designing seats to mapping walkways — yet refused to put his name on it.Born into a working-class family, young Arrillaga couldn’t afford a proper suit for his high school graduation, having to borrow an ill-fitting jacket with sleeves that barely reached his wrists. He unexpectedly attended Stanford on a basketball scholarship, working multiple campus jobs to make ends meet. After playing professionally in Spain, he returned to develop Silicon Valley offices during the tech boom, becoming a millionaire. True to his humble beginnings, he started repaying Stanford almost immediately after graduation — beginning with modest athletic department gifts that grew into historic donations exceeding $250 million. Through his scholarship programs, he’s helped over 300 students facing similar financial challenges.One day, a young donor moved by Arrillaga’s generosity shared how witnessing the selfless giving had profoundly shaped his devotion to charitable work. Realizing the ripple (涟漪) effect of his actions through others, Arrillaga months later made a rare exception: he permitted his name to appear on just one building — not for personal distinction, but as a nod to the power of leading by example.While his benefaction helped communities across Silicon Valley through donations to police stations, libraries, and other public spaces, his strongest ties always remained with Stanford University.4. What was Arrillaga’s key role in the stadium reconstruction?5. What motivated Arrillaga’s lifelong commitment to Stanford?6. Why did Arrillaga finally allow his name to appear on one building?7. What does Arrillaga’s experience show?

Scientists have developed a low-cost, durable, highly-sensitive robotic “skin” that can be added to robotic hands like a glove, enabling robots to sense information about their surroundings in a way that’s similar to humans.Unlike most robotic touch systems, which use separate sensors for different types of touch, this electronic skin acts as one big sensor, making it more like human skin. Although not as sensitive as real skin, the robotic skin can sense signals from over 860,000 tiny pathways, allowing it to recognize different types of touches, pressure, temperature, and even damage — all in one material.Electronic skins work by changing physical information — like pressure or temperature — into electronic signals. In most cases, different types of sensors are needed for different types of touch — one type of sensor to find pressure, another for temperature, and so on — which are then fixed into soft, flexible materials. However, the signals from these different sensors can impact each other, and the materials are easily damaged.“Having different sensors for different types of touch leads to materials that are complex to make,” said lead author Dr David Hardman. “We wanted to develop a solution that can notice multiple types of touch at once, but in a single material.” Their solution uses one type of sensor that reacts differently to different types of touch. While it’s challenging to separate out the cause of each signal, these materials are easier to make and stronger.Researchers melted a soft, flexible, and conductive gelatine-based hydrogel (导电的明胶基水凝胶) and shaped it into a human hand. By testing different electrode (电极) setups, they found that just 32 electrodes at the wrist could collect over 1.7 million data points about touch across the whole hand. They tested the artificial skin by heating it, pressing it with fingers and a robot arm, and even cutting it. The team used this data to train a machine learning model so the hand could recognize different types of touch.In future, the researchers are hoping to improve the durability of the electronic skin, and to carry out further tests on real-world robotic tasks.8. What is the feature of the new robotic skin?9. Why did researchers develop the new robotic skin?10. What does the fifth paragraph mainly tell us about the new artificial skin?11. What might be the best title for the text?

Returning to a book you’ve read many times can feel like drinks with an old friend. There’s a welcome familiarity, but also sometimes a slight suspicion that time has changed you both, and thus the relationship. But books don’t change, people do. And that’s what makes the act of rereading so rich and transformative.The beauty of rereading lies in the idea that our bond with the work is based on our present mental register. It’s true, the older I get, the more I feel time has wings. But with reading, it’s all about the present. It’s about the now and what one contributes to the now, because reading is a give and take between author and reader. Each has to pull their own weight.There are three books I reread annually. The first, which I take to reading every spring, is Ernest Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast. Published in 1964, it’s his classic memoir of 1920s Paris. The language is almost intoxicating (令人陶醉的), an aging writer looking back on an ambitious yet simpler time. Another is Annie Dillard’s Holy the Firm, her poetic 1975 ramble (随笔) about everything and nothing. The third book ís Julio Cortazar’s Save Twilight: Selected Poems, as if a bottle of wine remaining more and more mellow as time flows.While I tend to buy a lot of books, these three were given to me as gifts, which might add to the meaning I attach to them. But I imagine that, while money is indeed wonderful and necessary, rereading an author’s work is the highest currency a reader can pay them. The best books are the ones that open further as time passes. But remember, it’s you that have to grow and read and reread in order to better understand your friends.12. What does the author imply in the first paragraph?13. What do you know about Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast?14. How do you understand “rereading an author’s work is the highest currency a reader can pay them” in the last paragraph?15. What is the best title for the passage?

Yesterday, I called a friend to talk about an online meeting we’d had. I told her, “I don’t know if it’s just because I’m short on patience these days…” 16 So, I turned off my camera and microphone and busied myself with other things while listening. What I wanted to do was scream. But, thankfully my self-regulation skills still remained, so I didn’t.Self-regulation means regulating your emotions. It is an invisible skill and considered one of the higher-order thinking processes. However, I find that self-regulation skills are most often the lacking skill set. 17 Because, when a child lacks self-regulation skills, negative behaviors often show up. Hitting, throwing things, and crying are just some of the examples.Children do not possess self-regulation skills at birth. 18 Many adults get surprised and disappointed when a child cannot self-regulate. As children grow and learn about the world around them, they begin to develop these skills. Still, some children will not develop this skill set through natural learning. They need direct instruction in self-regulation skills. 19 Once we realized, we could begin working on it. When it happened, we just said, “I know it feels like your tummy (肚子) hurts, but that’s because you’re having an anxiety attack.” In age-appropriate terms, we explained the concept of anxiety to him.Sometimes we praise him when he shows self-regulation in a difficult situation, such as a disappointing sports loss. 20 Maybe I will tell my son about the meeting tonight.

Born in a family with a history of getting angry easily, I had always tried to change. Years of treatment 21 the anger inside me, but it was still in there.My husband and I used to live close to a university, where loud sounds of gatherings and music 22 late into the night. Eventually, we decided to move to a 23 part of town.And now, here was this guy, who was 24 a new party table within full view of my kitchen window. The 25 of drunk and loud college students flashed across my mind, so I walked up and told him it had to be 26 . “Who the hell are you?” he asked. “And what gives you the right to make such a 27 ?”Spotting there would be a 28 between the young man and me, my husband came up. As he pulled me away, I 29 at the guy and told him this wasn’t over.I got back home and ate my favorite cookies. When I calmed down, 30 , I was full of shame. Why didn’t other women get angry like me? I looked at the cookies, which I hadn’t intended for 31 , but now they seemed to be the best choice to make things right. So I walked across the street to the kid’s doorstep with cookies.When the student opened the door, I 32 the plate and told him that the person he met just now — the one with the pointing finger and annoying 33 — wasn’t me. At least it wasn’t the person I wanted to be.He looked down at the plate and his face 34 . He said he was sorry, too. I walked back across the street, feeling like I’d 35 wonders.21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35.

阅读下面材料,在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。Is there a Chinese soccer team at the Qatar 2022 World Cup? No. But one can’t miss Chinese elements in and around the stadiums there. One can drink water from ponds, 36 (dig) by Chinese engineers,take a nap in a“mobile hotel”, built by Chinese engineers, 37 take a shuttle imported from China to move between hotels and stadiums.Did we forget something? Yes, even some stadiums are built by Chinese construction 38 (company),while the souvenirs one can buy there, too, 39 (make) in China. That’s 40 China has participated in this world Cup and earlier tournaments, and may do so in the upcoming ones too, thus 41 (impress) the world with its technology and products. While “Made in China” has left its stamp on 42 (early) soccer World Cup World Cups and other sports events , what makes the Qatar 43 unique one is the kind of technology China is providing. For example, the Stadium 974, built by Chinese enterprises, is the first 44 (move) “green stadium” that can recycle rainwater for future use and make the garbage collected from the stadium into fertilizer.I think the reason why Chinese firms perform well in the World Cup is that China has registered good economic 45 (grow) during a global recession.

46. 假定你是李华。为帮助学生解决遇到的问题，你校国际部准备开展 “Problem-Solving Workshop” 项目，现就如何开展该项目向全校同学征求建议。请你给负责此事的老师写一封邮件。内容包括：1. 你的建议；2. 说明理由。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 Sir or Madam, ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Yours sincerely, Li Hua

47. 阅读下面材料，根据其内容利所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。Why was our neighbor from across the street crazily pounding on our front door at night? She was screaming for us to open it. We rah lo the door, and she said only one word as she took off running: “FIRE!” Then she let us know that she had already called 119.We ran out just as the fire engines raced onto our street. The fire was huge! Flames were shooting wildly out of the windows and through the roof of the hundred-year-old, three-story house next door. The flames were so tall that they were visible a few miles away. Our house smelled of smoke. The whole neighborhood smelled of smoke.My husband raced next door to ensure our neighbors had gotten out. All family members were outside and safe, including the dog. He ran to the houses on the other street that backed up to the house on fire and banged (猛敲) on those doors to ensure the neighbors were safe, too. Luckily, they were!Our street was crowded with fire trucks, eleven in all. One engine had a monster light on it that made the street bright enough so that it looked like it was high noon on a sunny day. The paramedics (救护人员) and ambulances also came in case they were needed. Thank goodness, they were not. Our house became kind of a “safe house” with our next-door neighbors coming and going, as needed. It was a safe place for their dog, too.After around two hours, the fire was completely contained. Amazingly, the house was not a total loss. Most of it, while smoky and damp, could be saved. And only a few important items were lost. Only two rooms and a hallway would need to be reconstructed. The rest of the house could be cleaned and aired out.Everyone was okay. Their gratitude for the firefighters was overwhelming. They couldn’t stop saying “Thank you.” They expressed their gratitude to us many times for opening our house to them. It was a small thing for us, but tremendous for them.注意：1.续写词数应为150个左右；2.请按如下格式在相应位置作答。The next day, there were a lot of activities going on in our neighborhood.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________As weeks went by, the house was slowly but steadily being rebuilt.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chinese Opera: A Vivid Showcase of Rich HeritageChinese opera comes in diverse forms, with many tales based on real history, keeping it alive. Here are some important ones. Sichuan OperaChengdu is the main center of Sichuan Opera, with its influence reaching nearby regions. Its “Changing Faces” is amazing; a great artist can change faces up to 20 times in a performance, even within a minute. It's more like a play, demanding high-level acting. The music features a small gong and huqin. Ping OperaOriginating in Tangshan, Hebei, Ping Opera is known for its easy-to-understand scripts. It focuses on modern topics, which is unique in Chinese opera. Henan OperaThere are over 1, 000 traditional Henan Opera repertoires, mostly from historical stories, and some about marriage, love, etc. After 1949, modern repertories depicting reality emerged, making it closer to people's lives. Huangmei OperaDerived from “Caicha Tune” in Huangmei County, Hubei, Huangmei Opera combines local folk songs and dances. Its costumes have an ancient - style local flavor as most repertoires are based on folk tales.1. Which city is considered the home of Sichuan Opera?2. In contrast to other forms of Chinese opera, what makes Ping Opera stand out?3. What do the last two operas have in common?

Two years ago, six-year-old Jaxson Lewis was deep in thought about Christmas when his parents suggested he might do something nice for others. They began researching together, and Jaxson came across Socktober, a new donation event in which his favorite YouTube influencer, Kid President, was participating.Socktober was founded by Brad Montague in 2011. He realized that there was a large homeless population in his area who were in great need of socks, and in fact, socks are often the least donated items to homeless shelters. He then started his first donation drive, collecting socks to distribute locally throughout October. Since its birth, Socktober has grown dramatically; last year, participants from all seven continents donated socks.Inspired by the idea of giving back during the holiday season, Jaxson decided to start his own Socktober in Midland. His first year, in 2017, was a success, with the family collecting 1,428 pairs of socks that were handed out to local shelters.In 2018, the Lewis family set a higher goal. Bombas, a popular community-minded sock company that donates one pair of socks to homeless shelters for every pair bought, agreed to match Jaxson’s donated sock amount. If he could collect 2,000 pairs of brand-new socks, Bombas would match them with another 2,000 pairs. With the help of local partners, Jaxson reached the matching goal. With the socks sent by Bombas, he collected a total of 5,683 pairs.When asked what the most challenging part of the Socktober project has been each year, Jaxson said that it was “The math. It was a lot of work adding everything up because we got so many.” When asked what his favorite part of Socktober was, “Collecting all of the socks, and putting them in a big pile and swimming in it!” says Jaxson. The socks were donated to organizations like shelters, local schools with “caring closets” serve as pantries for students in need, and other related groups.4. Why did Brad Montague start Socktober?5. What can we learn about Jaxson’s attitude toward the Socktober project?6. What does the underlined word “pantries” in Paragraph 5 most likely refers to?7. What is the main idea of the text?

In a time marked by increasing income differences, a study from Austria presents a low-cost solution to narrow this gap: the therapeutic power of nature. The study offers clear evidence that consistent engagement with natural environments significantly enhances well-being, highlighting how nature serves as a vital tool for improving mental health and overall life satisfaction among economically disadvantaged groups.The study surveyed 2,300 individuals across Austria, ensuring a representative sample in terms of age, gender, and region. The findings show that people on lower incomes who actively visit natural spaces report levels of well-being that nearly match those of the highest income respondents. “What the results show is that the well-being benefits from visiting nature at least once a week across the whole year are similar to those from an increase in 1,000 euros of income per year,” explains Leonie Fian, the lead author of the study.A critical distinction made by the research is between living near green spaces and actively visiting them. It turns out that the mere presence of greenery in one’ s living environment does not automatically translate to improved well-being. Instead, it is the active decision to engage with these spaces — a park, forest, or other natural settings — that provides great health benefits. This insight emphasizes the necessity of not just creating greener neighborhoods but ensuring they are accessible and inviting to all, especially those who might benefit the most.The implications of these findings are profound, especially when considering the higher risks of mental health issues such as depression and anxiety among lower-income populations. Nature contact, as the study suggests, could play a vital role in reducing these risks.The research highlights the importance of policy measures that not only increase the availability of green spaces but also improve their accessibility. “Especially for people on lower incomes, information about attractive natural recreation areas nearby and their accessibility by public transport plays an important role,” notes Leonie Fian. Ensuring easy access to natural spaces, even on weekends and via public transportation, can make a significant difference in public health outcomes.8. What does “the therapeutic power” underlined in paragraph 1 indicate?9. According to the study, which is the best way to enhance well-being?10. What is the key focus of the policy measures recommended by the study?11. What can be the best title for the text?

Artificial food dye is an additive used to color a product. “The dye is artificial if it originates from a nonfood source,” explains Jamie Alan, PhD, an associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University. “For example, red dye No.40 is made from petroleum products.” By comparison, natural food dyes “are those that are extracted from plants or animal tissues,” says Francisco Diez-Gonzalez, PhD, professor and director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia.A growing body of research has linked artificial food dyes, especially Red No.40, to many health issues. “There is data in animals that some of these dyes may cause cancer,” Alan says. “While there is certainly the potential to cause cancer, there haven’t been any human studies with definitive data to support this.” But studies on humans do show that some dyes can increase certain behaviors—especially in kids—like hyperactivity. “Some children are more sensitive than other children, and sometimes even a small dose can cause these effects,” Alan says.A 2021 report analyzed data from studies on both animals and humans who were exposed to food dyes. The report included “challenge studies” for which children were given dyes and observed to see how they reacted afterward. In 16 of the 25 studies of the report, there was a link between children taking the dyes and having hyperactivity and other neurobehavioral (神经行为学的) problems afterward.A 2022 mouse study found that Red No.40 and Red No.17 could cause inflammatory bowel diseases while a 2023 study on mice linked Red No.40 to DNA damage and colonic inflammation. Some people may also experience “allergy-like (像过敏一样) signs” from having these dyes, Die-Gonzalez says.But Diez-Gonzalez notes that it’s important for people to be aware that more research is needed. “The cancer concerns mostly originate from animal studies that often use very large experimental doses,” he says. “For several of those dyes, the evidence of a harmful effect has not been conclusive.”12. What can be inferred from the first three paragraphs?13. Why is “challenge” used in paragraph 3?14. What do Die-Gonzalez’s words in the last paragraph suggest?15. What does the text mainly talk about?

In today’s fast-paced society, the importance of time management is undeniable. Everyone strives to learn and work more efficiently within the limited time they have. 16 Here’ re some tips! When you’re busy, every moment in the day is precious. 17 When you’ re taking the bus or you’ re waiting for a lecture, you can get something done. Do some research for an important project and pin some online resources. Read part of the studying material you need to cover for the tests.Make to-do lists every single day! Write a monthly plan and include all tests, papers and courses you need to cover. Then, translate that plan into weekly goals and create daily to-do lists that help you achieve them. 18 Start with the most important one. Use different colors to indicate the importance of the tasks on your list and act accordingly. If you have to postpone some of the tasks, you’ll be relieved you’ re doing that with the less important ones.If you find yourself struggling with the amount of work you have, talk to your professors immediately. American professors have office hours when students can come ask questions and get help. They want you to succeed, so ask for help! There are also many campus resources that you can use, such as tutors and the writing center. 19 Learn how to say no. You always enjoy hanging out with your friends, but sometimes that’s not possible. 20 It’s okay to say no. You have your life in front of you; you can still hang out with them. At this moment, it’s important to do what’s right.

Tom and his grandfather, Mr. Smith, lived in a modest wooden cottage bordering a forest. Their finances were 21 , yet they enjoyed their simple life. One sunny afternoon at the park, Tom watched enviously as striking kites danced in the sky. That evening, he approached his grandfather 22 . “Grandpa, everyone has these magnificent kites with amazing designs,” he whispered. “Could I possibly get one?”Mr. Smith went through kite prices online and 23 . “Tom, these are far beyond our budget,” he replied gently. Though disappointed, Tom nodded 24 , “It’s okay, Grandpa. I know.”Unable to bear his grandson’s sadness, Mr. Smith secretly 25 his aged toolbox that night. By candlelight, he 26 crafted a unique kite using recycled fabrics (织物) and hand-painted patterns. Exhausted but proud, he 27 it at breakfast. “I couldn’t buy one, so I made this for you,” he said, his eyes warm with affection.Tom’s heart 28 at the shabby creation but he managed a smile. “Thanks, Grandpa.”At the park, Tom initially 29 the kite. When revealed, teasing 30 . “How odd!” laughed a boy. Feeling he had lost face, Tom 31 home in tears.The next day, neighbor Mr. Johnson appeared flying an identical handmade kite. “Mr. Smith crafted this 32 !” he announced. The children fell silent, then crowded around admiringly. “It’s actually 33 !”one shouted. “Could your grandpa make me one?” asked another. By dusk, requests 34 in. Soon, parents offered payments for custom kites. Tom’s 35 transformed into profound pride — he now realized his grandfather’s gift was truly extraordinary.21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35.