1 . The summer after my freshman year college, I had to get my first job. This was probably one of the _________ tasks I have ever had to do. I had never held a job when I was in high school because my parents wanted me to put all my _________ into my studies.

At first, it was very hard. I filled out dozens of _________ but got no calls back in the first two weeks. It made sense because I had _________ no job experience. All I could _________ was that being a high school graduate and a year of college.

However, halfway through the third week, I finally got a call back from one of the places I _________. We had set up a meeting time, and after my _________, I was more than ready to start working the following Monday. I was _________ at the chance of working for my wages.

When I started, it was very clear that I was not _________. I made mistakes with orders and often __________ sales promotions(推销). My parents made a bet I would not __________ the first two weeks, and I would be back looking for more __________. However, I stuck with it.

After working a while, I got better at orders, and always __________ the cheaper options for customers. A couple of weeks later, I had been told by the manager that I had __________ the award of the best employee of the month. It taught me a lot about responsibility and gave me the __________ of working.

1.

A．funniest

B．worst

C．hardest

D．lightest

2.

A．energy

B．motivation

C．wisdom

D．ambition

3.

A．questionnaires

B．surveys

C．certifications

D．applications

4.

A．exactly

B．absolutely

C．partly

D．doubtfully

5.

A．explain

B．claim

C．interpret

D．offer

6.

A．signed up

B．applied to

C．checked in

D．headed for

7.

A．interview

B．graduation

C．arrangement

D．performance

8.

A．surprised

B．disappointed

C．excited

D．worried

9.

A．skilled

B．frightened

C．patient

D．satisfied

10.

A．avoided

B．abandoned

C．postponed

D．forgot

11.

A．spend

B．last

C．continue

D．wait

12.

A．ideas

B．expectations

C．jobs

D．instructions

13.

A．sold

B．produced

C．kept

D．recommended

14.

A．confirmed

B．received

C．guaranteed

D．become

15.

A．confidence

B．importance

C．expectation

D．hope

2 . I’d been exploring the 40-hectare woods around our cottage my whole life and I knew the way well. So it was a _________ when I found myself lost there.

One dull cold February afternoon, I had a sudden _________ to hike the hill with my two daughters. Putting on our snowshoes, we immediately _________ northwestward. While making our way up the hill, my daughters stopped occasionally to investigate unknown plants and to look at the abandoned deer beds… These really made their _________.

As the shadows started to _________, we moved further up. Soon, weariness began to _________ enthusiasm. We decided to return. Instead of backtracking over our _________ route, I chose to walk down the steep (陡峭的) side of the hill, _________ my general sense that ahead of us lay the stream that would guide us to the road. But as the terrain (地形) leveled out, I had my first major moment of _________: Where was the stream? Were we off course?

I instinctively (本能地) pulled out my phone to get my location, but it __________ in my hand in the cold air. __________, I started feeling a bit panicky. However, I quickly __________ myself, reassuring my daughters to continue walking. Focusing on the landmarks, I spotted a familiar tree and eventually __________ the road.

That winter’s day taught me a valuable lesson about habitual reliance on technology. If my phone had __________ then, I might have directly followed the GPS, ignoring the old __________ of depending on surroundings and life skills.

1.

A．challenge

B．shock

C．reward

D．reminder

2.

A．discovery

B．response

C．worry

D．urge

3.

A．escaped

B．drove

C．headed

D．looked

4.

A．reputation

B．dream

C．day

D．way

5.

A．lengthen

B．swing

C．emerge

D．fade

6.

A．fuel

B．witness

C．overlook

D．outpace

7.

A．original

B．rough

C．offbeat

D．roundabout

8.

A．appreciating

B．trusting

C．envisioning

D．assessing

9.

A．curiosity

B．comparison

C．doubt

D．anticipation

10.

A．died

B．slipped

C．flashed

D．rang

11.

A．Reportedly

B．Admittedly

C．Seemingly

D．Surprisingly

12.

A．exposed

B．composed

C．defended

D．behaved

13.

A．got off

B．laid down

C．came across

D．made out

14.

A．worked

B．remained

C．changed

D．overheated

15.

A．theory

B．standard

C．practice

D．routine

3 . Travelling seemed like falsehood to me. I grew tired of backpackers expressing too much praise about how petting a baby elephant in Thailand “transformed” them. Globe-traveling to me held no more promise than finding a few bills in the pocket of an old coat. I needed something deeper than an Eat, Play, Love moment.

One day, Vasilis, my Greek best friend, reminded me of our decade-old promise: after our final exams, I would visit his hometown in Athens. Maybe, it was time to make good on that promise.

I finally boarded the plane. Vasilis picked me up at the airport. I smiled, thinking how improbable this moment seemed all those years ago.

The decade-long wait proved to be well worth it. Every step through the ancient streets revealed new wonders. However, none of them truly mattered. What would forever alter my perception of travel was a chance encounter with a local.

Vasilis and I were wandering Athens when a special sound caught our attention — a rhythmic clinking disturbing the quietness of the residential street. Curiously, we followed the sound to a humble workshop. Inside, a welder (焊工) gave no mind to our presence behind him. He wore no flashy protective suit — this was just another day for him, another dance with fire and metal that had become second nature. Under the sunshade, his orange cat rested in the comforting warmth...

As the man continued welding, I felt a bit of envy. I envied his peace and contentment. I admired the simplicity he embodied. I imagined the welder happy, finding fulfillment in his craft (手艺) and returning to his loving family...The moment moved me to tears. Leaving the workshop, rain blending with tears, I realized how easily life’s poetry could pass unnoticed.

Home again in Montreal, I stop simply pursuing better things, better experiences and better people that are never grasped. I realize the real journey is inward — to appreciate life’s ordinary magic. That sure beats petting any baby elephant. I may not have returned home “transformed,” but I’ll always think of the welder and his cat.

1. Which aspect of travelling makes the author feel uneasy?

A．Shortage of adequate funds.	B．Discomfort in dietary habits.
C．Overstatement of travel’s effects.	D．Danger of petting baby animals.

2. What drove the author to go to Athens?

A．Meeting a commitment.	B．Exploring a unique landscape.
C．Receiving further education.	D．Escaping from the current life.

3. What does the underlined word “poetry” in paragraph 6 probably refer to?

A．Poems written by masters.	B．Peace and simplicity.
C．Spirit of craftsmanship.	D．Special sound in the street.

4. Which of the following can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Friendship Lasts Forever	B．Travelling Shapes a Better Self
C．Pursuit of Happiness Never Stops	D．The Ordinary Makes Extraordinary

4 . 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。

Hope Justman, in 81-year-old American, has just completed her 24th trip along the shudao,     1     ancient road system in Sichuan province that dates back to two thousand years ago.

Running for around 1,000 kilometers, the shudao     2    (wind) through mountains and crosses streams, connecting Sichuan province with the northern Guanzhong Plain, which was once the heartland of ancient China.

Justman’s     3    (connect) to the ancient road system dates back to her college days. As part of a course on Chinese literature and art, she     4    (visit) an exhibition in Boston,     5    a painting captured her attention.

In 1997,after reading almost every English travel book, finally she found the shudao     6    the help of local guides. Since then, she has hiked more than 400 km of it.

Justman created a website to share her     7    (photo) of the ancient road network. In2015, a friend shot a documentary about the shudao and uploaded it to YouTube,     8    (earn) the attention of like-minded people, some of whom asked to join the American on her walks.

Last month, she took some of those friends to the Cuiyunlang section of the shudao,     9    (line) by ancient cypress trees with an average age of 1,050 years, the oldest tree being     10    (approximate) 2,300 years old. She and her friends planted two cypress trees, and promised to meet again there next year.

5 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. How did Alan get his first car?

A．He bought it himself.

B．His parents gave it to him.

C．It was a prize from a competition.

2. What was the woman’s first job?

A．A teacher.

B．A salesgirl.

C．A law firm clerk.

3. When did Alan start making money?

A．In primary school.

B．In high school.

C．In college.

6 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What did Shade Ajayi do as a child?

A．She made purses and bags.

B．She worked at a shop.

C．She studied at home.

2. Who is Nasrat Busari?

A．Shade Ajayi’s teacher.

B．Shade Ajayi’s classmate.

C．Shade Ajayi’s customer.

3. What encouraged Shade Ajayi to go to school?

A．Wanting to get a college degree.

B．Expecting to set a good example.

C．Hoping to operate her business better.

7 . Sau Hoyin, a 16-year-old student at Hong Kong International School, has devoted the past seven years to writing fiction. He has already published two novels, and a third is on the way. Sau’s journey as a writer began in the 4th grade when he started a school “passion project”, leading him to create his first novel Pym. This story follows Luke Connors, an ordinary boy who grew into a brave fighter against evil.

Sau’s fiction evolved with his own personal growth. At the age of 13, he created Pyro 2. a story when Connors faces challenges that mirror Sau’s struggles with math. “I tried to overcome these challenges on my own at first hut finally found that I need to seek the aid of others,” he said. In the novel, Connors learns that in moments of great challenges. seeking help from those around him is a test ament (证明) to growth. Currently, Sau is working on Pyro 3, a project enriched by his global travels and diverse cultural experiences. “I treat writing as a way to record my life and express myself. It also helps me to think deeply about various issues,” he said.

Sau spends two to three hours on weekends on his writing and around two hours daily during breaks. To practice his skills, Sau also joined a literary club at school, exchanging insights into his fiction with his peers.

“In arts and literature class, our teacher also nurtures (培养) our creativity by teaching creative poetry.” Sau added. For instance, inspired by the English language poem Show With Buddha he learned in class, he wrote Playing Saxophone With the Statue of Liberty in d imagined the statue dropped her torch or a moment, playing jour while thinking about whether the truths of American liberty are really held or not.

Sau also shares his essays and poetry on his personal website and takes part in writing competitions. This summer, he won the Harbinger Prize awarded by Harbingers’Magazine, a weekly journal in the US.

Next year, Sau will start university and is resolute in his decision to major in literature. “For me, literature is a utopia (乌托邦) where I can not only express myself but also enjoy the beauty of language, its purity and its lasting power.” he said.

1. What drove Sau Hoyin to take up writing?

A．A special school program.	B．An unforgettable journey.
C．His teacher’s encouragement.	D．His childhood’s experience.

2. What can we learn from paragraph 2?

A．Sau is unwilling to learn Math at school.	B．Sau’s works are related to his own experience.
C．Sau is a very productive writer from an early age.	D．Sau is faced with many difficulties in writing novels.

3. Which of the following can best describe Sau?

A．Clever and humorous.	B．Talented and cautious.
C．Hardworking and creative.	D．Curious and emotional.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．Sau Hoyin: Words of Growth & Adventure

B．Luke Connors: A Brave Fighter against Evil

C．A Teen Writer’s Dream: Sau Hoyin’s Quest for Fame

D．A Popular Blogger’s Rise: Luke Connor’s Journey to Success

8 . In my childhood, my parents would take me to watch games. I loved the excitement I would feel when we went to watch these events, especially when the scores were close until the very end of the game. My meaningful attempt at sports began with T-ball at the age of three, progressed to the basketball court at six, and finally turned into a firm devotion to the game of baseball from the age of eight onward.

One of my most memorable moments was at the World Series when I was eleven and played on the Texas Rattlers. The July heat was unbearable. It was the semi-final game. Sweating like a pig, we ran into the dugout for our last at-bat (上场击球); we were down one run now. I was the second hitter and captain of the team, and I was ready for this moment. In the next few seconds, I had the chance to show my strength as a hitter and my ability to be a leader under pressure by hitting a home run! We carried the day!

As the team captain, I remember the time I had to give a speech to my team because we had lost an important game. I was nervous, but I knew it was my responsibility to cheer my team up when they were cast down. This experience has shaped my mind, making me become more independent, so I’m obtaining the ability to talk like a leader in front of my team and a group. Sports get it through my head that you can’t win at everything in life all the time.

On and of the field, I am more iron-willed, disciplined (遵守纪律的) and respectful, and a better leader. I have had so many awesome experiences through sports, which have taught me much and prepared me for the future. The memories of all the trips and diverse experiences I have had will be with me for a lifetime.

1. What can we learn about the author from the first paragraph?

A．He often switched sports.	B．He was a gifted child in sports.
C．He had a busy childhood.	D．He was fond of sports from childhood.

2. How did the author feel during the semi-final at the World Series?

A．Stressed and tired.	B．Proud and confident.
C．Unbearable and down.	D．Surprised and energetic.

3. What was tough for the author according to paragraph 3?

A．Leading his team to face failure.	B．Giving a speech before the team.
C．Improving his leadership qualities.	D．Overcoming his own nervousness.

4. Which can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Interesting Life of Sports	B．Life Lessons from Sports
C．Deep Affection for Sports	D．Special Moments in Sports

9 . Having dragged everything I owned halfway across the country, I reached my university a complete fresher.     1     Noisy and busy, it felt somewhat overwhelming. Soon I realized everyone was just as anxious about the idea or starting the next chapter in life. But I wouldn’t exchange my university experience for anything. The only thing I wished I had done is a proper exploration in advance of the maddening first day. So I hope to share something you should know before your arrival at university.     2    

The first point I’d like to make is that you’re in charge of your degree. Outside of your scheduled lectures, you’re the one who determines whether to carry on studying or to spend the rest of your day relaxing.     3     Are you going to be the student starting their assignment weeks beforehand, or the one pulling an all-nighter before a 10 am deadline?

Multiplicity is everywhere. University is where you ‘ll meet people from all over the world. Our eyes begin to widen to distinctive cultures, values, and morals around us.     4     So, whoever is there can fit in.

Remember going to university isn’t just about studying, but you have to learn to balance your work and life. Every university has sports teams, societies and voluntary activities to get involved with. Every university has a Students’ Union, where your voice comes in.     5     Some universities even offer job opportunities in bars, shops and food outlets.

Bothersome as your early university life may be, it’ll be incredible once you find your feet.

A．I’d done zero research about it.

B．Every choice made is up to you.

C．Why not make up for your lost youth?

D．Every university is both inclusive and diverse.

E．It may ease you into a most significant change of life.

F．And your feedback can positively affect your university.

G．I had carried out an in-depth study of multiple universities.

10 . Newspapers are losing the battle against smartphones as the preferred place to learn the news, but one woman has found a way to bridge the divide and bring the print to the people.

Kelsey Russell makes TikToks in which she goes through a single article and explains the context along the way. “I got a subscription to the Sunday New York Times physical copy,” she said in one video. At first, she didn’t like reading from a small cellphone screen, and it was her doctor who brought her to print newspapers after suggesting she address her anxiety by going back to activities she enjoyed as a kid. “When I was little, I would read the newspaper with my parents,” she said. “So I said, ‘Let me just go back to what made me happy as a child.’”

“When I read the news on print, I actually had time to process what was going on.” Russell approaches her videos as a learning experience. She tries to read at least one newspaper a day. However, a part of Russell feared the bad news, and she said what she read often felt like depressing and disheartening. That experience isn’t unique; a recent report found many people actively choosing to avoid news because they consider news boring and despairing.

Despite the struggles, Russell’s unique approach has appealed to a wide audience, lifting her fame and influencing. She has almost 90,000 followers on TikTok and more than 5.3 million likes on her videos.

Still, Russell said she wasn’t seeking to revive (复兴) the print newspaper industry(a survey found that only 5% of adults preferred print publications) and she instead encouraged people to get their news from wherever they can. Her priority is simply that the news sources are credible. “Media literacy (素养) is bigger than just reading on print,” she said. “It’s also a great way for humans to think critically about the whole entire world.”

1. Why did Russell start reading newspaper in TikToks?

A．To manage her stress.	B．To recall her childhood.
C．To digest current events.	D．To promote physical reading.

2. What challenge does Russell face?

A．Managing audience engagement.

B．Addressing negative view of Tiktok.

C．Overcoming personal anxieties about news.

D．Approaching audience’s learning difficulties.

3. What is Russell’s main concern according to the last paragraph?

A．Attracting media’s attention.

B．Encouraging creative thinking.

C．Reviving the print newspaper industry.

D．Ensuring the reliability of news sources.

4. What is a suitable title for the passage?

A．Print News Meets TikTok	B．News Revolution in TikTok
C．The Rise of Media Engagement	D．Improving Digital Media Literacy