阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项。

Webster always loved to run, even when he was very young. Running gave him _________, making him feel like he could do anything. Although he could run far and he could run fast, the other boys _________ seemed to believe in him.

When Webster grew older, he visited a volcano (火山) called El Misti, which is about 1,000 meters below the tallest volcano on the earth. As the boy ________ at the volcano, he made a decision to get to the top of it. He imagined what it would be ________ to run all the way to the top. This was his chance to become a real runner, like he always ________ he would be.

Early the next morning, he began his long journey. He ran and ran and never stopped. He ran all the way through a sea of sand ________ he reached the volcano. As he made his way up, his body ached, but he didn’t stop.

________, the peak (顶峰) of the volcano was within the boy’s sight. His heart was filled with _________! He ran faster and pushed farther, but every time he thought he was getting     9    , it was another climb away, another corner, another impossibly steep slope (陡坡).

“The other boys were ________. I’ll never be a real runner,” the boy cried.

But as he looked down at the city lights below, he saw how far he had already come. He _________ that if he could just put one foot in front of the other, for just a little longer, he could make it. He _________ again and climbed his way up to the peak.

As he stood above the cities, above the deserts in the clouds, he felt a sense of _________ for believing in himself and accomplishing what no one else thought he could. At that time, Webster really understood _________ was impossible if you could try your best. He might be short and he might be small but he was a _________ runner. He always was.

1.

A．luck

B．beauty

C．pleasure

D．courage

2.

A．often

B．never

C．always

D．sometimes

3.

A．looked up

B．looked down

C．looked around

D．looked back

4.

A．like

B．with

C．against

D．about

5.

A．dreamed

B．decided

C．worried

D．caught

6.

A．unless

B．until

C．since

D．when

7.

A．Actually

B．Recently

C．Suddenly

D．Finally

8.

A．love

B．anger

C．regret.

D．excitement

9.

A．faster

B．slower

C．closer

D．farther

10.

A．tall

B．small

C．right

D．impolite

11.

A．saw

B．doubted

C．realized

D．suggested

12.

A．cried

B．ran

C．visited

D．planned

13.

A．pride

B．pain

C．fear

D．trouble

14.

A．nothing

B．anything

C．something

D．everything

15.

A．free

B．real

C．kind

D．weak

By Mrs. Zhang ★★★★☆   9.5/10 It’s a meaningful story. It helps increase awareness (意识) among young Chinese of traditional Chinese culture and history.

By Mr. Wang ★★★★☆9.2/10 I can learn a lot from this film. I have a deeper understanding of our history and classic works after enjoying this amazing movie. Read   More   Reviews   from   Users

17. How long does the movie Chang An last?

A．About two hours.	B．Less than two and a half hours.
C．Two and a half hours.	D．More than two and a half hours.

18. What can we learn from the information above?

A．The Tang Dynasty was famous for cartoons.

B．Mrs. Zhang speaks highly of the movie Chang An.

C．Mr. Wang thinks Chang An is a symbol of Chinese history.

D．Audience (观众) cannot watch the movie Chang An in October, 2023.

19. Which website is the information probably from?

A．http://www.heroes.com/movies

B．http://www.reviews.com/movies

C．http://www.users.com/movies

D．http://www.background.com/movies

The 31st International University Sports Federation(FISU) Summer World University Games were held from July 28, 2023 to August 8, 2023 in Chengdu, which were more than just medals and sports.

A total of 6,500 student athletes from 113 countries and regions competed at the Chengdu FISU Games. Besides showing their skills in different sports, these athletes also learned about many sides of Chinese culture. Each night in the athletes’ village, for example, they could experience activities such as trying on hanfu, playing Chinese chess and playing traditional Chinese music.

They also had the chance to meet one of China’s national treasures: the giant panda. On July 31 in a special area of Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, overseas athletes met the 6-year-old Zhi Ma, the panda who inspired (启发) the design of Rongbao—the mascot (吉祥物) of the Games. They were really excited as most of them first met with a giant panda in person. “They are much cuter than they are in videos,” Mario Del Basso, a water polo athlete from Italy, said to China Daily. To attract the attention of the giant pandas, many athletes also made an effort to learn how to say “come here” in the local Sichuan dialect (方言).

Chinese and foreign athletes also made good friends during the Games. During the mixed team event in a men’s doubles match, Chinese athlete Tan Qiang beat Brazilian badminton player Welton Menezes easily. But the image of Menezes’s worn-out shoes stuck with Tan. He asked for Menezes’s shoe size immediately after the match and gave his own pair of new shoes to Menezes. “I am very grateful for Tan’s help,” Menezes said. “It’s a great pair of shoes and I love it. After I go back to Brazil, I will also wear the shoes for training.”

This event not only provides a stage for competition, but also serves as a platform for cultural exchange and the development of friendship, showing China’s positive attitude to the world.

20. How many kinds of traditional Chinese activities are mentioned in Paragraph 2?

A．Two.

B．Three.

C．Four.

D．Five.

21. Why did the writer mention the “giant panda” in this passage?

A．To introduce different sides of colorful Chinese cultures.

B．To explain why the pandas are popular with overseas athletes.

C．To share the writer’s wonderful experience with the giant panda.

D．To show overseas athletes are very interested in Chinese culture.

22. How would Welton Menezes feel when he received the shoes from Tan Qiang?

A．Moved and thankful.	B．Surprised and proud.
C．Afraid and shameful.	D．Nervous and disappointed.

23. Which of the following shows the writer’s opinion towards the FISU Games?

A．It only provides students with a stage for sports competition.

B．It is helpful for Chinese to understand Western culture deeply.

C．It is a good chance to develop friendship with foreign athletes.

D．It is the best way for university students to get medals for sports.

Some experts say that robots will take away human jobs with the rapid development of AI. A March 2023 report from Goldman Sachs showed that AI could do a quarter of the work done by humans. Across the European Union and the US, the report further notes that 300 million jobs could be lost to automation (自动化).

Thankfully, it’s not all bad news. The experts also add that there are still things AI cannot do. These tasks have clear human qualities (特征), like emotional intelligence (情商) and creative thinking.

“I think there are generally three kinds of jobs that are going to be safe,” says Martin Ford, writer of Rule of the Robots: How Artificial Intelligence Will Trans form Everything. “The first would be jobs that are creative enough to come up with new ideas and build something new.”

The second is jobs that require complicated interpersonal relationships. Ford points to nurses, businessmen and reporters. “These are jobs,” he says, “where you need a very deep understanding of people. I think it’ll be a long time before AI has the ability to interact (交流) in the kinds of ways that really build relationships.”

“The third safe one,” says Ford, “is jobs that really require lots of mobility (机动性) and dexterity (灵活性) and problem-solving ability in unpredictable environments. These are the kinds of jobs where you’re dealing with a new situation all the time, so they are probably the hardest of anything to automate.”

“It’s important to note,” says Ford, “that a higher education or a high-paying position is not a protection against AI takeover. In short, looking for roles in changing environments that include unpredictable tasks is a good way to stop jobs from being taken by AI. At least, for a while.”

24. What does the underlined phrase “These tasks” in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A．The jobs AI cannot do.	B．Some pieces of bad news.
C．The jobs taken by AI.	D．Some creative thinking jobs.

25. Which of the following is a good way to stop human jobs from being replaced by AI?

A．Getting a higher education.	B．Repeating a task many times.
C．Having a high-paying position.	D．Dealing with various tasks well.

26. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to Martin Ford?

A．AI can have a deep understanding of humans.

B．Being a businessman is one of the hardest jobs.

C．Jobs with creative thinking are less at risk of being replaced.

D．Most of the work done by humans will be taken by AI soon.

27. What is the main idea of the passage?

A．Some good ways to get jobs.

B．The jobs that won’t be taken by AI.

C．Different opinions about jobs.

D．The fight between AI and humans.

Georgy lived a hard life with his mother Amelia Sedley. He studied in a little local school and did well at all his lessons. Miss Dobbin, Georgy’s teacher, followed his progress with interest, and was ready to be helpful and knew how poor the Sedleys were.

“Do let Georgy spend the day with me next Saturday,” Miss Dobbin said to Amelia one day. “Miss Osborne, Georgy’s aunt, is coming to visit, and I know she’d love to see her brother’s son. And who knows, perhaps the boy’s grandfather will do something for him one day.”

The meeting took place and Miss Osborne liked Georgy a lot. After the meeting, while having dinner at the dinner table with her father that night, Miss Osborne could not hide her emotion.

“What’s the matter?” old Mr. Osborne shouted at last. Georgy’s aunt burst into tears. “Oh sir,” she said, “I’ve seen little Georgy. He’s such a beautiful boy—and so like his father!”

The old man did not say a word, but his hands trembled (颤抖), and he sat staring at the table for a long time.

Soon Georgy told his mother about another visitor at the house on a day he spent with Miss Dobbin. “An old gentle nan came today,” the boy said. “He watched when I had my riding son. He stared and stared at me.

Amelia knew that the boy had seen his grandfather, and she waited nervously to see what would happen next. After several days, a lawyer came with a letter from Mr. Osborne. “Mr. Osborne offers to take his grandson Georgy, who will then inherit (继承) the fortune (巨款) which would have gone to his father. He will also give Mrs. Amelia Osborne a regular allowance (补贴) to enable her and her family to live in comfort. If she marries again, as is said to be likely, this allowance will still continue. In return, the boy will live with Mr. Osborne, who will allow him to visit his mother once or twice in her own home.”

Amelia was rarely angry, but today she stood up, tore this letter into a hundred pieces, and threw them on the floor.

“Marry again! Take money—to part from my child! Who dares to hurt me in this way? Tell Mr. Osborne it is a ridiculous (荒唐的) letter. I will not answer it. Good day, sir!”

28. Why did Miss Dobbin invite Georgy to spend the day with her?

A．To help the Sedleys.	B．To surprise Miss Osborne
C．To discuss his future.	D．To ask old Mr. Osborne for help

29. Which of the following is the correct order according to the passage?
a. Georgy met his grandfather.
b. Miss Osborne came to visit Georgy.
c. Amelia refused the “help” from old Mr. Osborne.
d. Amelia received a letter from old Mr. Osborne.

A．a—b—c—d

B．a—b—d—c

C．b—a—c—d

D．b—a—d—c

30. How did Amelia feel about the letter from Mr. Osborne?

A．Angry.

B．Excited.

C．Nervous.

D．Thankful

31. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

A．The Poor Sedleys	B．The Love from Grandfather
C．A Helpful Teacher	D．Love Is Stronger than Money