“Welcome to English drama class! Today, we are going to play Cinderella!” said Lin Xiao, one of the volunteer _______ from Shenzhen University. In front of her, there were 45 country school fifth graders listening excitedly.

In response to the government’s call for the revitalization (复兴) of countryside education, the Volunteer Teaching Program was set up in 2021. For three years, volunteers like Lin have spent their _______ teaching in Shangbao Village, Ganzhou City, where these educational improvements are expected to _______.

As the captain, Lin arrived in Ganzhou with her team on July 10, 2023. Although the living conditions were _______, she believed the experience was valuable in making the lives of local students better.

During the teaching, Lin found that students in village schools are often short of interest in English because of few materials and _______ to use the language. To increase their confidence and interest, Lin and her team designed special English drama courses to encourage children to express themselves _______. “It is better for village students to learn English through _______, because they will have more fun,” Lin explained. During rehearsals (排练), Lin _______ the children in understanding the storyline, practising words over and over again, and building cooperation among them. She discovered a big change in the students’ attitudes (态度), with many becoming highly _______ in English.

One summer may not bring decisive changes to the children, but Lin hopes one summer’s hard ____________ can at least make a difference to China’s countryside education.

1.

A．actors

B．lawyers

C．doctors

D．teachers

2.

A．springs

B．summers

C．autumns

D．winters

3.

A．take place

B．make money

C．pay attention

D．ask permission

4.

A．fine

B．basic

C．terrible

D．special

5.

A．rights

B．chances

C．minutes

D．decisions

6.

A．closely

B．bravely

C．carefully

D．healthily

7.

A．acting

B．singing

C．copying

D．writing

8.

A．bored

B．saved

C．guided

D．followed

9.

A．useful

B．painful

C．valuable

D．interested

10.

A．life

B．work

C．feelings

D．questions

On January 3, 2024, a North Atlantic right whale (露脊鲸) in South Carolina was seen with serious injuries on its head and mouth from a boat hitting. It was dying from the injuries. Now, experts are also worried about the survival of this whole population. Because of whale hunting in the 19th century, there are only 356 North Atlantic right whales left. Could boat hitting and overfishing make them disappear forever?

In the 1851 novel Moby Dick, right whales were described as the most respectable large animals being hunted by man. When protections were started in the 1930s, the population—once around 21,000—nearly died out. It was thought that the North Atlantic specie (物种) was down to just two dozen. By 2010, the population had got better, reaching nearly 500 before going down again by around 2017. This most recent fall has not changed much, but the specie is still in great danger.

Boat hitting is one of the main dangers to right whales. Research shows that staying within boat speed limits (限制) can protect different whale species. Slowing down is the only practical way now to protect these whales from being hit. As well as shipping and fishing, changes in weather patterns make it more difficult for right whales to find food.

“It is possible to lose North Atlantic right whales forever,” says a biologist. Whales are important to the world because they help to move nutrients (营养) around the ocean—feeding in deep waters then pooping (排便) at the surface. What would happen to the ocean if right whales were lost?

11. What parts of the right whale were hurt?

A．Its back and tail.

B．Its eyes and ears.

C．Its hands and mouth.

D．Its head and mouth.

12. When was the number of right whales the smallest?

A．In 1851.

B．In 1930.

C．In 2010.

D．In 2017.

13. What is the best way to protect right whales from boat hitting?

A．To slow down boat speed.	B．To cut down fishing activities.
C．To make shipping safer.	D．To fight against weather changes.

14. What is the main idea of Paragraph 4?

A．Right whales will all disappear one day.	B．Right whales get lost easily in the ocean.
C．Right whales are important to the ocean.	D．Right whales move nutrients to ocean surface.

15. Where can we probably find the text?

A．In a news report.

B．In a book review.

C．In a travel guide.

D．In an art magazine.

Having grown up in Arizona with the Grand Canyon and the red plateaus (高原) of Sedona in my backyard, I spent many younger days fishing and exploring the mysterious land. I believed this southwestern state is home to the most beautiful landscape on Earth. No foreign scenery could compare with its endless blue sky and great mountains.

I thought so until I was invited to visit a southwestern province in China. On my trip to Guizhou, I had the chance to go boating on Wanfeng Lake. At one point I rested, floating at the centre of the lake, listening to the spaces between silence and looking at the mountains around me. I thought about my childhood, and wished I had listened more closely to my father’s fishing stories.

During my trip around the city of Xingyi, in Guizhou, I saw the artworks of the Bouyei ethnic group (布依族). They use colours produced from plants to make clothes of bright blues and greens. Local elders still practise weaving (编织) with wooden machines and pass that tradition on to their grandchildren. The history here is easily noticed. One could reach out, touch it, and breathe it. It reminded me of my home. My mother loved to make our home more beautiful with paintings and some handmade artworks. The designs were ancient, and carried wisdom within them. This Earth is our home, and we celebrate its wonders. I caught that same feeling while enjoying the artworks in Xingyi.

I’ve lived away from Arizona for 10 years, living a new life in China. I’ve successfully built myself a family and a career. I feel as though I have everything that I need. For a moment, in Guizhou, I felt home.

16. What did the writer believe about his hometown?

A．It was a fishing village in America.	B．Its natural beauty was incomparable.
C．It was the most beautiful place on Earth.	D．The writer spent a painful childhood there.

17. What did the writer do on Wanfeng Lake?

A．Catch fish.

B．Enjoy a boat trip.

C．Listen to stories.

D．Climb mountains.

18. What does the underlined phrase “reach out” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Show interest in something.	B．Work hard to achieve something.
C．Keep in touch with something.	D．Move one’s hand towards something.

19. How did the writer feel while enjoying the artworks in Xingyi?

A．Homesick.

B．Excited.

C．Worried.

D．Nervous.

20. What is the best title of the passage?

A．Exploring beauty in Arizona	B．Living a quiet life in China
C．Feeling at home in Guizhou	D．Discovering history in Guizhou

We are told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and are given lunch breaks at school. However, is this the healthiest way to eat? Should we eat three meals a day? Before considering how often we should eat, scientists advise us to consider when we shouldn’t.

Intermittent fasting (间歇性断食), where you stop eating food for many hours, has become a popular area of research. It allows our stomach to rest. It helps our body to clear broken proteins (蛋白质), which protects us against many diseases.

But if intermittent fasting is a healthy way to eat, how many meals does this leave room for? Some experts argue that it is best to have one meal a day. David Levitsky, professor at Cornell University, does this himself. Wouldn’t one meal a day leave us feeling hungry? Not always, because hunger is often a feeling. “When the clock says 12p. m., we may get feelings to eat, but before we had fridges and supermarkets, we ate when there was food.”

Another expert, Manoogan, doesn’t agree with it. He says it can make our blood glucose (血糖) go up. To keep our blood glucose low, we need to eat regularly. Two or three meals a day is the best. And we should eat most of our food earlier in the day. “Then our bodies can use the energy from our food all day, instead of saving it as fat (脂肪).”

Even if intermittent fasting is the healthiest way to eat, it may not be a good idea for everyone. If you want to try it, remember to check with your doctor first.

21. How does the writer introduce the topic?

A．By telling a story.	B．By asking questions.
C．By using a saying.	D．By making a comparison.

22. Which benefits can intermittent fasting bring?
①Fixing broken proteins.              ②Allowing the stomach to rest.
③Helping scientists do research.        ④Keeping us safe from some illness.

A．①②③

B．②③④

C．①②④

D．①③④

23. Why does Levitsky say that one meal a day might not leave us feeling hungry?

A．Because our bodies can save food as fat.

B．Because we have fridges and supermarkets.

C．Because we can choose to eat whenever we want.

D．Because we often eat out of habit, not true hunger.

24. What does the underlined “it” in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A．One meal a day.	B．Three meals a day.
C．Intermittent fasting.	D．Eating much at night.

25. What does the author want to tell us in the last paragraph?

A．We can’t do anything until we know more.

B．Doctors suggest we try intermittent fasting.

C．Intermittent fasting doesn’t work for everyone.

D．Seeing the doctor is the best way to become healthy.