1 . Imagine a perfect day: the weather is good and everything seems fine. When, suddenly, your mobile phone loses its signal, the television has no programmes, and you can’t get online with your computer.
What has happened? These are just the types of problems a solar storm (太阳风暴) might cause. You may not think of storms as putting our society in danger. But today, a solar storm is as serious as other bad events, such as earthquakes.
A solar storm is caused by solar flares (太阳耀斑): large explosions (爆炸) near the Sun that can give off lots of energy. The strong energy can stop the satellite systems (卫星系统) that control our computers, telecom networks and so on. These storms can even cause the power to go out for weeks or months.
Scientists have recorded some of the strongest sun flares in years. One happened around Valentine’s Day, 2011. It caused radio and satellite signals to go down in some northern cities in China.
“Solar flare activity is going to be much worse than what we’ve seen in the past. We’re not talking about a few cities losing power, it could be half of the country, may be more,” SolarStormWarning.com, a US website about space weather, warned.
Scientists say that little can be done to predict such a storm. Governments around the world are trying to work together before the next storm, although they are not sure when that may happen.
1. From the first two paragraphs we can know solar storms are ________ our society.| A．good for | B．far from | C．seldom in | D．harmful to |
a. Solar flares give off lots of energy. b. People cannot get online with their computers.
c. Solar storms happen. d. Satellite systems are stopped.
| A．a-b-c-d | B．a-c-d-b | C．c-a-b-d | D．c-b-a-d |
| A．a solar storm stopped | B．an earthquake happened |
| C．a strong sun flare happened | D．the satellite systems didn’t work |
| A．To introduce what solar storms are to people. |
| B．To ask people to prevent the solar storm from happening. |
| C．To tell people how to solve the problems caused by solar storms. |
| D．To call for scientists to predict when the next solar storm will happen. |
Imagine you are a great basketball player. You are returning home after a big game. As you enter the airport, you are suddenly stopped by many strangers. Some of them are taking pictures of you. “We’re your fans!” one shouts. “We love you!” How do you feel now?
Chinese basketball player Yang Shuyu (杨舒予) recently found herself in this situation (处境). So did table tennis player Wang Chuqin (王楚钦) and some other athletes. None of them welcomed the sudden attention. “Don’t meet me at the airport. I don’t like that. Meet me at the stadium. Thank you,” Yang said.
Many of us have favorite athletes. We get excited when they have a great performance. But some people have gone too far. These “superfans” think about their heroes all the time: What are they doing now? Where are they going next? Why do they look tired today?
Are you one of these “superfans”? If so, you may ask yourself two questions. First, why do you love this person? Some so-called “fans” only care about the looks of their heroes. They know little about their careers (职业). In a recent diving (跳水) competition, Quan Hongchan (全红婵) won the silver (银牌). During the interview, one of her fans shouted angrily from the stands (看台), “The judges were unfair! They gave Quan a low score on purpose (故意地)!” In sports, nobody can win them all. But that person didn’t seem to know that.
The other question is: How do your heroes influence you? A middle school student once wrote to us about his hero, Kobe Bryant. The boy decided to work harder in school after learning how hard the basketball player had worked. If you love your heroes, do not wait for them at the airport. Instead, try to make improvements along with them.
1. What problem did Wang Chuqin and Yang Shuyu have at the airport?2. What does the writer think of the “superfans”?
3. Why did the writer mention Kobe Bryant?
4. How do you support your sport hero? (Write 30 words or more)
3 . Do you make your bed every morning? It may seem like a small act, but don’t look down on the benefits of making it a habit. This is good for both your physical and mental health.
First of all, making your bed can be your first step towards having a successful day. Tidying up your bedding may only take a few minutes. But this can be your first task of the day. Completing it will give you a small, simple sense of pride. And this will encourage you to move on to other tasks.
Besides, your sleep environment plays an important role in the quality of your sleep. Poor “sleep hygiene (卫生)” includes not only noise and light, but also clutter (杂乱). In other words, an untidy bed will distract (分散注意力) you and keep you from falling asleep. On the other hand, keeping your bedroom clean and comfortable will help you sleep better at night.
How can you make bed-making a daily habit then? Well, connect it to a morning routine (惯例) you already follow. You can try making your bed after brushing your teeth, for example. Some people also set alarms on their phones to remind them to make their beds.
Whatever way you want to take, it won’t be difficult if you decide to get into this habit. It can get your day off to a great start and give it a better finish!
1. The underlined word “it” in Paragraph 1 refers to ________.| A．a small act | B．physical health |
| C．making your bed | D．looking down the benefits |
| A．Excited. | B．Proud. | C．Surprised. | D．Tired. |
| A．Go to bed early at night. | B．Set an alarm clock to wake up. |
| C．Look after their mental health. | D．Develop the habit of making their bed. |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
China sent a new X-ray astronomical satellite in space, Einstein Probe, on Jan. 9, 2024.
According to Yuan Weimin, a researcher of the satellite project, the satellite is expected to find the first light from supernova explosions (超新星爆炸) in the universe, monitor high-energy transient (瞬态) objects in the universe, which are now poorly understood by scientists.
When developing the satellite, a new generation of detection equipment (探测设备) with large fields of view and high sensitivity (灵敏度) was needed. But the important question was how to make such equipment.
Lobsters (龙虾) are a kind of sea animal which can be found around the world. Scientists discovered early on that lobsters’ eyes are different from other animals’. Lobsters’ eyes are made up of lots of tiny square tubes, pointing to the same center, which allows light from all directions to reflect in the tubes and meet on the retina (视网膜), which gives lobsters a large field of view. Scientists then simulated (模仿) the lobsters’ eyes to create a telescope to catch X-rays in space.
Through working together with other organizations, the X-ray Imaging Laboratory began the research and development work on lobster-eye X-ray imaging technology in 2010 and finally made a breakthrough.
“Thanks to the lobster-eye telescope technology, the Einstein Probe is able to monitor the poorly known soft X-ray band with a large field of view and high sensitivity,” Yuan said.
1. What is Einstein Probe?| A．A newly-found planet. | B．A newly-built space station. |
| C．A new X-ray astronomical satellite. | D．A new telescope technology. |
| A．To enlarge the field of view. | B．To catch the supernova explosion. |
| C．To monitor the sensitivity of objects. | D．To improve the detection equipment. |
| A．By simulating the lobsters’ eyes. | B．By observing lobsters’ movement. |
| C．By doing experiments on sea animals. | D．By comparing lobsters with other sea animals. |
| A．The new detection equipment looked like a lobster. |
| B．Scientists knew nothing about supernova explosion. |
| C．China is the first country to send Einstein Probe into space. |
| D．The lobster-eye telescope technology leads to Einstein Probe’s success. |
The Library With No Rules
When you walk by Eric’s home on Balgis Street, downtown Bangkok (曼谷), you will see thousands of books on shelves and on the stairs. Each book is free to anyone who wants it.
“People can borrow, take home, bring back or keep,” says Eric. “Or they can share and pass on to another. But they should just take, take!” He thinks books need to live, and they’re only alive if they are being read. “The act of giving books makes your life meaningful,” says Eric.
The Reading Club 2000, as the project shows, began more than twenty years ago. “My parents gave me my love of reading,” he says. “I started the club to honour them and to do some kind of community service. So I put my old books and my brothers’ and sisters’, maybe 100 in all—outside, to see if anyone was interested.”
It took a while for people to work out this was a library. It never closed and there were no rules. But the project, offering everything from paperbacks to fashion magazines, technical books and school textbooks, is becoming popular.
The success of the project is helped by the fact that the country, with a small population, has fewer than 700 public libraries, and many people cannot afford to buy books. Luckily, the project is spreading. Eric takes boxes of books into Bangkok community himself. He has also helped friends set up similar projects in ten other places around the country, and encouraged students to donate books.
1. What is Eric’s opinion about books?2. Why did Eric start the Reading Club 2000?
3. What was special about Eric’s library?
4. What do you think of the Reading Club 2000? Why do you think so? Please list at least two reasons. (Write 30 words or more.)
6 . Smartphones are getting boring. The new models either have higher speed or have nicer cameras, but they are not quite different from the ones already in our pockets. This is why scientists are hoping for something new that will change our lives as greatly as smartphones do. The next invention might be smart glasses.
Instead of picking up your smartphone and looking at the screen, all the information you need appears just in front of you, in your glasses. Satellite navigation (卫星导航) directions could appear right on the road. Your smart glasses could guide you to the right shelf in the supermarket!
Smart glasses could also be used in industry. They could show engineers with glasses the instructions about fixing things more quickly. A doctor with glasses could do a difficult operation, guided by someone on the other side of the world. Most technologies are already on the way. For example, one technology called AR, can make digital 3D objects appear as if they are part of the real world. This technology has been widely used in our daily life.
Why can’t we all wear smart glasses yet? So far, no one has invented a good way to send images (映像) of our world onto glasses. However, with the fast development of technology, smart glasses could arrive much sooner than we think.
1. What is the writer’s purpose of mentioning smartphones in Paragraph 1?| A．To start a story. | B．To introduce a topic. | C．To explain a fact. | D．To discuss a problem. |
| A．When smart glasses might be made. | B．Why smart glasses should be changed. |
| C．Where smart glasses could be used. | D．How smart glasses would give directions. |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．Worried. | B．Satisfied. | C．Negative. | D．Positive. |
You have been familiar with the learning environment in your middle school, and it feels like home. So it is not always easy to say “bye-bye”to middle school. After entering high school, you may face some new challenges. The schoolwork may become more difficult and require greater skills. Most students need support. Teachers and parents may give you a hand.
Understand what kind of learners you are. Do you need silence to focus? Then make sure the TV is not on when you are studying.
Form good reading habits. Read something every day—the more, the better. It doesn’t matter what you read.
High school life can be enjoyable. Old friendships might come undone and new ones will develop. Hope you will feel confident and perform well in high school!
| A．Learn to be better organized. |
| B．Middle school life is difficult. |
| C．Reading newspapers regularly is a good choice. |
| D．However, you can’t depend on others all the time. |
| E．Provide yourself with a quiet learning environment at home. |
8 . ①After the Yangtze River Protection Law, China passed the Yellow River Protection Law in October, 2022. It is China’s second river basin (流域) protection law.
②Due to long-time human activities, the Yellow River’s ecology (生态) has been greatly destroyed (破坏), so the new law is pretty important and timely. The Yellow River is regarded as China’s mother river. For 3,000 years, its basin served as the nation’s political, economic and cultural center. The river runs through nine provinces and regions in our country, feeding 12 percent of the Chinese population. The Yellow River Protection Law stresses the need for the protection of the ecosystem. It also calls for flood control.
③For generations (代), flood control was the major challenge for the people living along the Yellow River. The river ever burst (决堤) its banks in 1953 when it rose about two-thirds of the way up an embankment (路堤) in Kaifeng, putting millions of people at risk. In autumn 2021, some areas on the lower reaches (下游) of the river saw their worst flooding for twenty years.
④The new law explains the need to protect and spread the Yellow River culture. Every autumn, an arts festival featuring Manhan Opera, is hold in Jungar Banner, Inner Mongolia, to carry forward the time-honored Yellow River art forms. Manhan Opera was created in the Yellow River basin. The art form mixes the Yellow River with grassland culture.
⑤The new law also calls for the best use of cultural heritage sites (文化遗址), such as museums. At a museum in Gaoqing County, Shandong, more than 20,000 items that have something to do with the Yellow River are on display, including documents (记录) on management of the waterway, tools used in the Yellow River basin, and ancient books and letters about the river.
1. The Yellow River Protection Law is ________ in China.| A．the first nature protection law | B．the second nature protection law |
| C．the first river basin protection law | D．the second river basin protection law |
| A．强调 | B．研究 | C．调查 | D．施压 |
| A．It is difficult to control the flood. |
| B．The river brings many problems to the people around. |
| C．People need to protect the Yellow River’s ecology. |
| D．People along the river are influenced by the flood greatly. |
| A．①;②③④;⑤ | B．①;②③;④⑤ | C．①;②;③④⑤ | D．①;②③④⑤ |
9 . It’s reported that Shenzhou-16 will bring international paintings by teenagers from 10 African countries to the China Space Station.
Jing Haipeng, one of the astronauts for the Shenzhou-16 manned spaceflight mission, shared the information during the Shenzhou-16’s press conference (新闻发布会) at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in Northwest China’s Gansu Province.
These paintings were beautifully drawn by teenagers from 10 African countries including Algeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Egypt, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Nigeria, Somalia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
“Indeed, we have this special and meaningful purpose, which is to show international paintings for the first time on the China Space Station, and these excellent works are from the winners of ‘Tianhe Award’ for young friends from the 10 African countries,” Jing explained. “At present, we have not seen the paintings. I believe they will be bright. Exploring the vast universe (宇宙) is the common dream of all human, no matter the race, age, or nationality. We expect to join hands with all peace-loving people to create a better tomorrow,” he continued.
“We will take the children’s best youth, best friendship, and best dreams into space, plant the seeds (种子) of science, friendship, and dreams on the China Space Station, and let them grow and bear fruit,” Jing hoped.
1. What does Jing Haipeng do?| A．A reporter. | B．An artist. | C．A gardener. | D．A spaceman. |
| A．Egypt, Mauritius and Mexico. | B．Mali, Colombia and Zimbabwe. |
| C．Madagascar, Algeria and Somalia. | D．Nigeria, South America and Madagascar. |
| A．Wonderful. | B．Funny. | C．General. | D．Fashionable. |
| A．Human and nature. | B．Peace and friendship. |
| C．Science and technology. | D．Culture and education. |
10 . 阅读短文，然后根据内容回答问题。
In China, lots of students often use much of their time to study their lessons and don’t help with housework at home. Some students don’t think they need to do housework. Some parents don’t let their children do it. As a result, students are all in need of basic skills.
Luckily, things are changing. In 2021, many schools began to teach students life skills. Guangming Middle School in Shenyang built some farming clubs. There students learnt to plant vegetables. “At first I thought I could only grow some vegetables here, but in fact, I learnt a lot about vegetables,” said Cheng Bing, a girl at the school.
In Hope Middle School, students have a special life skill class: They learn to make dumplings in different kinds of shapes. “I couldn’t make dumplings before, but now I am good at doing it. I really love my life skill class. It’s my favourite class,” said Jia Yan, a boy at the school.
As we know, learning life skills is as important as learning Chinese and maths, because it helps us prepare for our future life. Boys and girls, do you help your parents do housework at home? If not, maybe you should get started now.
1. What do many Chinese students spend most time doing according to the text?
