1 . Floods, droughts (干旱), storms, hot days…extreme (极端的) weather is becoming more and more common all over the world.
This is caused by greenhouse gas emissions (温室气体排放) from human activities, reported China Daily.
This summer, big storms hit areas of Europe. At least 13 people died in Austria, France and Italy by Aug 19. In Portugal and Spain, huge wildfires have forced thousands to leave their homes.
In the US, more than 80 percent of the west is in drought, up from just 20 percent in 2021. Three-quarters of farmers in these areas have stopped growing food.
In China, the heat has hit the south since June. The duration (持续时间) of this year’s high temperatures will break the 62-day record in 2013, becoming the longest heat wave in 61 years.
Extreme weather events are not only killing people and destroying homes. They also drive more people into hunger. Millions in East Africa have little food to eat today, according to the World Health Organization. For four years, there wasn’t enough rain during its rainy seasons and the land was too dry to grow food.
Extreme weather has also made 218 of the known 375 infectious diseases (传染病) more serious, including malaria, cholera and anthrax, according to the journal Nature Climate Change. As viruses (病毒) try to adapt to (适应) higher temperatures, they become stronger and harder to kill.
1. What is causing extreme weather events worldwide, according to the passage?| A．Wildfires. | B．Droughts. |
| C．Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities. | D．Heat waves. |
| A．The countries that suffer from extreme weather the most. |
| B．The number of people who died from extreme weather. |
| C．The causes of different types of extreme weather. |
| D．The effects of extreme weather in different areas. |
| A．Extreme weather events are killing people. |
| B．Extreme weather events are destroying homes. |
| C．Extreme weather events drive more people into hunger. |
| D．Extreme weather events badly influence people’s life. |
| A．It causes viruses to become stronger. |
| B．It weakens people’s health. |
| C．It offers more food to viruses and serious diseases. |
| D．It increases the number of infectious diseases. |
2 . ①Most people want to be happy, but few know how to find happiness. Money and success alone do not bring lasting happiness. Aristotle, a Greek thinker, said, “Happiness depends on ourselves.” In other words, we make our own happiness. Here are a few suggestions to help you be happier.
②The first secret of happiness is to enjoy the simple things in life. Too often, we spend so much time thinking about the future, for example, getting into college or getting a good job——that we fail to enjoy the present. You should enjoy life’s simple pleasures, such as reading a good book, listening to your favorite music, or spending time with close friends. People who have several close friends often live happier and healthier lives.
③The second secret of happiness is to be active. Many people go dancing or play sports. People can forget about their problems and only think about the activities.
④Finally, many people find happiness in helping others. Studies show that people feel good when they spend their time helping others. If you want to feel happier, do good things for someone. You can help a friend with his or her studies, go shopping to buy food for an elderly person, or simply help out around the house by washing the dishes.
1. What’s the main idea of this passage?| A．The importance of money and success for happiness. |
| B．Aristotle’s philosophy on happiness. |
| C．Secrets to living a happy life. |
| D．The disadvantage of spending too much time on hobbies. |
| A．they focus too much on the future | B．they have too many close friends |
| C．they spend too much time on hobbies | D．they disregard the value of money |
| A．Reading a good book. | B．Listening to favourite music. |
| C．Being active and having hobbies. | D．Spending time with close friends. |
| A．To provide additional examples of simple pleasures. |
| B．To explain why helping others is important for happiness. |
| C．To introduce a new secret to living a happy life. |
| D．To summarize the main points of the passage. |
Boredom (无聊) is something that we all have experienced. Its basic meaning is “the state of being bored”. We experience boredom when we have nothing to do like standing at a bus stop and waiting for a bus. And when we do the same task over and over again, we also get bored.
Boredom isn’t good or bad. What matters are the choices that we make. How can boredom be good for us? Just consider boredom as a “time-out” to clear your mind. This time can be used to create reflection, and discover new thoughts and possibilities.
1.It helps inspire creativity (激发创造力).
When you let yourself to be bored, you make your mind wander (走神) and rest at the same time. Giving your mind a break can inspire creativity.
2. It helps increase self-reflection (自我反思)．
Being bored gives your mind a quiet space to think and reflect on your emotions and thoughts. Self-reflection can help you understand yourself better and make improvements.
3. __________________
Boredom gives us time and energy to pay attention to something different and new. You may discover a new hobby that you’ll enjoy learning. So it can make your boredom interesting!
Learning how to make use of boredom is one way to make sure you never get bored. Boredom can be good for you. When boredom appears, it lets your mind to break for a while. Let it reflect on what it is and what is needed.
1. When do we get bored? (One example is OK.)2. To make boredom good for us, what can we consider it as?
3. What can be the subtitle (小标题) of the third advantage?
4. Do you think boredom is good or bad? Why? Write 30 words or more.
ChatGPT
ChatGPT is a new AI robot. It is a tool made by the company OpenAI in November 2022. They wanted to show everyone what a very large, powerful AI system can achieve.
ChatGPT remembers your conversations, it makes its answers from lots of information on the Internet. It can do many other things, such as writing papers, describing art very well, creating AI art ideas, having thoughtful conversations and even writing computer codes (密码) for you!
A few days after its launch (上市) , more than 1 million people were trying out ChatGPT. About 100 million people used ChatGPT in February 2023.
However, ChatGPT cannot replace Baidu. ChatGPT is an AI robot that gives answers to your questions, but Baidu is a website that helps you look for information.
ChatGPT is still new and has a lot of problems. Here are some big problems that experts have noticed:
1. ChatGPT might give wrong answers. Don’t use it for math questions!
2. ChatGPT might take jobs from humans. It could make it harder for writers, teachers, artists and computer programmers to make their living.
3. ChatGPT could challenge (挑战) high school writing homework. It will make it easier for students not to write their own papers and lose their own responsibility (责任).
4. ChatGPT could cause harm to people. If someone asks it a question instead of going to the hospital, it will be very dangerous.
ChatGPT is a fun and exciting new technology for everyone to use and experiment with. We can make the best use of ChatGPT for learning. But be careful with it!
1. When was ChatGPT made?2. How many people used ChatGPT in February 2023?
3. Why can’t Baidu be replaced by ChatGPT?
4. Will you use ChatGPT for your homework during the winter holidays? Why or why not? Write 30 words or more.
What do you do with clothes you don’t want to wear anymore? You may donate (捐赠) them or give them to other people. What happens next? Where do these clothes end up?
Sadly, the beaches of Ghana, a country in West Africa, are among these places. Now, the beaches are covered with clothing waste.
People from all over the world donate clothes to charity (慈善机构). However, charity shops only sell up to 20 percent of donated clothes, said The Guardian (英国《卫报》 ). The unsold clothes are then put in large bags and travel to other countries to be sold again or for waste disposal (处理).
The Kantamanto market in Accra, the capital of Ghana, is one of the world’s largest secondhand clothing markets. Every week, 20 million pieces of clothes arrive at Kantamanto.
But about 40 percent of them leave the market as waste. Workers either burn the waste or put it underground. However, the city is near the sea, so there’s not enough space for landfills (垃圾填埋场). This is why a lot of clothing waste ends up on the beach.
As it goes into the sea, fish and other sea life are in danger. Sea turtles (海龟) can’t get to the land, and fish can’t grow because they may get caught in the clothes.
The waste is also hurting the economy (经济), Ernest Ijawan, a worker at a landfill in Ghana, told Forbes. Fishers can’t catch as many fish as before since most of the things they catch are clothes.
1. The beaches of Ghana are covered with _________.| A．food waste | B．clothing waste | C．dead fish | D．plastic bags |
| A．4 million. | B．6 million. | C．8 million. | D．10 million. |
| A．In Accra, workers bury all the secondhand clothes. |
| B．In Accra, people like to pick secondhand clothes on the beach. |
| C．In Ghana, workers make a lot of money at landfills. |
| D．In Ghana, clothing waste in the sea is harmful to sea life. |
| A．Clothing Pollution | B．Secondhand Economy |
| C．The Beaches of Ghana | D．The unsold clothes |
6 . Four students are talking about the best museums they have ever been to.
 | Jenny The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, which was built in 1872, is very popular in the world. It is one of the world’s finest art museums. I really enjoyed my trip because I love modern arts very much. I think the Dance Class by Edgar Degas is the greatest work of art there. |
 | Sandy Built in 1204, the Louvre Museum in Paris is the world’s largest art museum. Nearly 38,000 objects from prehistory to the 21st century are exhibited there. It was great to enjoy so many treasures at one time there. Among them. I think the Mona Lisa is a must-see. |
 | John First built in 1912, the National Museum of China in Beijing shows well the cultural aspects of China. Since I’m crazy about Chinese culture and history. I really enjoyed this trip. It has a large collection of bronze vessels (青铜器). My favorite one is “Hou Mu Wu” Bronze Ding. |
 | Sam Built in 1753, the British Museum in London is the greatest museum I’ve ever been to. I enjoyed my trip there because I’m very interested in the culture of ancient Egypt. That’s why I was deeply attracted by the famous Rosetta Stone (罗塞塔石碑) . |
1. Where is the Metropolitan Museum of Art?
| A．In New York City. | B．In London. | C．In Beijing. | D．In Paris. |
| A．In 1753. | B．In 1204. | C．In 1912. | D．In 1872. |
| A．the Dance Class | B．the Mona Lisa |
| C．the Rosetta Stone | D．“Hou Mu Wu” Bronze Ding |
| A．Travel. | B．Art. | C．Technology. | D．Sports. |
Have you ever been to the Dead Sea, one of the most famous natural wonders in the world? Have you ever considered why it is called Dead Sea? Does it hold life? Can people swim there? With all these questions in your mind, let’s know something about it!
The Dead Sea is actually a lake in the Middle East. At four hundred meters below sea level, it’s the lowest point on the surface (表面) of the earth. It lies between the borders (边界), Israel, and the West Bank. It’s about 80 kilometers wide at its widest point (包围) by hot, dry desert (沙漠).
Since it’s in a hot desert, water evaporates (蒸发) faster than the lake is refilled. And the area is lower than all the land around, it can only evaporate. And that’s what happens—water continually evaporate. In fact so much water is evaporating from the Dead Sea, it often looks like there’s a cloud of fog hanging over the lake. Anyway, it leaves behind the salt and minerals (矿物质). The water in the Dead Sea is almost six times saltier than ocean water!
Because the Dead Sea is so salty, almost nothing can live there, except for bacteria (细菌，菌类). Any fish or freshwater animals that gets washed into the lake dies almost immediately. And the shores are covered in thick salt crystals (结晶), so animals can’t even near the lake.
Since it’s so salty, why do people go there to cover themselves from head to toe with its mud (泥)? Actually, it is really safe for people. You can even go swimming there if you want, although it’s pretty hard to swim because all that salt makes it much easier to float (漂浮).
Want to know more about it? Just explore it yourself!
1. Why does the writer use four questions in the beginning?| A．To interest readers in natural wonders. |
| B．To lead into the topic of the Dead Sea. |
| C．To introduce the popularity of the Dead Sea. |
| D．To express worries about freshwater animals. |
| A．It’s near the Middle East. | B．It’s far from the desert. |
| C．It’s 11 kilometers wide. | D．It’s the lowest point on land. |
| A．How the Dead Sea is formed. | B．How the Dead Sea gets so salty. |
| C．Why fish can’t live in the Dead Sea. | D．Why the Dead Sea is like a cloud of fog. |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
8 . ①Type in “A cat wants to go to space” and ask the robot to write a bedtime story. Just one second later, you’ll get the story of Max, who was on his way past many difficulties to sing among the stars.
②This robot writer is real. It’s called Chạt GPT. It was developed by US company Open AI. It can translate languages, talk with people and write songs, poems and even jokes. It’s one of the most powerful AI of its kind (范围) of a real person! According to a US report of more than 1, 000 students, over 89% of them have used Chat GPT to help with homework.
③Some schools in the US, Australia and France have banned (禁止) the use of Chat GPT. In the US, New York City public schools banned students and teachers from using Chat GPT on the district’s networks and devices (设备), CNN reported. The move comes out of worries that the tool could make it easier for students to cheat (作弊), “It does not build critical (批判的)-thinking and problem-solving skills (学术的) and lifelong success,” said Jenna Lyle, a secretary of the New York City Department of Education.
④However, not all educators say “no” to Chat GPT. Some Canadian universities are drafting (起草) policies on its use, for both students and teachers. They have no plans to completely ban the tool so far.
⑤There is no doubt (怀疑) that Chat GPT is a powerful tool that people will use. What we need to do is to “adapt (适应) our learning, teaching and examinations”. That way, we can have integrity (诚信) while we’re using the tool.
1. The writer uses “the cat story” as an example to ________.| A．introduce a bedtime book |
| B．tell what Chat GPT can do for animals |
| C．show how Chat GPT learns about space |
| D．show what creative work Chat GPT can do |
| A．It might offer the wrong information. |
| B．It is so far the smartest AI chatbot tool. |
| C．It is not good for developing students’ minds. |
| D．It is necessary for academic and lifelong success. |
| A．①②③/④/⑤ | B．①②/③/④⑤ | C．①②/③④/⑤ | D．①/②③/④⑤ |
| A．The future of education. |
| B．What can robots bring us? |
| C．Will teachers be replaced by robots? |
| D．A good study tool or a way to cheat? |
9 . ①According to a research, more than 130 billion pounds of uneaten food go to waste in Laura’s country each year. That is about 30% of the yearly food supply (供应). It is a sad fact, especially when you consider how many families and homeless people are in hunger.
②When Laura saw her school dining hall throw away food that was not eaten at all every day, she came up with an idea. She started a project to help her school dining hall to give away uneaten food to homeless shelters (庇护所) in her community. In the past three years, the same project has spread to other schools and some fast food restaurants throughout the city. The project is called Feed & Find, and has already fed thousands of people in her city. How does it work? Through an app, Feed & Find matches local homeless shelters with school dining halls and restaurants that have uneaten food to provide. When dining halls or restaurants have uneaten food left, they can use the app to share the information about the food. A truck driver working for the project is then sent to pick it up and take it to a shelter.
③Pretty cool, right? It’s not surprising that people in other cities have got in touch with Laura, hoping that she could help develop similar projects for their communities.
④Some people, however, have concerns about the safety of the uneaten food. They think such food may not be clean enough. Still, this project is a clever way to help solve the problem of food waste and it helps those in need.
1. The numbers in Paragraph① tell us ________.| A．food waste is serious |
| B．some people are poor |
| C．the population is large |
| D．the research is interesting |
| A．find a truck driver |
| B．visit their communities |
| C．give away food to them |
| D．help develop projects like hers |
| A．ways | B．worries | C．secrets | D．decisions |
| A．To explain a food safety project. |
| B．To show a driving service app. |
| C．To introduce a food sharing project. |
| D．To introduce a dining guide app. |
10 . ①Could you imagine being in a car driven by a computer, not a human? Recently, China has made a big step toward self-driving technology. Since August, driverless taxis can run on roads in Wuhan, Chongqing and Shenzhen.
②Why do we develop self-driving cars? Self-driving cars have many advantages. They use computers to sense the things around them and make better use of space. This means fewer crowded roads and better parking of cars. For disabled or blind people, self-driving cars can also help them get around more easily.
③According to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year, more than 1.35 million people are killed on roads around the world. Many more are hurt in accidents. Self driving cars could reduce road accidents by 90 percent and save governments a lot of money. The main cause of car accidents is human error (错误). By using computers, self-driving cars don’t make poor decisions or lose attention like humans do.
④But self-driving cars aren’t perfect. If something unexpected on the road happens, self-driving cars can’t react as fast as a human driver can. Also, during weather events like heavy snow, self-driving cars wouldn’t see the lines on the road easily. It might lead to an accident. The car’s computer system would be broken by someone, causing it to crash or change its direction.
⑤It’s clear that there is a lot of work to do to make self-driving cars a common sight on our roads. And China is taking the lead in making this happen.
1. According to the passage, it is ________ to develop self-driving cars for disabled or blind people.| A．difficult | B．creative | C．helpful | D．unnecessary |
| A．Self-driving cars would cause 90 percent road accidents of all. |
| B．Self-driving cars would cause 10 road accidents among 100 ones. |
| C．90 percent of self-driving cars would cause road accidents. |
| D．Self-driving cars could reduce the number of road accidents from 100 to 10. |
| A．how self-driving cars work |
| B．why self-driving cars were invented |
| C．what we should do to use self-driving cars safely |
| D．that self-driving cars bring both convenience and problems |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
