1 . Poems from Tang and Song Dynasties, operas from Yuan Dynasty, and novels from Ming and Qing Dynasties are very famous in China’s history. Today, I’d like to recommend Song of Autumn, one of the poems by Liu Yuxi (772~842), a famous poet and writer in the mid-Tang Dynasty.
Just as shown in the first line of the poem, most ancient poets liked to describe autumn as a sad time, but in this poem the season appears differently. In Liu’s eyes, autumn, full of life and hope, is even better than spring morning. He describes the bright scene of a crane riding the clouds and flying into the blue sky.
With his poems paying special attention to expressing personal feelings, as well as the daily life of common people, Liu wrote poems with beautiful music-like words. You may feel it in this poem. Though being translated thoughtfully by experienced Xu Yuanchong, the poem still reads not so beautifully as that in Chinese. I personally think that English is sometimes not so powerful as Chinese.
Here is another example, in Liu’s essay An Eulogium on a Humble Cell (《陋室铭》), with less than 100 words, he shows a lively picture of his humble cell. However, it also shows how he was pleased with the poor and simple life. People may find it strange that one can feel happy living in such a humble cell. Learning from his famous sentence, “be fragrant because of my virtues” (斯是陋室，惟吾德馨), I think to be a respectable man is more important than to live in big houses, to wear beautiful clothes, to enjoy delicious food, and even to gain knowledge.
1. Which word can best describe autumn in the poem Song of Autumn?| A．Busy. | B．Hopeful. | C．Cold. | D．Special. |
| A．Expressing personal feelings. | B．Describing lives of young people. |
| C．Picturing blue sky and cranes. | D．Writing songs according to music. |
| A．Strange. | B．Unhappy. | C．Satisfied. | D．Lonely. |
| A．To be a respectable man. | B．To live in a big house. |
| C．Tow ear beautiful clothes. | D．To gain more knowledge. |
2 . ①Have you ever wondered what animals are talking about? With the development of AI, we may be able to understand their language!
②In Professor Karen Bakker’s new book, The Sounds of Life: How Digital Technology Is Bringing Us Closer to the Worlds of Animals and Plants, she talks about how AI is helping us to make an animal version of Google Translate.
③All around the animal kingdom, there are sounds that we can hardly pick up and decipher (翻译). Elephants, for example, talk with each other using infrasound (次声波)—far below our human hearing range (范围). Coral in the ocean also send sound waves to attract (吸引) baby coral to safer areas to grow. This is surprising as coral doesn't have any ears! Scientists have placed listening equipment (设备) into these environments to pick up the sounds humans cannot hear.
④After the sounds are recorded, AI can study their meaning, according to the news website Vox. For example, Israeli researchers used AI to translate bats' 15,000 calls. They found that more than 60 percent were arguments about four things: food, sleep positions (姿势), invasion (侵犯) of personal space, and unwanted advances (求爱).
⑤This technology can not only understand the animals but communicate back to them. For example, bees use dances to communicate. A research team in Germany, therefore, put the bee language AI system into a robot bee. They asked the robot to create a dance routine (路线) to tell the bees where the nectar (花蜜) was, Vox reported.
1. Karen Bakker’s new book is mainly about ________.| A．the unique ways that animals communicate |
| B．it would be a good thing to use the AI |
| C．how AI helps translate animals’ sounds |
| D．why animals need help from human beings |
| A．is a kind of plant | B．is a kind of animal | C．has two ears | D．looks like humans |
| A．more than 60% of bats like arguing | B．the human can hear all the sounds in the world |
| C．AI can record 15,000 bats’ sounds | D．how AI can study the meaning of animal’ sounds |
| A．by placing listening equipment in their bodies |
| B．by training other bees to follow it to get there |
| C．by creating a special sound to attract the bees |
| D．by telling the bees about the routine by dancing |
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. Which “need” is used as verb (动词) in Paragraph 1? Write down the sentence.2. What club did Guangming Middle School build?
3. Why is learning life skills also important?
4. Is it necessary for students to do housework? Why? (write 30words or more)
4 . Safety is very important to everyone. As a teenager, do you know how to protect yourself in different situations?
If there is a warning sign near the water, don’t go into it. Only swim in the area where there is a lifeguard. Never swim alone. When you see someone drowning, never jump into the water to try to save him if you can’t swim. Remember to ask adults for help in time. When you go boating, you must wear a life vest(救生衣).
Some strangers may give you snacks or other things to show kindness. They may also invite you to his or her home, offer you a ride, or ask you for detailed information about you or your family. Say no to them and leave as fast as you can. If you find yourself in danger, shout “Help!” loudly or find out a safe way to get help.
Bullying(欺凌) is a dangerous and serious offense (冒犯行为) these days. If it happens to you, you should report it to the headmaster and your teachers. They will work with the parents to solve the problems.
Stay away from places that are very crowded. Once you go, watch out your feet and avoid falling down. When people around begin to push, try to keep your cool and never push harder. If you fall down in the moving crowd, cover your head with both hands.
1. What does the underlined word “drowning” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．boating in water | B．dying in water | C．playing in water | D．swimming in water |
| A．refuse | B．accept | C．believe | D．eat |
| A．Try to fight with them. | B．Ask classmates for help in time. |
| C．Tell the headmaster and your teachers. | D．Leave the man as soon as possible. |
| A．Swimming in the safe area. | B．Staying away from the crowded places. |
| C．How to get help from others. | D．How to protect yourself in different situations. |
5 . Cars need petrol (汽油). Horses need hay (草料). You need breakfast.
| Do you go without breakfast on some or most days? Studies show that people who don’t have breakfast are more likely to snack on junk food before noon *be overweight * get mad *do worse than they could at school work *die younger than those who eat a good breakfast every day. Those who don’t eat breakfast think slower. They take in information more slowly in their working memory. But given breakfast every day for a few weeks, those same young people get higher scores in subjects like math, English and science. |
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| Great Breakfast: Keep it simple. *Cereal (谷类食物) *Low-fat milk or yogurt with fresh or dried fruit on top: *Fruit juice. *Bread. *Shakes made in a blender (搅拌机) with fruit (like bananas or strawberries) And if you have to eat on the run, at least get a banana ... |
1. If you don’t have breakfast, you may ________.
| A．think slower | B．live longer | C．lose weight | D．work harder |
| A．vegetable salad | B．biscuits | C．fruit juice | D．chips |
| A．drink some milk | B．have some candy | C．drink more water | D．take a banana |
| A．History and culture. | B．Food and health. | C．Science and technology. | D．Life and study. |
6 . There are quite a few advantages of wearing school uniforms. The idea may seem disagreeable at first, but thinking all the good results of wearing uniforms, you would be more likely to enjoy them.
Teachers love school uniforms because they provide a good learning environment for students. And they can pay their attention to study rather than style.
Buying school uniforms is easy and needs less thought. No matter what the school rules are, there are only some basic styles to the clothes. And school uniforms can last a long time, so it won’t break the bank. Parents could also enjoy an easy morning, as it will take less time to choose a set of clothes for the school day.
Students wearing uniforms will feel easier about choosing what to wear. Some students may not like the lack of individuality (个性)with uniforms, but some school dress rules may offer them the chance to show their unique (独特的) styles. And uniforms today are also becoming more fashionable and can be found in many areas of pop culture. Superstars and fashion designers are using uniforms as encouragement for new looks which also interest students.
1. Teachers think that wearing school uniforms ________.| A．is just a tradition that students should follow | B．makes students feel uncomfortable |
| C．helps students pay attention to their study | D．makes students lose unique styles |
| A．a school uniform doesn’t cost a lot of money | B．students should wear uniforms every day |
| C．parents have to go to the bank many times | D．parents working in a bank can afford the uniform |
| A．will be designed by students | B．are not popular with superstars |
| C．are not accepted by parents | D．will be more fashionable in the future |
| A．How to deal with study in school. | B．How to dress school uniforms beautifully. |
| C．The history of wearing school uniforms. | D．The advantages of wearing school uniforms. |
7 . What would you like for lunch? Maybe, a battery (电池)? Although it sounds unusual, this has already been realized by scientists as they develop electronic things you can eat.
Robofood, led by Dario Floreano from a Swiss Institute, has created a new drone (无人机) with scientists from Wageningen University, the Netherlands. Half of the parts inside can be eaten! The program aims to make robots that can be eaten and foods that act like robots by mixing food science and robots in a new way.
The drone’s wings are made from rice cakes glued together with oil and chocolate. It can find missing people or animals in emergencies and send food or medicine. Parts of the drone can be eaten because they meet food safety standards for emergencies set by the United Nations.
However, the main challenge is finding stronger edible (可食用的) materials for the drone’s wings to prepare for bad weather and high temperatures-of course, the chocolate may melt easily.
Robofood also developed an edible sensor (感应器) to help monitor (监控) stomach sickness. It’s eaten by the patient to check the conditions inside. It’s different from other sensors because it’s easy for your body to digest (消化), so it won’t leave any remains inside the body.
The invention of Robofood also helps with environmental protection. There are batteries that you can fully eat. They are made from natural things like vitamin B2 and elements (元素) found in fruits. This helps the environment because you won’t have to throw them away like other batteries.
1. What is Robofood’s main goal?| A．To develop smart drones. | B．To create edible electronics. |
| C．To help check stomach disease. | D．To put sensors on drones. |
| A．break | B．become hard |
| C．become soft | D．disappear |
| A．can be safer for health | B．can check more carefully |
| C．can stay in the human body longer | D．can be taken as medicine |
| A．It uses less power. | B．It cuts down pollution. |
| C．It uses solar power. | D．It is made from food waste. |
Youngsters should always be passionate (热情的).We still remember that about 100 years ago, millions of brave people together founded the Communist Party of China. They devoted (献身) themselves into the development of our country. It’s they who brought us today’s peaceful life.
As modern young people, we all have our own dreams. And it’s our passion that drives us forward. I have a friend who loves music and often posts his own works on the Internet. He receives lots of followers and praise. He can not only develop his interest, but also have an influence on others. And I realized that millions of young people like him are now bravely chasing (追逐) their dreams.
At the same time, we have to take up our social responsibility. No matter when a big accident happens, there are always armed police officers around the country fighting there. Among them, some are even 00s. In addition, it’s touching to see many people offer help online by donating money and clothes. Young people have a sense of responsibility to stand up in the face of difficulties at any time.
By being passionate and responsible, we should show the world that under the leadership of the CPC, Chinese youth will certainly shoulder the heavy task of national development.
1. What did millions of brave people bring us about 100 years ago?2. What does the writer believe youngsters should do according to Paragraph 2?
3. How does the writer feel about people donating money and clothes?
4. What spirit do you think we Chinese youth should have? Why? Write 30 words or more.
9 . Artificial intelligence (AI) can now do amazing things. ChatGPT is an AI that can answer questions, tell stories, and do much more. But it's very“thirsty”, said a new study.
When ChatGPT works, its “home”—data (数据) centers around the world—produces a large amount of heat. Just like when we run or do something active, our bodies get hot. The same happens to the computers in data centers. Workers then have to use water to cool them down. Cold water goes into pipes (管道) near the computers at these centers.Because the computers are very hot, the water turns into vapor (水蒸气) and goes into the air. The water needs to be super clean. If they use sea water, it can eat away the pipes.
If you ask ChatGPT 20 to 50 questions, it needs to “drink” a 500-milliliter bottle of water. When scientists trained ChatGPT, it used 700,000 liters of water, said the study. This is the amount that is needed to make about 370 cars.
ChatGPT is not the only one that needs data centers. Everything you do on the Internet needs data centers to work. There are more than 8,000 data centers in the world, said a report in 2021. Between 2022 and 2023, the number of super data centers increased by 30%, reaching a record 1400.
The number is still growing. If AI keeps using a lot of water, we may have to “fight” with AI for water.
1. What is used to cool down the computers?| A．Hot water. | B．Waste water. |
| C．Sea water. | D．Cold clean water. |
| A．AI can do a lot of things. |
| B．AI helps make lots of cars. |
| C．AI needs data centers to work. |
| D．AI uses a lot of water when working. |
| A．People will be stopped from wasting water. |
| B．AI will be replaced by other new technology. |
| C．Data centers won’t need to be cooled down any more. |
| D．People should control the number of data centers to save water. |
| A．A new invention | B．A more powerful AI |
| C．Thirsty computers | D．The history of computers |
10 . “Do you know where my father is?” Jady asked her friend Karen. “There,” Karen said, and pointed at Jady’s father with her finger.
Jady turned to Karen and frowned (皱眉). Then she walked away. She didn’t speak to Karen much for the rest of the party. Karen couldn’t understand what went wrong. That’s because Karen forgot about body language.
We all know how difficult it can be to speak to people from other cultures. But there’s also a language of movement called body language. For Karen from Canada, it was no problem to point at someone who is older than she is. But for Jady, it was very rude.
Different cultures have many different rules about body language. Kissing is one important example. In France and much of Europe, you should kiss new friends on one or both cheeks (脸颊). But in India and much of the Middle East, a man kissing a woman in public would be shocking.
Think about how you treat little children. In many parts of the world, people often pat (轻拍) children on the head. But that would be unacceptable in most of Southeast Asia.
When you listen to a story, do you look the storyteller in the eye? In the United States, you should from time to time. In the Middle East, it is normal to make eye contact for a long period of time. But in Japan and Korea, that would be rude.
Communication doesn’t stop at our mouths. We use our whole bodies to communicate. Remember that there are as many rules for body language as for spoken language.
1. For Jady, it was________ to point at someone who is older.| A．rude | B．polite | C．nice | D．lucky |
| A．In India | B．In France |
| C．In the Middle East | D．In China |
| A．catch one’s eye |
| B．do eye exercises |
| C．look someone in the eye |
| D．take care of one’s eyes |
| A．Rules for spoken language. |
| B．Ways of language learning. |
| C．Body language across cultures. |
| D．The importance of language. |
