I sat in my parents’ car. Mom had insisted I go with her to pick up Dad from work. Across from Dad’s office is a bike store. That was the day my eleven-year-old eyes first saw the purple BMX Mongoose bike. From that day on, all I could think about was that bike. I even drew pictures of the bike in class. Every evening afterward, at five thirty, I eagerly went along with Mom to get Dad.
And every day I told my parents, “I want that bike!” But they disagreed and replied that I had already had a perfectly good bike at home. I’d argue it was old and ugly, thinking that my happiness depended on that purple bike. Days later, I found the store had sold that bike. I knew I’d never be happy again.
A week later, returning home from school, I tripped over something. Lying in the weeds near a river and some wooded lots, was a bike — the exact bike from the store. “Hey, whose bike is this?” I shouted, scanning the area. No one replied, and there was no one in sight. Maybe its owner didn’t want it any longer. I couldn’t leave it lying in the weeds. So I took it home and hid it behind the garage. Every day after school, I sat there, admiring it. But I didn’t feel like riding and didn’t feel as happy as I had thought. Thinking about the bike made my stomach tighten and uncomfortable.
A few days later, during lunch at school, my friend said, “Did you hear about Tyler, in the other fifth-grade class? He lost his new purple BMX Mongoose bike he had just gotten for his birthday. He left it by a river while playing in the woods. It got dark, and he couldn’t find it.”
“I’d never go off and leave a new bike like that. He doesn’t deserve to have that bike,” I replied. My friend added, “Kids say he’s nice. And they say Tyler is upset because his dad worked overtime to buy the bike for him.” For the rest of the day, I couldn’t stop thinking about Tyler.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
After school, I returned home and dragged to my room.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“I know Tyler’s house,” Mom said. “I’ll drive you there.”
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2 . My mom loved to pass her wisdom to me: ”Nothing beats a good bite that bites back.” She was referring to her bitter-taste foods like dill pickles and rhubarb (大黄叶). But I was not a big fan.
Three years ago, I finally decided to ask if I could
When I was a kid and my mom gave me that pie, it made me
Then, last summer, I came across the
Since then I’ve come to a
| A．dig | B．check | C．figure | D．smell |
| A．Absolutely | B．Possibly | C．Basically | D．Technically |
| A．warm | B．anxious | C．curious | D．sharp |
| A．talent | B．affection | C．patience | D．ambition |
| A．asking | B．weeding | C．assessing | D．walking |
| A．makes for | B．takes in | C．breaks through | D．puts down |
| A．admire | B．miss | C．ignore | D．question |
| A．friend | B．doctor | C．parent | D．child |
| A．grateful | B．content | C．guilty | D．reluctant |
| A．enlarge | B．cancel | C．sweeten | D．postpone |
| A．obtained | B．gathered | C．praised | D．avoided |
| A．letter | B．bill | C．recipe | D．menu |
| A．break | B．shot | C．second | D．rest |
| A．resolution | B．suggestion | C．decision | D．conclusion |
| A．appreciate | B．achieve | C．tolerate | D．provide |
3 . Hibernation (冬眠) is a classic topic of science fiction. In movies such as 2001: A Space Odyssey, Alien, or Passengers, crew members are put into a state of sleep to take year-long journeys to space. Now a new study from Washington University has shown that human hibernation may soon become a reality.
The research team carried out tests on rats — animals that do not naturally hibernate. They first identified a group of neurons (神经元) in a deep brain region, which were found to be involved in controlling body temperature during hibernation. They showed that, in mice, these neurons could be stimulated using ultrasound (超声波), which was delivered through a helmet without causing an injury.
When receiving the ultrasound, the mice showed a drop in body temperature of about3°C, and their heart rates fell by about 47%. When the ultrasound system was switched off, they woke up again. The result was “surprising and fascinating”, said Hong Chen, a professor who led the work.
Researchers are also trying to determine how to harness the power of hibernation to help humans. They believe that it could be key to addressing health conditions like heart disease, and Alzheimer’s. Furthermore, hibernation’s ability to slow aging, which was observed in bats, could benefit space exploration, enabling longer missions with less food requirements. Research in animals also suggests that bodies of hibernating astronauts might lose less bone and muscle, making them fit and ready to start challenging exploration soon after they wake up.
By unlocking the secrets of this remarkable process, researchers may uncover ways to improve human health, as well as gain new insights into the natural world. Therefore, the exploration of hibernation is an exciting area that is sure to yield numerous benefits in the years to come.
The scientists now plan to look at how lowered body temperature might affect the cognitive abilities of humans. “Our next experiments will test working memory in monkeys. This is important because while astronauts physically hibernate as they fly into deep space, their brain still needs to be working,” said Chen.
1. How did researchers put rats into hibernation?| A．By lowering their body temperature. |
| B．By activating specific brain neurons. |
| C．By putting a regular helmet on them. |
| D．By using ultrasound through an operation. |
| A．Employ. | B．Challenge. | C．Overlook. | D．Discover. |
| A．It improves people’s mental health. |
| B．It predicts a variety of heart diseases. |
| C．It helps astronauts keep physically fit. |
| D．It enables astronauts to build up muscle. |
| A．To point out the significance of the study. |
| B．To bring out the focus of follow-up studies. |
| C．To discuss other factors affecting hibernation. |
| D．To explain practical applications of the finding. |
4 . As humanity has got richer, animal’s roles have changed. People need their services less than before. Fewer wolves and thieves meant less demand for dogs for protection; the internal combustion engine (内燃机) made horses unneeded; modern sanitation (卫生设备) kept rats in check and made cats less useful. Domestic animals are no longer necessities, but commonly seen companions. Pet-keeping seems to become more and more popular, as a recent survey found that 69% of American households keep at least one pet.
The pet business is growing even faster than pet numbers, because people are spending more and more money on them. No longer are they food-waste-recyclers, fed with the remains that fall from their masters’ tables. Pet food shelves are full of cuisines tailored to satisfy a range of appetites, including ice cream for dogs and foods for pets that are old, diabetic, or suffer from sensitive digestion.
In the business, this is called “pet humanization” — the tendency of pet owners to treat their pets as part of the family. This is obvious in the names given to dogs, which have evolved from Fido, Rex, and Spot to Bella, Lucy, and Max.
People still hold the false assumption that pets must be working for humanity in some way, perhaps making people healthier or less anxious. But the evidence for that is weak. New research suggests that dogs have evolved those “cute eyes” to affect human emotions and control them, which works very well. Humans now work very hard to pay for the care of their pets. For example, Americans often refer to themselves not as cat owners but as the cat’s “mommy” or “daddy”. South Koreans go one step further, describing themselves as cat “butlers (管家)”. Watch an unlucky man walking his dog, plastic bag in hand to pick up its mess, and we have to doubt: who’s in charge now? Is this relationship what we really want?
1. What can we learn about the animal-keeping trend?| A．People’s needs for animal services are increasing. |
| B．The price for purchasing a domestic pet is on the rise. |
| C．Pet foods are less various and customized than before. |
| D．Both the pet number and the pet business are growing. |
| A．Pets’ ability to make their owners less anxious. |
| B．Human’s increasing investment in pet-keeping. |
| C．Pet’s roles as both working staff and companions. |
| D．The owners’ preference to give pets human names. |
| A．Skeptical. | B．Conservative. | C．Unclear. | D．Approving. |
| A．The Changing Roles of Pets |
| B．The Growing Trend of Pet Business |
| C．The Craze for Pet-keeping |
| D．The Pros and Cons of Keeping Pets |
5 . Tonight, our family was going out to play under the full moon.
My husband Todd and I first started going on full moon walks for ourselves, as we needed these little doses of moonlight to stay happy, though sometimes we had to hike through the forest to find a perfect spot. But after we became parents, we did this for our children. We wanted to show Sierra and Bryce that it was not necessary to travel far from home to have an adventure and learn something new, and that there was much magic in the natural world, available to all.
Once we arrived at our location, Sierra and I stood holding hands, waiting to cheer the full moon in its rising—a thin sliver of the appealing moon emerged above the ridge of the mountain afar. Soon, more of the moon came out until it turned into a brilliant orange sphere. Todd explained to Sierra and Bryce that the moon generates no light, but simply acts like a mirror, reflecting the sunlight back to us. “Does the moon’s face change?” Bryce asked. I told him that the moon rotates (旋转) around the earth, but does not spin by itself, so the same side of the moon is always facing the earth. Sierra remarked that the moon looked larger and closer when it was rising. I explained that it is a visual illusion (错觉) because it is so close to the horizon that the moon magically tricks our eyes into comparing it with nearby objects, thus creating the impression of the increased size.
Much of the knowledge that I shared with the kids was learned from my parents. During my childhood, they would take me on educational adventures out in the woods, and as I later found, so did their parents. So every time I go for a full moon walk with my beloved family, I thank those wise educators who came before me.
To educate, sometimes all it takes is going outdoors and gazing up at the heavens.
1. What does the underlined word “this” in paragraph 2 refer to?| A．Going on a hike through the forest. |
| B．Taking a walk under the full moon. |
| C．Watching magic shows every month. |
| D．Traveling far from home for adventure. |
| A．The kids were reluctant to participate. |
| B．Todd mentioned the mirror to explain sunlight. |
| C．The kids exhibited a spirit of exploration about the moon. |
| D．The author used a magic trick to explain the larger moon. |
| A．Creative and faithful. | B．Selfless and brave. |
| C．Inspiring and generous. | D．Insightful and patient. |
| A．Life is what you make it. |
| B．Every cloud has a silver lining. |
| C．Nature is the best teacher. |
| D．God helps those who help themselves. |
6 . Four Art Study Abroad Programs in 2024
Whether you love art history, dance, photography, writing, or beyond, here are the top art programs to attend in 2024.
The 6-week Gap Year Course in Italy | Art History AbroadProgram length: 6 weeks in summer
Price: $10,000
If you’re interested in studying artists, criticism, and painting techniques during periods like the Renaissance and styles like baroque, Romanesque, and modern art, then this program is for you. It prides itself on not simply teaching art but also culture and an appreciation of beauty.
Creative Internships (实习) in Australia with ABI | ArtBound InitiativeProgram length: 1 month
Price: $3,250
If you’ve ever had an interest in pursuing a career in the creative industry, consider an internship opportunity with ArtBound Initiative. Interns can work in exciting overseas locations while getting one-on-one career coaching from professionals.
The Irish Arts and Culture Program | Irish Gap YearProgram length: 1 semester
Price: $17,000
Explore your own areas of interest as you work side by side with local Irish artists, photographers, writers, and musicians, learning about Ireland’s rich cultural and artistic heritage. Your hands-on experience goes hand in hand with day trips to galleries, museums, and castles, and at the end, you’ll have the opportunity to exhibit your works at the Le Cheile Art Expo.
Creative Semester in France | Berridge ProgramsProgram length: 1 semester
Price: $16,500
Whether you’re a complete beginner or an experienced performer or artist, your interests and talents will be nurtured by industry professionals. During your time here, you will work on improving your skills which will end with a feature film or creative performance.
1. Where should you go to obtain career guidance according to the text?| A．France. | B．Australia. | C．Italy. | D．Ireland. |
| A．The 6-week Gap Year Course in Italy. |
| B．Creative Internships in Australia with ABI. |
| C．The Irish Arts and Culture Program. |
| D．Creative Semester in France. |
| A．$3,250. | B．$10,000. | C．$16,500. | D．$17,000. |
7 . In the northernmost edge of Colombia sits the coastal town of Acandí. Access to the town is only by water or air; there is no road that leads there. The residents there are faced with the struggles of balancing livelihoods while protecting biodiversity.
In the past, traditional community fishing methods, passed down by the elders, focused on the reasonable fishing and management of resources. However, the introduction of large-scale trawling vessels(拖网渔船) decades ago gradually depleted the area’s fishing resources, leading to damage to marine(海洋的) life seriously.
Jesús Antonio Julio Cuestas, who serves in the region’s conservation and management of marine resources, stresses the bad impact of these developments and calls for new fishing techniques. “Fishing and conservation co-exist as long as we have good management practices and reasonable use of our fishing resources,” says Cuestas. He and other officials actively monitor fishing activities in Acandí. Each morning, they visit the fish markets to gather data on fishery resources—including prices and sizes—to monitor the state of the local fishing industry.
Along with Cuestas, the fishers work to reduce their impact on the marine ecosystem. By changing fishing methods and adopting new practices, they aim for a more balanced approach to fishing. “This year the local fishermen have not used the trawl net s that were causing the death of the leatherback sea turtles,” explains Cuestas proudly. Changes include the efforts of boats to protect the seagrass that serves as feeding grounds for marine life and an end to fishers throwing net s where turtles lay their eggs.
This marine reserve in Acandí, Cuestas believes, is their greatest treasure. He attaches great importance to working together with local residents to improve the quality of life while preserving the marine ecosystem. By doing so, he imagines a picture where individuals from the fishing community can pursue various careers, such as engineers or lawyers, proudly stating that they are the products of the fishing tradition in Acandí.
1. What does the underlined word “depleted” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Reused. | B．Restored. |
| C．Explored. | D．Reduced. |
| A．To cut down on the costs of fishing. |
| B．To improve the income of local residents. |
| C．To promote the well-being of marine wildlife. |
| D．To spread traditional community fishing methods. |
| A．The aim of the changes to fishing methods. |
| B．The efforts to preserve marine ecosystem. |
| C．The results the trawl net s have brought about. |
| D．The impact of fishers on the local environment. |
| A．Confident. | B．Uncaring. |
| C．Concerned. | D．Doubtful. |
8 . Lots of kids like to talk about sports, but Joseph D’Avirro talks about sports like a professional host in a show called Sliders & Curveballs. The 9-year-old from Newington, Connecticut is a natural at sports talk and has been broadcasting the show—which is about baseball, basketball and other sports—with his dad, Mike D’Avirro, since September 2019.
The D’Avirro started the broadcast after two former college roommates of Mike died, which made Mike want to spend more time with his son. Then the idea came to him. So far, they have done about 50 programs. Joseph’s favorite is when the father-and-son team interviewed Jim Calhoun, the coach leading the Connecticut Huskies to three national titles. They have also interviewed important sports authors.
The father and son make about one 30- to 40-minute podcast each month. They prepare for the podcasts by deciding on the questions they want to ask the guest. Joseph asks half of the questions, and Mike handles the other half. Joseph reads his questions again and again to get them in his brain well. It is a lot of work, but Joseph says it is “a lot more fun than homework”. Joseph has also learned to speak up and speak clearly. He has to listen and to go with the flow of the conversation. For example, he said, “If the guest is talking about sports in the 1990s, you have to think about sports in the 1990s.”
When asked how long he and his dad will continue doing the show, he answered, “Until my dad starts growing gray hairs.” Joseph has other ambitions when he grows up—to be a sports player, a sports broadcaster or to own a basketball team. Those are big dreams, but Joseph is already living a dream: talking sports and spending time with his dad.
1. What is Joseph’s show about?| A．Some talk shows on sports. |
| B．Ways to get along with parents. |
| C．Stories about famous sports players. |
| D．Sports that his family loves playing. |
| A．His son’s talent for sports. |
| B．His wish to be a host since college. |
| C．The deaths of his college roommates. |
| D．The encouragement from his roommates. |
| A．It’s as boring as homework. |
| B．It’s challenging to his brain. |
| C．It takes a lot of time but means a lot. |
| D．It’s more interesting than homework. |
| A．A rising sports broadcaster |
| B．A long road to go to success |
| C．The father-and-son team hosts |
| D．Joseph D’Avirro’s big dream |
9 . Triplets (三胞胎) Sierra, Kassidy, and Haley have faced a range of challenges throughout their lives. At just three months old, they
The triplets’ lives took another
Despite these
Remarkably, all three girls maintained a 4.0 grade point average,
The community recognized their efforts and
Throughout their journey, the triplets maintained a(n)
| A．loved | B．found | C．missed | D．lost |
| A．care | B．hope | C．face | D．absence |
| A．Curiously | B．Regretfully | C．Consequently | D．Annoyingly |
| A．perfect | B．dark | C．strange | D．final |
| A．source | B．schedule | C．chance | D．accident |
| A．keeping | B．carrying | C．lacking | D．collecting |
| A．hardships | B．attentions | C．disasters | D．damages |
| A．put up | B．took on | C．got in | D．made out |
| A．opinion | B．strategy | C．routine | D．intention |
| A．delivering | B．leaving | C．making | D．earning |
| A．classic | B．academic | C．major | D．specific |
| A．provided | B．shared | C．cooperated | D．left |
| A．funds | B．balances | C．expenses | D．demands |
| A．further | B．worthy | C．economic | D．positive |
| A．overcoming | B．meeting | C．predicting | D．adjusting |
• Do personalized quizzes with speaking.
• Understand and truly enjoy real-world videos.
• Learn new words in multiple contexts.
Reviews from users
FluentU is a great method to learn a foreign language. We watch videos with subtitles and at any time, we can stop the video if we don’t understand a word or an expression. We click on for additional explanations. Then, we have a quiz to work the vocabulary. I find this method very interesting to improve and stay motivated.
—Estelle Jaouen
I appreciate being able to hear the pronunciation from a male and female voice. I think the mix of characters and pinyin are great and well-balanced. I love the fact that I’ve only been doing this for less than a month and I already know dozens of useful phrases and words!
—Maria van Eeden
I like the fact that it’s very dynamic and not grammar focused. Also, having many videos to learn from makes it even less boring no matter where you are as long as you have a smart phone. I like to just watch each video one time, pause at each sentence and try to remember words and sentences.
—Eduard Marius
The best thing about FluentU is that you have direct context for each new vocabulary that you learn. Repeating the dialogues is the way I learn. Also, that you can bring in your own vocabulary list and that the program searches for videos or material in which the words are included are remarkable!
—Jan Rehmer
1. What is included in FluentU?| A．Lots of videos. | B．Many language tutors. |
| C．Varieties of educational websites. | D．Much advice on grammar learning. |
| A．Estelle Jaouen. | B．Maria van Eeden. | C．Eduard Marius. | D．Jan Rehmer. |
| A．An English brochure. | B．A language textbook. |
| C．An interview about AI. | D．An introduction to an App. |
